More than any other social media platform, Twitter makes it easy for fans from all over the world to connect with their favorite artists and fellow members of their fandom.

In fact, now that most of us are staying home because of the pandemic, interactions between fans and their idols have increased. Whether you’re supporting Filipino artists such as MayWard and SB19, or a K-pop fan who is part of the BTS ARMY or BLACKPINK’s BLINKS, becoming a fan is never lonesome on Twitter. Here are three tips to level up your fandom experience.

Follow fan conversations

One of the most popular ways for fans to communicate and receive updates on Twitter is through fan Twitter accounts. Run by some of the most devoted fans, these accounts also set hashtags to trend and even provide translations or update briefs, helping fellow fans anywhere to stay up to date and closer to their favorites.

Some of the most well-known fanbases on Twitter include K-pop groups. Ana (@anadelight27), an EXO-L and ELF, started her fan journey on Twitter. She relies on it for real-time information about her favorite idols.

“It’s easy to find updates on Twitter and it is special for fans like me because a certain hashtag can show you videos, pictures, and updates that you are looking for. It also feels like you are in a concert itself because you get updates as they happen. In addition, fan accounts give freebies when you meet them at concerts, so it’s also a nice way of meeting new people,” she said.

Fan accounts are great go-to sources of information. To get started, simply search for your favorite artists’ names on Twitter. Then look through some of the top tweets that show up. Fan accounts will often mention fans and the actor or artist name in the bio, such as “fan account”, “fanbase”, or other similar terms. Then hit the follow button for the account you like.

Join the conversation

It’s always a joy to meet fellow fans, so don’t hesitate to share your voice and join the conversation. You can use hashtags to sort through all the tweets about your favorites and know what is being talked about for the day. Fans also often use hashtags to show support by bonding through “hashtag parties” where they all join forces to make their hashtag trend.

Caitlin (@wALANAnana) said Twitter enabled her to support and grow Ben&Ben’s (@BenAndBenMusic) fanbase. She even has first-hand experience on how powerful fandoms can be in amplifying support online.

“When Ben&Ben was nominated for three Wish Awards, we created a contest to encourage fans to vote. They managed to win two of those awards. When they released a new song, we initiated the #BenAndBenLIFETIME hashtag which reached No. 1 on the Philippine trends and No. 4 on the worldwide trends last June 3. Lastly, we also had an initiative called #BenAndBenBBsPrideHome where we gather pride stories from fans and post it on our social media accounts. Most of the stories we’ve gathered were sent via Twitter,” she said.

On the other hand, fans of #MayMayEntrata and #EdwardBarber always use their love team hashtag #MayWard for daily updates and even important activities, such as when they showed their fandom’s power using #PushAwardsMayWards to support the love team during this period.

Want to know what’s trending for the day? An algorithm determines trends. Twitter also tailors them based on who you follow, your interests, and your location. On desktop, you can view trends for a specific location by clicking Change in your trends box. You can choose to Keep tailored trends based on your location and who you follow. Or you can select Change to choose a nearby location or search locations.

From online to real-life connections

Twitter gives fans the opportunity to stay closer to their favorites and fandom even if they are miles away. As they unite online to share the same love for their idols, fandoms eventually help their community establish real-life friendships beyond Twitter.

The current pandemic halted all fan meets or cup sleeve events. Fortunately, fans found a way to innovate and even spearhead projects for good causes. For example, fans of NCT Dream’s (@NCTsmtown_DREAM) Na Jaemin created a birthday fan project that benefits local jeepney drivers. Fans of Maine Mendoza (@mainedcm) and Angel Locsin (@143redangel) also gave full support for their respective efforts, #DoNationDrive and #UniTENTweStandPH. This shows that being a fan is also about sharing love to anyone who needs it.

Want to enjoy even more meaningful discussions with your fandom friends on Twitter? Try out this new conversation setting.

So, no matter what you’re a fan of, there’s a fan community for it on Twitter. Connections can start from a conversation, so don’t hesitate to tweet and interact with your fellow fans.