Anyone Know the Right Way to Use #Hashtags?

by | Jun 13, 2013

If you’re like many a newcomer to social media marketing, and particularly Twitter, you may not have a keen understanding of just what a #hashtag even is. Let’s clear that up from the start. A hashtag is a convention used on Twitter, (although it can be used in other social media platforms to guide to Twitter) that organizes and categorizes conversations. They’re represented by a # followed by a keyword with no spaces.

#Hashtags guidelines

Make sure the keyword you are using is not in use somewhere else, or you may be in for a huge surprise. This involves doing a little research (a search on Search.Twitter.com) to determine if that keyword will be a good choice. Also, don’t use deceptive #hashtags, even with significantly trending keywords. This will definitely NOT work in your favor. And above all, proofread prior to deciding to create that #hashtag, lest you become a victim of your own hashtag.

4 Ways to win with #hashtags

  1. Keep them short and simple – Making your #hashtag brief and to the point is your best bet. Combine a couple if necessary, such as #apps and #smallbiz, but avoid stringing together a half dozen: it just appears like you don’t know what you want to say.
  2. Make them #hashtags to remember – Great #hashtags are much more likely to be shared widely. Give consideration to this and you just might get your wish and have it go viral.
  3. Use them on multiple social media channels – A #hashtag isn’t much use if it’s not shared. Although started on Twitter, #hashtags are now employed across multiple social media channels including Facebook, Google , LinkedIn and Pinterest. This can help to instill the #hashtag into the minds of their audience.
  4. Make use of keywords – If at all possible, work in your brand or major keywords. This isn’t always feasible, so choose judiciously.

Creating and making use of memorable #hashtags can keep your brand and conversation before your social media audience, and help perpetuate your campaigns. Try it out today!