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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
