You might think that businesses are so ‘au fait’ with Twitter as part of their marketing strategy that they’ve got nothing new to learn – right?
Wrong.
The fact of the matter is, they still aren’t maximising the potential of their tweets. You know why? Because they don’t get #hashtags.
Image by joe0153
A Twitter hashtag is essentially a keyword phrase or topic with a hash sign in front of it to identify it, and it works by connecting users who are talking about the same topic so their tweets appear in the same stream. Hashtags are searchable in Twitter search so users can easily find the topic they’re interested in – if it’s popular enough it will be deemed ‘trending’.
But what you really need to know is how you can use them to boost your Twitter profile.
So here are some simple, actionable ways you can use hashtags to your advantage and move your Twitter marketing forward:
Be Original
When creating your hashtag you’ve got to be original both to stand out and to ensure your chosen hashtag hasn’t already got a lot of activity around it. The easy way to do this is by using the Twitter search engine to check out the number of hits your hashtag gets. If it gets too many you’re better off selecting something different – it will mean less competition and you will run a lower risk of people outside your target market detracting from the conversation.
Don’t Saturate
Pace yourself! It’s important to tweet your hashtag regularly, but don’t swamp your followers with it -people will start to ignore it and it could be perceived as spam which is totally the opposite of the desired effect.
Put it into Context
This might sound obvious, but let your audience know exactly what your hashtag means. You could choose to create a hashtag with a self-explanatory name, explain what it means in a tweet, or provide a link to a page with a more detailed article or description – particularly good for events and products.
Add value
Ideally you want to give your followers something valuable with your hashtags. This most often applies to when you are using hashtags to advertise an event like a webinar, competition or product release. Make sure you decide on a single hashtag to represent your event early on so you can use it throughout the event promotion. Choose a hashtag that’s got a bit of pizzazz to grab attention – keep it short and snappy.
Remind your followers of the event regularly – and by that I mean several times daily. However mix it up with tweets on other topics and keep it light-hearted not pushy. Make sure people are aware that using your chosen hashtag will mean everyone can track anything related to that event easily – demonstrate its value.
So if you’re one of the many entrepreneurs who aren’t sure how hashtags can help their marketing campaigns – these tips are a sound starting point for you. Get to grips with these simple basics and you’ll be well on your way to being a hit hashtag success!
About James T Noble: James makes small businesses bigger. He’s worked with some of the world’s largest brands and companies to market their products and services online – including Disney, Microsoft, 20th Century Fox, Virgin, Coca Cola, MTV and many others. Find out more and read business growth tips at http://www.JamesTNoble.com