Ten years after its conception the hashtag (#) continues to thrive. It has contributed to some big events, campaigns and controversies and has consequently created some of the biggest social media moments of the past decade.
Ten years after its conception the hashtag (#) continues to thrive. It has contributed to some big events, campaigns and controversies and has consequently created some of the biggest social media moments of the past decade. #BlackLivesMatter, #HeForShe and #IceBucketChallenge are just some of the many successful hashtags that have gone viral, taking their respective campaigns to unfounded levels of success. While hashtags are a popular and often effective tool for optimizing social media traffic and creating ‘Trending Topics’, such success doesn’t come easily and using a hashtag can make or break, not just your tweet but, your entire campaign!
Make your hashtag relevant!
There’s nothing quite as bad as a random hashtag that has no relevance to your company, campaign or tweet; it can leave users confused as to what your tweet is actually about, target a completely different audience than the one you were intending and mean your tweet gets lost in the Twittersphere.
Meanwhile, using a relevant, and unique, hashtag will cause your tweet to be categorized with similar tweets containing that hashtag. Consequently, your tweet will be shown more easily in a Twitter search, allow users to follow and interact with your topic or campaign, make your campaign memorable and create a social media buzz around it, maybe even making it a ‘Trending Topic’.
The more specific you can be with your chosen hashtag, the better! Making it personal to your brand or campaign means you are more likely to target your exact audience and subsequently generate better engagement. However, bear in mind that making your hashtag too obscure can alienate users and make it hard to find even for your most dedicated followers.
All this being said, don’t be afraid to use general interest topics or already trending hashtags, such as the recurring #MondayMotivation, providing they are relevant, to tap into a large audience and trend.
It’s all about the brand!
Using a brand hashtag is a great way to promote your brand or campaign and generate audience engagement. One prime example of this was the Walkers #DoUsAFlavour campaign. It caused a social media storm and a lot of hype about the brand and its promotion. Not only does this maximise client engagement, but, it will also allow you to view all tweets tagged with your brand hashtag on one page, allowing you to view and interact with brand-specific conversations boosting your social media presence.
Quality not quantity!
#Some #social #media #users #have #taken #to #hash-tagging #every #single #word #for #irony.
#Don’t.
Hashtags are meant to promote a certain topic to a wide audience and really make an impression about your brand or campaign. So, you want to make sure you’re sharing the best quality content possible and making a good impression, not just hash-tagging every word in the hope of gaining some online footfall. And, needless to say, countless hashtags become annoying and confusing!
Similarly, don’t include more hashtags than words. Every Twitter user knows how precious your 140 characters are, so, don’t waste them! Choose your hashtags wisely, after all, if it’s relevant and specific to your cause, one or two will suffice and generate the social media buzz sought after by businesses, campaigns and individuals alike.
