How to Use Hashtags with Twitter for Marketing

Do you use hashtags in your social media marketing? If not, you should be! Hashtags are part of an effective marketing strategy for businesses, and they fairly simple to use and understand. When utilized correctly, hashtags can be worked into a normal tweet so that it sounds natural and conversational. They can create a buzz about a topic that pertains to your business and reach a community.

What exactly is a hashtag?

According to Twitter, the # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages. They allow Twitter users to tag their tweets to provide context or designate them as being part of a particular conversation. As far as marketing goes, hashtags can be part of a campaign by creating a buzz or starting conversation around a certain topic. They can also become trending topics as well.

How do you use hashtags?

You tag things by placing # right in front of the keywords you are using. They can be placed in the beginning, middle, or end of a tweet. All you have to do is decide on the keyword you are targeting and type a pound sign in front of it. The # symbol is a message to others tweeting that you are discussing a certain topic, and if they want to talk about it, they can use the hashtag too. And this is how hashtags become hot topics of conversation!

You can create your own hashtag, but you must make sure that it is as short and understandable. You don’t want to hashtag common words because you won’t be able to get many people to follow them. Hashtags should have the power to get people talking.

Here are some other hashtag tips and suggestions for effective marketing:

·         Hashtags are great for centralizing conversations around live, in-person events or conferences, live webinars, or other marketing campaigns you're running.

·         A hashtag is only useful if people know about it. So to start generating conversations through your hashtag, start adding it your existing resources and channels.

·         If your hashtag is too long, hard to spell, or too complicated, it will defeat the purpose of a hashtag as many people may forget it or not be able to fit it into their tweets.

·         Try to use hashtags on multiple social media channels. You can organize your content and pictures while using hashtags on channels such as Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

·         Keep your hashtags short. This way, they will easy to remember. Also, keep in mind that Twitter users can only use a maximum of 140 characters each a tweet, so keep it short and sweet.

The tips above should help you choose memorable hashtags that are unique. Utilizing hashtags in the right way can prove to be part of a very effective social media marketing strategy.