James SpillaneSo, your company is looking to broaden the reach of its brand via Twitter, but you’re not quite sure how the whole hashtag thing works, or how to best use it.
Well you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll give you a brief rundown of what hashtags are, then help you understand how to choose or create hashtags that will help you get the desired effect.
But What Are They?
Before we go any further though, let’s clear up exactly what we mean by “hashtag.” Hashtags are a way to tag your Tweet with a keyword or topic. They’ll always begin with a “#” which will be followed by a short word, phrase, or acronym with no spaces or punctuation, for instance “#hashtag.” By clicking on a hashtag, Twitter users will be taken to a search engine results page with where they can see every tweet that shares that hashtag.
And that’s what makes hashtags so great. By tagging your Tweet with a hashtag, you can reach anyone who searches that hashtag, even if they aren’t following you.
To Co-opt or Create?
Now that you’ve got a greater understanding of what hashtags are and how they function on Twitter, let’s look at a few ways to make them work for you.
One of the most important decisions to make when choosing a hashtag for your Tweet is whether you want to create a new hashtag or use one that already exists. A good rule of thumb is this: If you want to start a conversation, create a new hashtag. If you want to join an existing conversation, use an existing hashtag.
You’ll have to do some research to decide which is best for you. I recommend using hashtag finder, HashtagScout.com, to see what hashtags are trending for topics related to yours. Follow the search results to see what other users are saying in Tweets with these tags.
Using an Existing Hashtag
If you think that your Tweet will be of interest to those using a given hashtag, go for it. If you’re participating in a competition, conference, trade-show, or other event, see if there’s a hashtag for the event, and use it to connect with other participants. Make sure that you’ve got something valuable to add to the conversation, though. Inappropriately using existing hashtags will, at best, cause people to disregard your Tweet. At worst it may garner negative attention for your brand.
So, using an existing hashtag is pretty straightforward. Find a hashtag related to your Tweet, and make sure that you’ve got something of value to add to the conversation. Used correctly, this can be a great way to gain exposure for your brand.
Creating Your Own Hashtag
If you’re looking to start a new conversation — for instance, if your business is putting on an event and you want to promote it, or if you’re starting a new promotional campaign — then it’s time to create your own hashtag. This can be a little more complicated than using an existing one, but you’ll be just fine if you follow these suggestions:
- Make sure it’s not already in use – As we discussed above, using an existing hashtag can be a useful technique if you’re doing it purposefully. Accidentally tagging your Tweet with an existing hashtag, on the other hand, can create confusion and divert those searching for your tag to unrelated Tweets. Before you post a hashtag of your own creation, use the hashtag finder mentioned above to ensure that it’s not already in use.
- Keep it snappy – As you probably know, you’re limited to 140 total characters per Tweet. This includes hashtags, so keeping them short is in your best interest. Not only will keeping your hashtag short minimize the possibility of running out of space, it’ll also make your tag easier to remember. If your hashtag is more than 10 characters, you might want to reconsider.
- Avoid commonly misspelled words – It’s crucial that your fans be able to use your hashtag, so try to avoid words that they’re likely to misspell, like “daiquiri” or “misspell,” as well as words with alternate spellings like “gray/grey” and “whisky/whiskey.”
- Command attention – Using punchy, monosyllabic verbs like “go”, “stop”, and “win” can help to grab the reader’s attention and provide a call to action.
- Create a hashtag that you can re-use – When creating a hashtag, think long-term. Of course hashtags for events and promotions that last for a limited time will only be useful as long as the event/promotion is being discussed. Another option though, is to make a recurring hashtag a part of your brand. If your company already has a short motto or catchphrase, that’s a great place to start. Take care that the tag reflects your brand in the desired way and that it will relate to the content of your Tweets.
- Don’t overuse them – Not every post requires a hashtag. If your Tweet pertains specifically to those who already follow you, then there’s no need for a hashtag. Use hashtags to target a new potential audience for your Tweet, but only when there’s a good reason to do so. Also, it’s usually a good idea to limit yourself to an absolute maximum of three tags per Tweet. When people see a sea of hashtags in your post, they’ll be less likely to pay attention to any one of them.
- Integrate other media – If you simply begin using a hashtag on your Tweets, the only people being exposed to it are those that already follow you. In order to use a hashtag most effectively, you need to introduce it to those that aren’t already a part of your fan base. So, display your hashtag on your marketing material in other media, whether it be television, print, or online ads. Another option is to use “Promoted Tweets” to expose your hashtag to a wider audience within Twitter.
Whether you’re using an existing hashtag to bolster your exposure or creating your own, hashtags can be an enormously valuable asset for increasing exposure for your brand. While our tips are a great place to start, there is no magic bullet when it comes to using hashtags. #GoodLuck
This article was written for Business 2 Community by James Spillane.
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If you want an existing hashtag which is appropriate for your tweet, you may use the Sopularity app:
http://www.sopularity.com
It suggests the best existing hashtags for your tweet.