Let’s Talk Hashtags

Hashtag this, hashtag that. It seems like everyone nowadays is using hashtags. While you may be rolling your eyes at how obsessed our society has become with the use of hashtags, society is rolling their eyes at you for not joining in on the fun. How we market ourselves has evolved whether you like it or not.

Not only are hashtags part of our online conversations, they are a tool for businesses to market themselves and engage customers and clients. People want to share what they are doing, where they are doing it, and what they love most, so why not do it with a hashtag? More businesses are catching on to this trend and have developed hashtags just for this sole purpose. So how can you do the same?

Keep It Short & Catchy – #NoOneWantsToSeeHashtagsThatLookLikeThis. The longer the hashtag, the less likely people will want to use it. Keep it short, but be creative. Integrate your brand or product into the mix. Let users identify with your business while coming up with a clever hashtag that interests users to want to incorporate it into their posts.

Be One of a Kind – Always check the availability and do your research of the hashtag you create on Twitter and Instagram. It’s better to have a hashtag no one else is using consistently to be original and to make sure you are not associating your business with a hashtag that could be related to something inappropriate, controversial, etc.

Get Employees On Board – Practice staff advocacy for your hashtag. It should be part of your employees’ jobs to help promote the hashtag. The more people who use it, the better! Of course, set rules and guidelines for your staff about how they can use it in their personal posts.

Good Content + Hashtag – With a great hashtag comes great responsibility. Don’t just start promoting it, apply it to good, visually appealing content first. Make the connection and populate it on social media, so later when it’s finally time to take your hashtag to the next level people who search for it can see what it is associated with and increase your brand exposure.

Promote, Promote, Promote – Once you have your hashtag established and connected with good content, you will want to promote it online and offline to encourage people to use it. Attach the hashtag to contests, giveaways, or weekly posts that will engage people to use it, but don’t stop there. Promote your hashtag on flyers, business cards, shirts, or any other company swag. The more people who see it, the more likely they will want to use it.

Now start brainstorming and never underestimate the power of a hashtag. #TurnTheLightBulbOn

By: Megan Tschopp | @MeganJanina