When you hear the word hashtags, do you dream of a new delicious, bite-size breakfast treat?
Or do you think of categorizing messages on Twitter?
The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet (e.g., #mybigevent). Twitter didn’t create hashtags; they were created organically by users as a way to categorize messages.
By clicking on a hashtagged word in any message, it will show you all messages marked with that same hashtag. So you can easily see all the posts on that topic. And anyone that does a search for that hashtag may find your Tweet.
Here are four things to remember to successfully use hashtags in marketing.
1) Be Unique
Hashtags are a great way to engage your customers about your event and allow them to engage with each other. Using your event’s name or a common abbreviation may be a good start, but try to pick something unique and specific.
For example, #SEwebinar allows us to focus in on the specific topic of webinars rather than just using #SaffireEvents for everything. It will also allow others to search for a specific topic much easier too. You wouldn’t want to promote a contest and then make your participants wade through all your other tweets in order to find the contest updates.
2) Make it Easy to Remember
With all of the hashtags that are out there in the Twitter-verse, the last thing you want to do is pick one that is hard to pronounce or spell.
It should be short, easy to remember and spell, and easily gives the users an idea of what the topic is. For example at the Oscar Awards red carpet show, they used #BestDressed to drive engagement and discussion about all the actresses dresses.
Be strategic about the use of hashtags. Place them on your website and any print materials that will help drive engagement and activity on your topic.
3) Be Prolific Across your Efforts
Although hashtags started on Twitter, they are now commonly used across many marketing channels. As you try to make your hashtags commonplace for your audience, try to adopt them across all relevant pieces of your marketing. Hashtags allow users to group their content and photos, and will broaden the reach of your tags.
Using your hashtag across marketing channels helps people to remember your hashtags and recognize it along with your brand. For example, 50% of the advertisers during the Super Bowl included hastags in their commercials.
4) Be Specific to your Event
Before using a specific hashtag, do a search to see if anyone is currently using it or has used it in the passed. The worst thing you can do is launch an effort around a specific hashtag and then find out that it was used for some topic that you REALLY don’t want associated with your event.
Entenmann’s Donuts and Cookies got totally mixed up in the Casey Anthony murder trial verdict discussion by running a cookie campaign with #notguilty simply because they hadn’t checked it prior to starting the campaign.
Hashtags can be a great, memorable way to connect with your customers. It’s OK to use more general hashtags, like #SaffireEvents, but it makes it a little more difficult if you are trying to keep the conversation more specific. The key to hashtags is using the right hashtag at the right time to ensure the most engagement.
Now you’re ready to get the #conversation started.