How much power can one sign hold? The answer: #insurmountable.
The hashtag has become a revolutionary icon in businesses worldwide. From reporting purposes and gaining followers, to finding out who is talking about your company or what is popular within your industry, this sign — heretofore known as the pound sign on your phone or an empty tic-tac-toe grid waiting to be played — is arguably the Internet’s most popular icon.
It is especially huge for marketers. The hashtag opened a new vehicle of marketing through social media. However, as with all fresh avenues that enter the world, things can go awry through abuse or improper usage. According to Hashtags.org, these five will keep your business hashtags top-notch:
1. Don’t be too general or complicated
Hashtags should stand out from others discussing the same topic, but shouldn’t be overdone. You want to make them simple enough for people to remember and search for, yet creative enough to get noticed. Keep them brief and yes, spelling and capitalization rules still apply.
2. Don’t hashtag every word in your tweets
#No #One #Wants #To #Look #At #This. Using one hashtag that lures readers in that describes your tweet will suffice. Some marketers use several hashtags per tweet and c’mon, that just confuses people. #NobodyNeedsThat.
3. Don’t talk about another topic.
Make sure your hashtag is pertinent. You do not want to have #talentmanagement as a hashtag and then begin discussing unrelated items, such as retirement.
4. Don’t outrage users.
Social media is not a fad, so marketers should use it to their advantage. With millions upon millions of people on Twitter and other sites and services, you want to make sure your hashtag will not be misconstrued as offensive. That could start a hashtag riot, which benefits no business.
5. Don’t get complacent.
Make sure you are marketing the latest trends by coming up with new innovative and creative ideas. You do not want your followers to become bored with outdated hashtags. Make them catchy and ditch them when they outlive their shelf life.
The hashtag is not going anywhere soon. Yes, that means we will have to see #yolo for several more years, but in the business world, we can use it to our advantage by driving marketing efforts. Making your hashtags creative and original can bring new followers, each of whom is a potential new customer. #TrueDat