In 2007, technology expert, Chris Messina, proposed use of the hashtag. His goal was to provide social media users with an ability. The ability to group their posts using the pound symbol (#), followed by the category. This would enable users to quickly and easily see what other people are saying about a particular topic. It’s a sort of marketing strategy. Today, millions of social media members use hashtags. Marketing your business through the use of hashtags can help you expand your content, target your market audience, increase engagement and most importantly broaden the visibility of your brand. As a business owner, you can use hashtags to create a #SuccessfulMarketingStrategy.
Stay Relevant with Your Marketing Strategy
In most social media platforms, you can easily see today’s trending topics. There is even a website dedicated to gathering popular hashtags. Though a particular topic may be trending on social media, it isn’t always smart to get in on the conversation. Using a trending hashtag will initially give your posts more exposure. However, the likeness of it targeting your ideal audience is scarce. Instead, stick to hashtags that are relevant to your business to help with your marketing strategy.
Promote Your Brand
Creating a hashtag for your event, campaign, or promotion is a great way to get users to support your brand. Think about what hashtags you would want your business to be associated with. A great way to start is by searching hashtags that fellow competitors or influencers are using. Once you have successfully established a hashtag you are now ready to market your content under that specific hashtag or hashtags. When people arrive at your event, they can use a hashtag to start (or join) the conversation. Additionally, you can design a promotion in which individuals who use your specific hashtag are eligible to win a prize. These hashtag uses will generate buzz about your brand.
Don’t Go Overboard
While you may want to include a hashtag for every relevant topic in your posts, try to keep it simple. Typically, one to three hashtags is an acceptable amount. Using more may make your post look like spam and can detract others from reading it. Also, while you can create highly unique hashtags, remember that few people will actually search for them and they are generally used for emphasis or comedic effect.
Be Clear
If your company is hosting a major event or hitting a milestone, don’t simply post #excited. It isn’t enough to give users context. As such, add a clear and concise explanation with your hashtags. To ensure that your brand’s social media pages are uniform, be sure to assign one person or department to create posts. This way, users will get a clear and consistent message.
For more information on how to use social media reach out to us. Or, if you want to enhance your marketing strategy, contact us today.