What Is a Hashtag, and How Can You Leverage It?
The word “hashtag” has become part of our everyday vernacular as more and more people are using online tools to aggregate and categorize content. Made from combining a pound sign with a word or phrase (e.g. “#docstoc”), a hashtag is a way to track content online within the confines of certain websites and services, such as Twitter, Pinterestand Facebook.
Using a hashtag correctly is about more than just including it in your posts or tweets. To ensure they’re effective, follow these two basic rules when using hashtags:
1. Structure your hashtag correctly.
In order for websites to recognize a hashtag, it has to be written in a certain way. All hashtags begin with the pound sign (#) and are immediately followed by the phrase you wish to tag, with no spaces or punctuation throughout.
There is no set length for hashtags, but you don’t want them to be too long; this is especially true for Twitter hashtags, as they count against the 140-character limit for tweets. Additionally, since the words are constructed with no punctuation, hashtags can get harder to read the longer they are, so be sure to keep them simple.
2. Make your hashtag unique.
Unless you want to join an already-existing discussion with its own hashtag, be sure to use a unique one.
The best way to do this is to conduct a search on the platform or service that you plan to use the hashtag on. You should also make sure that your hashtag doesn’t mirror someone’s username, as this can confuse your followers.
When and How to Use Hashtags
Now that you know what a hashtag is, let’s examine instances when you might use one and the best practices for each situation.
1. To Join an Existing Discussion
Hashtags are used for all sorts of reasons, from the ridiculous to the sublime. The underlying common denominator is that hashtags are used to label and define content. This content can take the form of something very generic, such asmarketing or advertising messages, or something very specific, such as breaking news.
When?
Each social media site that uses hashtags ranks them in some way, providing users with an ongoing list of hashtags that are the most popular or trending. Chances are that if a hashtag is trending, it’s part of an existing discussion.
Another example of joining an existing discussion is using a hashtag that is being promoted through a media outlet or event. In the case of most primetime television shows, a hashtag for the evening’s episode is always present somewhere on the screen. The network hopes that people who are watching will tweet or post their reactions and insights to the show with that specific hashtag; their goal is to get the hashtag trending and hopefully increase viewership.
How?
To join this discussion and have your tweet associated with that hashtag, simply put the exact hashtag at the end of your tweet or post, whether on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Google+.
2. To Promote an Event or Contest
Since hashtags make tweets and posts easily searchable, they are a great way to promote an event or contest while following the participants. Simply conducting a search for the hashtag will generate a list of all associated instances of its use.
When?
Use this to promote any event or contest where the attendees might be inclined to tweet or post on social networks. If you want to use a hashtag for a contest, you can track entries or nominations by searching for all uses of the hashtag.
How?
Make sure that you promote the hashtag you want to use throughout all related communications. If you’re using the hashtag for an event, it’s easy to include it on materials and handouts available at the conference, and you can also mention it during presentations or one-on-one sessions.
For contests, you’ll need to define how using the hashtag impacts the entrant’s chances of winning. For example, the People’s Choice Awards has recently started to use hashtags as a way for the audience to cast their votes. In this case, the PCA organizers must be very specific about the format and content of the hashtag to ensure that each person’s mention counts.
In other instances, requiring someone to tweet or post a specific hashtag may be the way he or she submits an entry for a contest. In some cases, tweeting about the contest with a specific hashtag can count as another entry or unlock more entries for the contestant.
Again, in order to avoid any unhappy users and to facilitate contest procedures, make sure you clearly communicate the specific hashtag and outline thorough guidelines for entering the contest through any channels you might use, including your website, social media sites, e-newsletters and more. Never miss an opportunity to spread a hashtag.
3. To Network
There are a few different ways to network via hashtags. By simply including a hashtag on a post or tweet, you encourage your followers and anyone who sees the tweet or post to engage with you on that specific topic.
However, there are more specific ways to gain participation.
When?
Fridays! “Follow Friday” (#FF) is an older construct from the early days of using Twitter and was initially conceived as a way for people to get more followers.
How?
By using the hashtag “#FF” and listing some usernames, you can encourage people in your network to follow those users you listed
Note: While initially a very popular function of Twitter, some experts say the time for Follow Friday has passed and it’s time to retire the hashtag. With that in mind, use at your own risk.
4. To Find Like-Minded People
By monitoring a particular hashtag that you find interesting, you’ll also find yourself in contact with other users who may think or act similarly to you.
This can be a great way to find more people to follow, to interact with potential customers or clients, and to help you better understand the different impressions and perceptions of certain products, services or events in the marketplace.
When?
If a certain hashtag catches your eye, and you find yourself monitoring the discussion surrounding it, pay attention to other users who are participating. Some companies use these like-minded individuals as future case-study participants or an informal sounding board for ideas.
How?
It’s easiest to find and follow the discussion surrounding a certain hashtag by using a third-party tool like TweetDeck. You can also search through the social media sites to find posts with the hashtag included in them; when you click on the hashtag, it should link to a list of other tweets or posts with the same tag.
5. To Follow Trends
Keeping up with trends is always a good idea, especially in the business world. It’s important to know what captures consumers’ attention, whether in the marketplace or the real world.
Following trends might be especially important for your company if you’re looking to launch a new product or service, or if you are trying to make a change to your existing offerings, such as price adjustments or product discontinuations.
When?
This is more of an as-needed use of hashtags. However, any time you find yourself looking for insight into what people are talking about, investigating popular hashtags can be a great place to start.
How?
Hashtags.org aggregates hashtags and tells you what people are talking about. You can also use built-in tools, such as “Trending Topics” on Twitter or “Top Stories” on Facebook, to find popular tags.
Leverage Hashtags for Business
With the advent of social media, new phrases and terms have quickly found their way into everyday vernacular, and “hashtag” is no exception.
It is a very useful tool that can help you and your company to make sense of social media and its many intricacies. Remember that hashtags were initially created to make finding the information you want easier. Following the information outlined above will enable you to do just that.
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