4 Ways to Enhance Your Twitter Hashtags Strategy
Ioannis Kopanakis
Co-Founder @Mentionlytics.com | Professor Hellenic Mediterranean Univ. | Scientific Director @HMU Innovation Hub
Every social network has its own design and a unique fashion, in which it works. Before launching out into any network, it is imperative to understand these workings. You need to know about the audience of that network, as well your own intended audience and target demographics. It’s like dressing according to a given theme. You can’t operate in the world of Twitter with the mindset of Facebook. Therefore, the first thing that gives a head start to you is getting to know the network and knowing of how much value it could be to you.
There is one thing however, that is common to all social networks. They all have a “give and take” relationship with the users. What this means is that you first need to draw the users to your topics and similarly, give your presence to their topics as well. This is because, after a while, no one will be really interested in a brand that is completely self-promotional. This means that if you want to keep your intended audience engaged and active, then you will have to do the same. When you increase your engagement, you are actually growing and your following is increasing. Therefore, to keep it going, you need to be responsive and useful to your audience.
Let’s now have a look at how to manage engagements, by using a Twitter hashtags strategy. Twitter is a huge place, with a steady and almost overwhelming amount of information flowing. Most people think that simply going to Twitter and putting their content is going to work. That is not right at all. There has to be a proper approach and strategy on how to put yourself out there. The best way to do is to come up with something that will be well rounded and keeps everyone in the loop. This includes the brands, your followers, the founders and the specific industry, discussions/chats, as well as your fans.
Since Twitter is flooded with information, this may pose a challenge while being an opportunity at the same time, since many people use the platform to share content and discussions. Since Twitter is often treated as a customer service platform as well, you need to remain active and engaged. The main challenge here is to stand out from the whole crowd, be heard through the noise. Being responsive and communicating actively is the key. Always look for the kind of discussions, chats and conversations going on. You need to stay active and engaged in these. Also, starting chats and topics similar to the ones that are trending is an effective way of remaining in the light.
What do you think is the most effective and important key to remain in touch and included in conversations and activities? Yes, it’s hashtags. Twitter Hashtags are basically a way to search for trending topics and conversations on social media. The main originator of hashtags is Twitter, but now they can be seen in abundance on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Pinterest and G+. In this world that has become a global village, there is a hashtag for almost each and everything. For example, if you are a foodie, simply start a convo with the hashtag #foodie and, suddenly, you are propelled into a never-ending world of food lovers. Similarly, if you are a makeup artist, the hashtag #MUA is going to connect you with lots of people having the same interests or people requiring such services. There may be some rubbish and fluff too, but there will be a lot stuff that will be useful, and a Twitter hashtags strategy is just what your business needs to go places. So let’s jump right in and see the top 4 ways to use hashtags to your best advantage:
#1 Using the hashtags #socialmedia #sm
Each of these hashtags represent that it is a social media conversation. It lets people know that a chat or conversation about a trending topic is going on. Before starting your Twitter hashtags strategy, one important thing to remember is that how you use a hashtag can actually strengthen or weaken a conversation. Including these two hashtags can actually give your conversation longevity, as well as a context.
#2 Making them easier to read
Hashtags are usually created by placing a hash in the beginning of a word or small phrase, written without spaces. While hashtags are usually not case sensitive, using both upper and lowercase in your hashtag can make it easier to read. Also, remember to limit the hashtag to three, or maximum four words at most. The main reason for this is that hashtags start losing their relevance as they grow longer.
#3 Select an effective hashtag
For a brand, a Twitter hashtags strategy is basically the key to launching the brand in a social media environment. So, before you use or select a hashtag to go with your brand or marketing campaign, search for it. Make sure that it isn’t something that is used too casually or too often. This way, it may confuse the intended user, and they might miss out on things related to your brand. Make it short, interesting as well as somewhat distinct.
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