How to Use Twitter Hashtag for Business
Hashtags were first used 2007, as proposed by former Google designer, Chris Messina to Twitter as a way of grouping messages on the platform. Although the idea was rejected by Twitter, the use of the hashtag grew organically with the help of Twitter users and was soon adopted by other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Through the years, the hashtag has become synonymous with Twitter, filtering a wide assortment of difficult-to-categorize information within the platform.
And as the use of the hashtag grew, brands soon joined the bandwagon and started using it as a valuable tool for business. Companies have resorted to creating their own hashtags or used popular ones to spread awareness about their brands.
But just like any other tool on social media, a hashtag must be used correctly so brands can reap the most benefits. Here are tips on how to use Twitter hashtags for business :
1 – Create a memorable hashtag or use trending hashtags
A good hashtag should be memorable so that customers will easily remember it. If you can’t think of a new hashtag, pay attention to the trending topics and hashtags on Twitter and use the one that pertains to your business or event. Just make sure that the hashtag is not attached to any negative post or news. Make sure, too, that the words on the hashtags are capitalized correctly to avoid misinterpretation.
Examples of these fails are:
#Cairo
The hashtag “#Cairo” was widely used during the riots in Cairo in 2011. The term was “hijacked” by designer Kenneth Cole to promote its spring line. Kenneth Cole’s offensive tweet sent the internet buzzing in anger.
#Susanalbumparty
Singer Susan Boyle’s promoters have triggered a frenzy on Twitter by creating the
hashtag #susanalbumparty on her official page. Boyle’s “Susan Album Party” hashtag was read as “Sus anal bum party” by netizens. Despite the mistake, the hashtag went viral and the album got a lot of media attention.
2 – Include a promo
One of the ways to add value to an existing hashtag is to include a promoted product or discount with your hashtag. That way, consumers will be incentivized to engage and share it. You can consider using popular hashtags like “#deal,” “#voucher” “#coupon,” or “#bargain,” to announce an added value like a discount or a giveaway.
3 – Use a new hashtag for your event
Create a memorable hashtag for your event and include it in all your promotional materials. During your event, you can use a new social media tool called the “Social Media Wall” (or social wall, for short) to increase engagement. A social wall is a giant digital monitor or a bank of monitors running special engagement software that allows visitors to post user-generated content instantly. When guests use your hashtag along with their photos and comments, they will see their posts in real-time in the event’s giant social wall, turning them into instant celebrities. A social wall can help maintain a high level of interest in your event and is an effective way to collect content.
