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#WhyDoYouNeedAGoodHashtag?

hashtag-signIf you are a small business trying to find your way in the sea of social media confusion, we completely understand. With so many diverse social media platforms out there, it is difficult to know where to start. The good news is that you can harness the power of social media for your business no matter the size.

The key is to start small and work your way up to posting on multiple platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. But before you begin posting anywhere, you have to develop a great hashtag for your business’ social media campaign. Why? Great campaigns or brands use hashtags that are memorable so that it becomes easy for your audience — and future clients — to remember your brand.

Follow our quick guide of tips for creating a great hashtag to boost the profile of your business:

Tip #1: Make it Short and Simple

“The key to a great hashtag is that it is memorable”, says MSCO, a local Westchester Social Media Management Firm, VP Tommy Jay. Marketing in the music industry, such as Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, has aced this particular topic. You don’t want to make it difficult for your audience to remember who you are. The absolute worst hashtags are the ones that basically form a very long sentence, such as the title of this blog!

Another example is #IloveTwittersomuchanduseiteveryday. This hashtag basically is a bunch of letters strung together. The message “I love Twitter so much and use it every day” gets muted and it is very difficult to read. Instead, choose a hashtag that is short, simple and to the point. You want it to embody your company’s branding and messaging. For example, a great hashtag for a university alumni association is #forever____. Fill in the school in the blank. This hashtag is short and communicates the alum’s lifelong relationship with the school. Golden!

Tip #2: Use the Hashtag in All Your Posts

You only have 140 characters to communicate your message on Twitter, so leave room for that hashtag at the end. You want to include the hashtag in every post because you are trying to create a branding campaign and associate that hashtag with your messaging or specific campaign. Over time, your audience begins to identify you with that hashtag.

Tip #3: Get Credible Stats

One of the best uses of hashtags for businesses is that they act like a smart tracking feature. Every time someone uses your hashtag in a tweet or post, it acts like a marker of use. You can search for your hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and see how many people are communicating with your brand and messaging. This is a simple way to look at your brand from an aerial view and determine how well it is doing on social media. It also helps you understand how your clients are reacting to your product or services.

With a little practice, you’ll be on your way to creating multiple hashtags that serve your brand and help your audience remember who you are. The best evidence that your hashtag is working is when you see social media users replicating it in their posts and sending you messages on social media using it. Because social media can change so quickly — especially on platforms like Twitter — it’s okay to saturate your posts with the hashtag. Sometimes people will see it and sometimes they won’t — but by using your hashtag consistently, you’ll flood the social media area with your voice, and someone is going to hear you.brand and the sentiments they are sharing about it. If for nothing else than getting good information on what people are saying, use the hashtag in all your posts.

Now you tell us! How have YOU used social media hashtags to boost your social media presence?

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