Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Have you heard the crazy news? Facebook has lost its golden crown and cushioned seat on the thrown in the teen world this week as leader in the social media world.
Who is the new reigning king and champion? That would be the social channel who taught the world that the pound sign is more than just a symbol used in tic-tac-toe game; TWITTER.
With that crazy little pound sign, known in the social world as a #HASHTAG, comes much responsibility!
I’ll be the first to admit that I was a pretty hardcore Facebook snob for the longest time. I was super reluctant to join the Twitter scene and even more reluctant to accept the hashtag, but being in the social media marketing scene, it’s kind of part of the job. Ok, it is the job. With the latest polls showing Twitter as the Social King of our future generation, I’m glad I jumped on board.
Most of us in the business world still rely on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. along with Twitter to run our social media campaigns and gain business. The numbers Facebook announced last week, just before their IPO, left no room to deny that the way we run things now is not how our kids and grandkids will be doing it.
Understanding all the ins and outs of Twitter and how it works, I see how absolutely beneficial it can be for an organization or business to grow. And one of the most crucial parts is that little tic-tac-toe mark; the hashtag.
Sifting through the Twitter feed to connect to others
When you send a tweet to the world (in 140 characters or less) you can connect conversations, ideas, subjects, problems, trends, businesses, people, words, and more together by using the hashtag. One of my favorite hashtags, for personal use to search, is #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen. When I’m bored or can’t sleep, it’s a great entertainment to look at the millions of people in the world who have used that same hashtag and share their awkward moment. It connects you.
The problem is that I see SO many people hash tagging wrong. If you are going to hashtag wrong, you might as well not be doing it at all. There are actual rules to the hashtag world.
- There are NO spaces in a hashtag. When you put a space between the words, you lose the search factor for that hashtag. Only the first word beside the # symbol is able to be searched. If your hashtag is #JohnSmithAccounting and you put the spaces in it #John Smith Accounting, you are now only John. Hmmm. Wonder how many other John’s there are out there?
- There is no punctuation. Adding any symbols to a hashtag makes it invalid. It doesn’t work. This is still true if you put a hashtag in the middle of your tweet, requiring a period to end the sentence. It’s best to add the hashtag at the end of the tweet.
- #TheyArentSupposedToBeLongRamblingSentencesThatLastForever No one searches for a long hashtag like that. They are usually 1-4 words at the most. Short and Sweet. Remember, you only have 140 characters.
How can you use them to make your business grow?
Hopefully, in addition to the basic rules above, you know your keywords for good SEO. And if you don’t, then you need Blue Zoo! Why? These same words are probably ideal for hashtags for your business. Are you an accountant in Oklahoma City? Adding #AccountantOKC #taxes #audit or any other keywords related to your field, allows you to connect with people in your business, and also allows you to be searched by people in need of your services and in your area.
- Start hashtagging your business’ name or slogan. #walmart or #alwayslowprices Consistency is KEY! The more it’s used, the more likely it is to trend, or be a top hashtag.
- Search for people using those same keywords you are using. They may need your services and this is a perfect opportunity to reach out to them. Reply to their tweet or Direct Message them.
- Remember that Twitter is minute by minute. It’s fast paced and it’s active. You don’t see everything like you do on Facebook. A single person may blast out many tweets at a time, so in order to stay relevant, you need to tweet often. This is why always adding your slogan or motto is key. #StayRelevant
[tweetherder]There’s money to be made in 140 characters or less.
~ Whitney Cromley #bluezoo[/tweetherder]
Times are changing my friends. The announcement of the new King of Social last week proves it. It’s time to put away the X’s and O’s and start using the pound symbol to make your business grow.
#Tweet #Tweet
Quit Monkeying Around! Join the Zoo.™