6 ways to hashtag like the experts on Twitter
How should you use hashtags on Twitter? Our six expert tips will help get you noticed!
First off, what are hashtags? They help words and phrases become more discoverable on social media, and help people with similar interests track a discussion topic. Any word with the # sign in front of it becomes a hashtag - they’re used on every social network but they’re especially popular on Twitter.
Read on for our beginner’s guide to hashtagging on Twitter…
1. How many hashtags should you use?
How many hashtags should you use on Twitter? Two to four appropriate hashtags can work well. It keeps the content of the tweet prominent, but allows you to include a few relevant hashtags so that people can find you. Any more and things get messy…
2. Why should you hashtag?
Get involved in a trending topic #MondayMotivation or #WorldBookDay
Take part in a discussion #smallbusinessowner #freelancemums
As part of a campaign #ShareAStory (look at @PenguinUKBooks feed) or #HappyNews (@happynewspaper_)
3. Has the hashtag been used before?
A good thing - perhaps you want to see if a particular hashtag is currently popular and worth tagging your tweets in. For example #ethicalfashion has plenty of tweets and could be used by a sustainable clothing company to get in front of customers interested in this.
If you're running a campaign for your business, or want to create a branded hashtag, then you must check to see if another brand is using it or if it is used for another reason. If they are, you'll have to think of something else! For example Costa Coffee tend to use #CostaCoffee not #Costa so it is more specific and relevant.
4. Camel case your hashtags
You want your hashtag as legible as possible. Hashtags are not case sensitive but camel casing your tag may make it easier for your readers to quickly scan. #SmallBizSatUk is way easier to read than #smallbizsatuk.
#StarInAReasonablySizedJar is one of our personal favourites!
5. How to use branded or campaign hashtags
Tell people about it! Add your branded hashtag to your Twitter bio, especially if it’s a long-term one
Only use it when relevant. There's no point in tagging it to every single tweet, only use your branded hashtag to tweets that are relevant - or for really important news. That way it remains useful and interesting.
Encourage customers to use your hashtag. Tweet and ask them to share their experiences, a picture of a product with your hashtag for example
6. Check the spelling!
Is your hashtag simple to read and spell? Remove this barrier first of all, so that people will find it easy to use.
Is it too long? You don't want to use up too much of the character count, and distract from the main message.
Does it create an innuendo?! The famous, unfortunate and hilarious #susananalbumparty hashtag has gone down in Twitter history. Although, Amazon have recently use double entendre well with #amazonshitcarshow for The Grand Tour. Maybe you could try it, if your brand can be cheeky?
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