Are you on Twitter? Are you sometimes confused by some tweets that people put out where particlular words or acronyms are proceeded by a #. Hashtags are a useful tool on Twitter and a way Twitter account holders can better manage tweets and conversations. Twitter Hashtags are a useful tool for your business if used correctly.
In this article I want to share with you some does and don’ts when it comes to Hashtags. Used effectively, hashtags are a great networking tool and can help find you new clients and prospects. Used badly and you will likely end up turning people off and alienating potential customers.
Hashtags help to catalogue tweets about particular topics. They may be tweets around a conference or event, they may be tweets associated with a particular sporting event or they may be tweets around politics. Twitter Chats are also popular. A Twitter chat is a real time conversation whereby each tweet uses a particular hashtag so participants know you want to be part of the conversation. One of my personal favourites is #ozsbchat. This is a regular twitter conversation for Australian Small Business Owners.
If you want to add some hashtags to your tweets here are some tips I would suggest:
1. Make sure the hashtag is relevant – There is nothing wrong with adding a Hashtag to a tweet, but make sure it is relevant to what you are talking about.
2. Make sure you participate in the conversation – if people are chatting around a particular topic and it is trending, don’t just add links and tweets to the conversation. Participate by responding to other tweets and be a proper part of the conversation.
Here are some things you should avoid at all cost.
1. Don’t Spam Hashtags – Many inexperienced tweeters Spam hashtags to their own peril. They fill their tweets with currently popular hashtags in the vain hope of reaching a wider audience but it doesn’t bring more customers, it just makes them look stupid.
2. Don’t create your own hashtag unless prepared to commit – Sometimes creating your own Hashtag or twitter conversation may seem like a good idea. If you want to tread down this path I would like to encourage you but also counsel you that gaining traction takes time. You need to ensure that you commit to your hashtag and work to grow its popularity over time.
3. #Don’t #write #tweets #like #this – Twitter etiquette suggests hashtags are good but only if they are relevant. Be minimalistic with your hashtags and remember you are still having a conversation.
Twitter is a great tool and one I encourage you to embrace whole-heartedly. Hashtags are an important part of the Twitter ecosystem but they should be used wisely and effectively.