Hashtags, those little yet powerful pound signs (#), are a common way of making a social media marketing campaign more effective. Several social media platforms actively use this small tool, including Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and even Facebook now has jumped on the hashtag bandwagon. Lisa Kalner Williams recently wrote an article on Business 2 Community, titled, The Art and Science of a Hashtag Campaign, in which she discusses how hashtags are “…not only a great way to spread brand awareness, but they’re easy to search.” The following tips will have you hashtagging successfully in no time:

1. Determine what you want to do with your hashtag campaign:

– Do you want to become more well-known, or is the purpose to share your username (which should remain consistent on hashtag-friendly channels)?
– Do you want to emphasize a specific aspect of your brand/ product?
– Do you want to document an experience?

2. When creating a hashtag for your campaign, keep it simple. The easier it is to remember and write, the more likely people will use it. If it takes up too many characters, it will most likely be excluded from tweets, thereby defeating the purpose. #thisisanexampleofaterriblehashtag

3. Use lowercase letters. Unless your brand or purpose requires capital letters (#YOLO), make it easy for all users to enter your hashtag, #likethis.

4. Make sure your hashtag is available. Using one that’s already taken is like trying to move into an occupied apartment, #awkward. Also, it’s confusing for followers and detrimental to your tracking. Check, double check and triple check. This is a time when social media marketing tools come in handy, and make sure to use them before, during and after your campaign takes place. Make sure to track every aspect of your hashtag, if it already exists, how long it’s been in existence, who has used your hashtag (including social power players), which social channels it’s showing up on more often, and several other features.

5. Spread the word. Williams exclaims, “Encourage use across all your hashtag-friendly platforms. Consider making an investment in Twitter ads that tell new leads about your hashtag-tinged campaign.”

Have any additional hashtag advice of your own? Tell us in the #comments!

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