If you are on Twitter, but have had trouble figuring out how you can use Twitter to better market your business, there are ample ideas for taking advantage of all that Twitter has to offer.
I’d like to inspire you to use specific keywords or #Hashtags on Twitter for better results. If appropriate, let your customers know what #Hashtag you’ll be using to engage them.
Twitter #Hashtags are used to:
- Categorize: Let people know exactly who your information is for or what it’s about. I often read tweets and understand the “angle” after I’ve read the #hashtag. Hashtags help me discern information and avoid wasting time. The #hashtag may make the difference in who clicks to find out more.
Example: “Great opportunity in rural Minnesota” #jobs #employment
Example: “Great opportunity in rural Minnesota” #education #scholarships
Example: “Great opportunity in rural Minnesota” #ag #farming
Since Twitter only allows 140 characters and you have the challenge of catching people’s attention, you have to make use of your creativity, along with #Hashtags. You can see how the change in #Hashtags alters the meaning of the Tweet significantly.
- Track: If you want to follow a specific topic, #hashtags allow better tracking. If it is a time sensitive #Hashtag, you can easily track events such as conference or legislative update.
- Listen: Listen to what others have to say about specific topics, and use the #hashtag to ask questions and poll people.
- Search: If you’d like to find out what people are saying about a specific brand or trend, #Hashtags allow you to search quickly and easily.
- Add Value: Adding a #Hashtag to your tweet ads value to people, as they sort through thousands of tweets. With all the mobile devices and applications available, some people like to follow specific #Hashtags and sift through the barrage of information that way.
- Brand: Some #hashtags when consistently used can be part of a building a brand. Right now the public service rallying against distracted driving is using #eyesup
Example: A budget conscious person may be watching for new tweets with #coupons or #sales in them.
Example: A person searching for employment could be streaming only tweets with #jobs to their phone.
Example: A farmer may be watching #corn prices or #agchat topics.
How to Write a Great Tweet
Using #Hashtags can be very helpful in using Twitter, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Don’t Over Use #Hashtags; too many can be distracting. 1-3 per tweet is the norm.
- Don’t Use #Hashtags in Every Tweet; Twitter is about relationships. You don’t need to categorize or track every conversation with #Hashtags. Be personable.
- Write Your Tweet First; focus on what you need to say first, and then add #Hashtags if there is a reason.
- Never Use Unrelated #Hashtags; just because a #Hashtag is highly used and searched, doesn’t mean you should use it if it’s not related to what you’re saying. This is spam.
- Always Join Words; Never leave a space in your #Hashtag. If you want to make “South Dakota” in to a #Hashtag, you’d leave the capitalization in place and remove the space like this: #SouthDakota
Popular Twitter #Hashtags
Some of the most beneficial #Hashtags I’ve found for small businesses are your city or state, such as #Hutchinson or #Willmar or #MN to find people or topics related to your area. I also like to see what people are talking about in regard to #fail, a #Hashtag people use when talking about poor customer service, products that have let them down, brands they feel are failing in their marketing, and more. You’ll get lots of inspiration on what people like and don’t like; then apply it to your business and Tweet about what you do well (opposite of the #fail)
Here are a few more popular Hashtags:
#nonprofit
#quote
#blogpost
#mobile
#fundraising
#jobs
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