11 Sep 3 Ways to Make Your Hashtags Work for You

Last week we said “Happy 6^th Birthday” to the Hashtag. Since its birth, we’ve seen it take over everything from social media, pop culture, political campaigns and viral marketing. It’s become a concise filter for which anyone can find, almost exactly, what they are looking to read about, hear about or see in the world. However, it’s mostly used my small businesses and entrepreneurs so that they can get their words, names and products into the viewing audience. And it works great, if you use it correctly.

What do we mean by that? We mean that you MUST find a way to make the hashtags you use relative to you and your business. As we’ve seen with politicians, comedians and fundraisers, the hashtag spans all financial and economic backgrounds. It unifies us all. So how can your business jump on the hashtag express? Here’s three ways to get started:

1. Keep up to date on the hashtags that are popping up in your community.

One mistake many small business owner make is forgetting to plug in to their community. This include hashtags. Chances are that even your street has some sort of hashtag campaign or event that’s connecting everyone in the area. Join in.

2. Practive sensitivity, but don’t overdo the hashtags or be too ambiguous.

It isn’t necessary to latch on to every cause and effort that’s being campaigned in your area. If it’s something you believe in and care about, of course you should lend support and a shout out. However, connecting with too many campaigns may ring a little false, and negatively affect your business’ reputation.

3. Create your own hashtag that is central to you only.

Once you’ve got a good handle on what hashtags are being circulated, create your own that is specific to your business or product. Make it short and simple so that it can be easily included on marketing products or in every social media share. This way, potential customers and clients can click that hashtag and see a wealth of information that’s all about you. It’s like having a personal storage box for your recommendations, work and information.

Bottom line: Don’t be afraid of the hashtag. It’s here to stay and with all the confusion that it may create for entrepreneurs, it’s honestly become a central part of every corner of the social media world. Embrace it!