In this episode of Actionable Marketing In Minutes we talk about hashtags!

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Problem

I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘hashtag’ by now. But, since many people we’ve polled don’t know as much as they’d like, we thought we’d take this opportunity to go over the basics and talk about how you might be able to use them effectively in your marketing strategy. A hashtag is a type of label used on many social network and microblogging services. It makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content. Hashtags can be inserted in front of a word or phrase, in the main text of the message, or at the end. Because of its flexibility the hashtag will translate across multiple networks just by posting on multiple sites.

Solution

Ok, now, back to hashtags. Let’s go over a few simple ideas on how to use hashtags effectively within your social media marketing.

1. Hashtag basics: keep your hashtags simple, space-free and search-friendly. Though you can use numbers, they must be integrated into the tag. Most punctuation cannot be used.

2. Engage your audience: as with all social media, hashtags are all about connecting and creating conversation. When you align your brand with creativity, you will boost awareness by ensuring others can use your tag organically.

3. Be responsible: you always want to strive to add value and never behave like a spammer. You will never obtain the results you want if you don’t follow rules of decorum.

4. Create clear calls-to-action: as with all marketing efforts, include a clear CTA. People usually won’t do what you don’t tell them to do.

5. Constantly monitor your hashtag: in order to determine its success and to respond to users.

Benefits

You can hugely benefit your brand with the strategic use of the different types of hashtags.

1. For the most part, you will have more relevant users join in – making your conversation more engaging and useful for your overall goals. You won’t have to worry about random users joining the conversation.

2. As users get to know you and have the opportunity to see that you are both a thought leader and an expert in your field, your audience – and soon your business – will grow.

We hope you’ve found this information helpful. Please connect with us on Twitter @DirectiveGroup or on LinkedIn and be sure to share it with in your networks using hashtag #actionablemarketing. Join us next time for more actionable marketing in minutes.