According to a study by social media agency RadiumOne, almost 75 per cent of people on social media use hashtags. Of course, the number of people who know how to use hashtags correctly is significantly smaller and this is often why when used on social media they aren’t as effective and don’t generate the desired results.

We’ve taken a look at the best times to use a hashtag and what they are still useful for.

Joining a conversation

The best time to join people together in conversation using a hashtag is when:

• You are organising events – Use a simple hashtag at your event and start some conversations. This is a great way to start a buzz about your event and it will also give you feedback pre, during and after your event, giving you an insight on what people are talking about.  #lunchandlearn

• Hot topics– such as #weightlosstransformation, #TBT (throw back Thursdays) or even #bankholiday. Lots of people will then join your conversation because they are looking for content similar to yours.

• General interest topics– We’re talking about a royal baby, a Love Island drama, a Game of Thrones disappointment. Yes, jump on those band wagons and you could get noticed. You could easily talk about marketing when it comes to big trend topic too.

• Celebrations – Use celebrations as a way to join conversations. #Christmas #Diwali #EID.\
  
• Local  – Go local. Wherever you are, there will be hashtags that other local businesses get involved in. Within Northamptonshire you have options such as #northantshour and #northantslife to use to get your content shared and noticed.

The key here is not to over use different variations of these words – less is more where hashtags are concerned but use the ones that are relevant and will get you noticed.

BIG TIP: AVOID using hashtags on Facebook, it holds no place on there and looks like you’re clearly copied your content across varied channels. LinkedIn hashtags do work to an extent but are best used in a small quantity. Twitter and Instagram are the best place for hashtags.

You also need to be careful when jumping into a ‘trending’ conversation – as you need to be aware that this can brand your company with a particular view point, and this isn’t always the best idea.

It is also key to know which hashtags will suit your campaign and if they will work well. Whilst having your own regular hashtag may look great, you need a plan of action for it. It needs to be something that people will catch on to and engage with too. #onefoursixarethebest may not cut it… Sorry to break it to you. We’ve also come up with some key considerations when choosing a hashtag of your own:

• Your hashtag should be original. It should not look like a rip-off of your competitor’s campaign.
• It should be precise and easy to understand
• Don’t combine more than 3-4 words together
• Try to write it in Title case to make it easy to understand
• Don’t make your hashtag entirely about your brand
• Don’t come up with a hashtag that your audience would resist using
• Don’t sound demeaning, offensive, or self-promotional
• Use trending topics, but don’t solely rely on them

If you want to know more about how social media can positively impact your business get it touch here today.