How to use a #Hashtag

Whether you’re a social media expert or still a novice, you won’t have failed to notice the humble hashtag. Often found at the end of a tweet, they have fast become an integral way of communicating in the social media world in the last 11 years.

When it comes to using a hashtag, the sky’s the limit (to a certain extent). And as part of a digital marketing strategy, a hashtag campaign on Twitter is an extremely effective way of promoting brand awareness, generating leads and keeping in touch with your clients.

What is a Hashtag?

The hashtag sign – #, turns any word or group of words into a searchable link and makes it very easy to track and join certain conversation topics.
The hashtag began, when developer Chris Messina suggested in a tweet that Twitter began grouping topics using the hash symbol. The idea was initially rejected, however in October 2007, journalists used the hashtag #SanDiegoFire to tweet forest fire updates, and the hashtag craze was born.

Most major brands and businesses now have twitter accounts, and it is becoming common practice to create a hashtag (or two) to accompany any campaign.

So, before you join the conversation, here are a few handy tips:

1. Create your own Hashtag
Decide whether or not you want to create a hashtag that will come to represent your business long-term, or whether it is a hashtag for a particular campaign. Most businesses choose a long-term hashtag and also create different ones for specific campaigns. We have created unique campaign hashtags in the past, for example when we helped launch the ‘Whitlam’s Law’ drink-drive campaign we created the #WhitlamsLaw hashtag and it proved to be a great way of following the conversation, keeping a track of coverage and also liaising with the media regarding potential PR opportunities.

2. Keep it short
The aim of a hashtag is to get people using it, or at the very least searching for it. Twitter introduced a bigger character limit of 280 late last year (thank you Twitter Gods) which has meant it’s easier to allow room for the all-important hashtag, but even with more room to play with, it’s a good idea to keep things simple. For example, the ‘International Day of the Midwife’ hashtag was #IDM2018, which is far easier and quicker to type than #InternationalDayOfTheMidwife.
It’s worth noting that hashtags are not case sensitive, but the addition of capital letters does make them easier to read!

3. Keep it Relevant
Any hashtag that you use will become a representation of your business, so it’s vital you keep it relevant to your business. An effective way of using hashtags in the legal world is to use the ones related to a specific practice area. For example, if you’re using a tweet to showcase a recent case you’ve been involved in, using the appropriate hashtag, #ClinicalNegligence, #EmploymentLaw, #CommercialLaw is a sure-fire way of reaching a niche audience and will undoubtably drive potential clients to your account.

4. Make sure it hasn’t been used before
When creating a hashtag, take the time to check it hasn’t already been used or may be easily confused with another. You run the risk of high-jacking someone else’s conversation, or someone high-jacking yours.
A quick search on Twitter will immediately show any that are being used. Once you’ve identified the one that’s going to work for your business, you’re good to go.

5. Proofread!
Make sure, before you send any tweet, you not only proofread the content of the tweet, but also the hashtag. There have been some absolute disasters in the past, our favourite (which never fails to make us laugh) was the unfortunate choice of hashtag to promote Susan Boyles album party, #Susanalbumparty went viral for all the wrong reasons and was swiftly changed to #SusanBoylesAlbumParty – ask your colleague, ask everyone in the office, ask your mum, just don’t make a similar mistake!

6. Use it as punctuation
A hashtag is also a great way of emphasising a point and has almost become a form of punctuation. For example, when attending an awards ceremony that you’ve been shortlisted at, #ThirdTimeLucky along with the official awards # lets everyone attending know that you’ve been successfully shortlisted in this category more than once and is a subtle way of showcasing your expertise.

7. Track it!
As with anything, you need to keep a track of how effective your hashtag has been. Keep an eye on how your followers are using it and be sure to check in and contribute to the conversation. Without investing a huge amount of time, you’ll be able to see what your audience are talking about and respond almost instantly – providing excellent client care. And if a hashtag isn’t haven’t the desired effect, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate it and use one that may be more effective in the future.

If you need help managing your social media accounts, contact us on 0114 4070159, office@scala.uk.com.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash