Choosing a Hashtag That Will Attract Followers

Social media networks make it possible for online businessmen and companies to get closer to their target consumers. The use of hashtags for marketing proves to be quite effective in bringing in the right people who will help stabilize your reputation for the long term.

Defining Hashtags

Twitter started to use these in 2007 to help users look for the right topics and discussions. The keywords or keyphrases can be used for users to adequately follow and keep track of useful information. Hashtags are described as words or statements that have a prefix together with the symbol ?#? which stands for pound or hash. These are used in the same manner as category tags in online blogs and are also widely used on Twitter whenever people wish to talk about a certain topic or join specific conversations. Using the proper hashtag will guarantee that you bring in the right people who will actually be interested in your company, offers and products. Millions of Twitter users search for and incorporate hashtags to improve the way they share their posts and get information. You can start your own hashtags and determine how well these trend on Twitter. In addition, thanks to technology, you can find out how many tweets or impressions are being made out with a hashtag at a particular time. Let's take, for example, #debates vs #debate on November 2, 2012 at 8:00pm.

Note the stark difference between the numbers. If you're a marketer, this means that your specific hashtag should be linked with the hashtag that has the most number of users to be noticed.

How to Make Relevant Hashtags for Others to Follow

First, think of the right keyword or keyphrase that will best define your conversation or topic. Keep it short and simple so that others can remember easily. Also learn more about the particular uses of hashtags. These are effective for monitoring current conversations and posting your own comments and views on the subject. The hashtag will let you know about important events and related subject matters that you will most likely wish to know about. You can browse through a list provided by Twitter and check some of the most interesting conversations. Trending topics on Twitter change in real-time and will depend on your location. Hashtags that may be trending in the US may be different from the ones that are popular in the UK. Here's what they might look like at a specific time. *This was retrieved on November 4, 2012 at 2:11 am. ?You also get to know more people on Twitter and learn more about the background and personal information of those tweeting. These are generally used to advertise, promote, share information and discuss topics regardless of how casual or important.

More About the Process

Check if there is already an existing hashtag before starting another one. A good place to start is HERE. Also determine if there are relative subjects or trends that are quite close to the matter you wish to share or talk about. Use the Twitter search to locate trends. If you should use more than one word, it is recommended to capitalize the first letter of each word to properly separate these and make the statement easier to remember. Provide a short description about the hashtag so potential followers can determine whether or not to join. Start sharing the hashtag with other online users by sending messages and posting a few times each day. You can also use some applications to stay notified whenever a person follows or wishes to stay updated about the topic.