How To Register A Hashtag On Twitter

You lot've heard nearly Twitter hashtags. Possibly you fifty-fifty use them. But do you understand why, and are you enlightened how powerful a hashtag tin can exist to your brand, or your client'south branding entrada?

The Hashtag's Purpose

twitter hashtag The hashtag began every bit a apprehensive idea: the tweeter adds the # symbol (known as the hash key on your telephone) in front of one word or a discussion group, no spaces. Doing and so allows Twitter to categorize the tweet and group it with others who accept tweeted using the same hashtag. Think of the hashtag as a keyword tag and information technology is easier to sympathise. People searching based on a specific hashtag receive a list of tweets using that item tag. The searcher is happy, and so are you, because, in 1 savage swoop, you have:

become visible to a new audience
joined the conversation
voiced your opinion
found a likeminded audience eager to read what you lot have to say

Easy, right?

Simply we're non done. When the correct hashtag is added to your tweets, your "retweet" rates rise (other people reposting your original tweets). This opens up your comment to new views and opinions, not to mention new followers, and so the cycle of growth and visibility continues.

What This Means for Marketers

First we must understand that Twitter processes 350 billion+ tweets daily. Talk about a noisy marketplace! For marketers who want results from their tweets, it comes downwards to carefully choosing the most potent hashtags.

For example, Domino's Pizza UK reduced the toll of its featured flavor by 1 cent each time someone tweeted with the hashtag #letsdolunch during pre-set times. Merely i cent per gild -- but enough motivation to generate 85,000 tweets and an aggregating of "crowdsourced savings" big enough to ensure some diners concluded up with giant discounts.

Want to try creating your own hashtag? Getting it going isn't difficult, but does take some finesse.

7 Steps to Creating Your Own Hashtag

Consider the value yous intend to create. Crowdsourcing? Buzz gen? Provoking chat?
Develop a articulate intention so people become it. Your hashtag must be relevant to your purpose and your subject. Avert wide concepts like #marketing. Be more specific and unique.
Make sure your chosen hashtag is not already in utilize.
Make certain your hashtag hasn't taken on some other meaning that could prove negative or create Twitter hijacking. (Remember McDonald'south?)

Twitter Search, Hashtags.org and Tagalus tin can help with your search.

5. If your hashtag is truly unique, add it to Tagalus and other hashtag tools.

6. Get going! Don't spam people in your anxiety to make sure "information technology's working". Explain what the tag means and encourage others to use it. Always provide value.

7. Set up an automated email alert tool so yous know when your hashtag is used. (Try Twilert.)

And e'er recall: you are a real live person talking to other real live people! Use the Golden Rule in all of your marketing strategies for truthful long-term success.

(image: hashtag / shutterstock)