one of the easiest and most strategic tools you can utilize in social media is twitter hashtags. #marketing #imjustsaying #norway. a hashtag is that # sign, and what follows that is a personal interest thread. whether you’re creating content or simply following others’ tweets, this is a perfect way to narrow the universe down to smaller groups of people who are passionate about certain subjects. all content creators need to do is add a hashtag to the end of each tweet. it can be an established one (like those listed at hashtags.org, for example) or it could be an entirely new one that you imagine should be out there. all threads become searchable on twitter.
for marketers, hashtags are an elegant way to draw like-minded consumers closer. selecting a popular one and dropping that into a strong tweet immediately places you in a community. if what you have to offer attracts interest, then expect emails from new followers (they will trickle or pour to the email associated with your twitter account). establish expertise. launch promotions. initiate and deepen relationships.
for consumers, type the hashtag into the twitter search window and get only those people who are talking on that subject. explore additional storylines behind hot topics in the news. find out what people really think — off the cuff. throw your opinion into the mix and take the chatter in a new direction.
hashtags help to cultivate what’s great about social media. conversation. it’s not about replacing traditional face-to-face, phone and communications. you always hear that perspective from old school types who don’t understand or value the medium, and who are generally opposed to change. channels like twitter are just an easy way to manage in bursts of interaction — as opposed to ignoring your social circle altogether on your busiest days. for those who dig deeper, they are an excellent way to reach and move a targeted audience.
