10 Ways To Effectively Use Facebook Hashtags
That is right! Facebook just rolled out with hashtags (#) and most of us our wondering how we can use them to our advantage.
What are hashtags?
To put it simply, a hashtag is simply a way for people to search for tweets that have a common topic and to begin a conversation. For example, if you search on #LOST (or #Lost or #lost, because it’s not case-sensitive), you’ll get a list of tweets related to the TV show. What you won’t get are tweets that say “I lost my wallet yesterday” because “lost” isn’t preceded by the hash tag.
From our experiences, hashtags have always been used to create momentum at our events. We would begin by picking a short acronym and create a hashtag out of it. Then we would inform all of our loyal clients that this is the official hashtag for the event. What does that mean exactly? It means that this is what we will be using to start conversations, post pictures, and ask questions about the event. This way our loyal clients have the option to engage and participate in the event if they can’t make it. The integration of online and offline marketing has impacted how we do business today.
Here are our favorite uses for Facebook hashtags:
A. Unbeatable Search
Hashtags allow users to search profiles, pages, timelines and even status updates. All you have to do is enter your keyword in the search with a hashtag before it. Our passion is marketing so we would do a search such as #brandmarketing. This can help to expand your reach on Facebook because you can connect with others who are using similar hashtags to brand themselves their products and services. Depending on your niche, hashtags allow us to perform more advanced searches. Instead of using a broad search, we can easily cut to the chase with a hashtag + keyword.
You should connect with the profiles you find within your niche and send them a simple message before connecting. If you find a timeline or a status update, then comment on it so you can increase your reach. Lastly, you should “like” any and all the pages that are related to your niche when you perform a hashtag search.
B. Easier To Perform R&D
There are more third-party tools than ever that allow us to search for our competition and see how they are performing. Facebook hashtags are a free and easy way to do just that. When you look up your competition, you can see which conversations they are participating in and you can join in as well. Depending on your market, you can search for hashtags that allow you to see what others are saying about your business or organization. You can also search for branding terms that will show us how our consumers are reacting to our services. You ask how?
C. Joining a Chat
Facebook hashtags allow us to interact with real-time conversations. (meaning real-time conversations.) There can be many different chats already in process depending on your niche. On Twitter, we always attend #socialchat every Monday at 6:00 P.M. Look for a list of chat schedules related to your niche and join in. This is a great way to connect to many different individuals. Hashtags are also useful for collaborating Another use of it is for collaboration with your team. Why not make the brainstorming aspect live and teach others how to work as a team? This is a great way to establish a reputation online as a brand.
D. Reaching a Larger Audience
There is more tracking with hashtags, which means more data. Your organization will be able to share your brand with others who may not be aware of it. For example, if you are watching your favorite TV show and you want to find out what others are saying about the show in relation to what that you are watching, this is one way to find out. When others talk about certain aspects of the show, your job would be to join the conversation.
E. Organizing Your Content
Another way to use Facebook hashtags is through your content and using hashtags as your categories. This way you won’t confuse your audience when your organization distributes content. You will make it feasible for your audience to search through the content that your company is trying to gain awareness for.
F. Spy On Your Competition
You can find out what others are saying about your competitors by going to the keyword search and typing in their name. It will tell you exactly what is being said about them. Use this feedback to your advantage and make your business better for others. For example, if your competitors are getting feedback that is says, “too long of a wait,” then make sure this isn’t an issue within your business practices. You pick up invaluable tips about your target audience this way. You can also learn what their needs are to improve your business.
G. Cross Promotion
Combine different networks and use them to create a fun scavenger hunt for your audience to participate in when it comes to your company goals. Make sure it is enticing and interactive. For example, we had a scavenger hunt called “Find the Hashtag.” In this game we basically combined Facebook and Twitter and our audience had to find the message that was attached to the hashtag. Each day, there was a new and different message and all the messages combined created the story. Whoever got the story right won the prize.
H. Finding Communities
The easiest way to connect with new people is through #hashtags. Why? Hashtags make it easy to start conversations with people within your niche. Sometimes people use hashtags to get their questions answered. Why not jump in and offer someone advice from your own experience? Expand your reach, get more data, and increase your connection base.
I. Enhancing Content
Descriptive hashtags will allow your content to reach others faster than ever. When people search for certain keywords, they will find your content. The Facebook feed is not as rapid as the Twitter news feed so the life span of the content is longer. Use relative keywords to enhance your content for your audience.
J. Offline Integration
What better way to gain recognition than by using hashtags for your events? Make sure you add hashtags to all your collateral pieces, too, and include a tweet wall at your event. This way you can monitor effective conversations and receive the best feedback directly from your audience.
Now, that’s a wrap! Did we forget anything? Please comment below!
