Getting the Most From Hashtags

Chances are, hashtags are a very important part of your online activities. Hashtags originated with Twitter but their use has expanded and they are now being used far more extensively and quite effectively. It is apparent that hashtags are here to stay so your only choice (if you haven't yet jumped on the hashtag bandwagon) is to embrace them and to learn how to use them most effectively for your business.

The way that you use hashtags

The way in which you use hashtags is very important and you will see favorable results if you do it right. First of all, the last thing that you want to do is to become the person who annoys everyone with an avalanche of hashtags that other people find useless. There are many different ways that you can use hashtags effectively for your business.

Reach out in a much broader way using hashtags: If you take a close look at the marketing efforts of the majority of other companies, you will see that they are all involved with some sort of traditional marketing. Embedded in the content of those companies traditional marketing, you will see hashtags (in most cases). All of those other companies have realized that using hashtags is worthwhile and the results that they produce are a slew of new online connections. The reason that they are using hashtags and continue to use hashtags is because they work and they work extremely well.

 

Engage your online connections using hashtags: A part of why hashtags are so effective is that they are potent little pieces of advertising. They are concise and meaningful and that is exactly what readers want. Nobody has time to spend on reading a large amount of content, especially not the marketing content of other businesses. If you take a look at all of the popular social media channels (and even some of the not-so-popular social media channels), you will see that they are all using them. Hashtags are no longer just a "Twitterism." It has been proven that they pack a powerful punch. If you are not feeling secure about which hashtags you should be using, bear in mind that each business is unique and that means that each one will use a different set of hashtags. It only makes sense.

 

Unify your social media profiles and join them with hashtags: As important and effective as hashtags are for your business, you must still exercise caution when it comes to making sure that you don't overdo it. If you use too many hashtags at once, your marketing message will not be as powerful as you want it to be and, subsequently, you won't get the results that you are looking for. It is extremely important to understand what the right amount is to use.

 

Present your message effectively: Whether you realize it or not, people are really paying attention to what you are saying and what you are sharing. It is a wonderful way to communicate with a large number of people very quickly and effectively. It is important for you to not underestimate the power of hashtags and the effect that they have on other people as well as the results that you can achieve for your business.

 

Collect the data: Your hashtags provide a great deal of benefit to your and your business. They are an independent means of communication. You can ask questions and get answers and you can have discussions. They are a wonderful way to engage your online connections. Leverage those hashtags for your business whenever possible.

Conclusion
Hashtags are an extremely effective way of communicating with your online connections. If you learn to use them properly and effectively (it will require minimal effort on your part to make this happen), you will be surprised at what positive results you can achieve. If you haven't integrated hashtags into your marketing materials in any major way up to now, it is definitely time that you start doing so. Hashtags can be used for many things, including research, which can prove to be very useful. Hashtags can also be instrumental in solidifying your online communities. It is a great idea for you to take advantage of all that hashtags can give you.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.