Blog post by: PaKou Lee
Today, the hashtag sign (#) has become a large trend in social media. The purpose of using a hashtag is to categorize conversations into groups to make the search of specific topics more convenient for users. People use hashtags for various reasons: to start or join in on a specific conversation, draw attention to their posts, or “just for the heck of it” because everyone else is doing it.
Many users have seem to forgotten the purpose of hashtags or have never understood from day one what they mean. There is plenty of hashtag abuse happening on social media sites. And in effort to stop this hashtag abuse, we, at BPM, have decided to go over the dos and don’ts of hashtags.
The Dos of Hashtags:
- Use hashtags to start a conversation. Twitter categorizes topics by using hashtags. Join a conversation by searching for its hashtag. For an example, if you want to stay up-to-date with the news surrounding the recent Connecticut mass shooting, search #connecticutshooting.
- Create hashtags to start a campaign or cause. A hashtag is a great way to bring awareness to your campaign or cause. It creates attention and support. The hashtag #justinvisithailey went viral when a 4-year-old cancer patient, Hailey, wanted to meet Justin Beiber. Many followers retweeted the hashtag, and supporters created videos. It caught the media’s attention and even Justin’s attention. It was a success; she had a personal meet and greet with Justin right before the concert started.
- Develop hashtags strategically. Create hashtags that will make it easy for people to search and find. It’s easier and more effective to search for #recipes than #mygrandmasrecipes.
The Don’ts of Hashtags:
- Hashtagging every word #I #just #had #a #turkey #sandwich. #sofull. There is no meaning in the hashtag. Keep your hashtags at a maximum of 2 hashtags per tweet. It will keep your text less crowded and more effective.
- Create a long hashtag. #thisisaverylonghashtagthatmeansnothingtoyou. No one wants to try to figure out what you’re trying to say. They are more than likely to ignore your tweet. Keep your hashtags simple and direct.
- Hashtag on Facebook. Facebook search engine does not recognize the hashtag sign and has no meaning for Facebook searches.
It’s important to not abuse the hashtag. It doesn’t matter if you’re using hashtags on your personal page or business page. Hashtags should be easy to search and stream for.
Sources:
http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/09/05/the-dos-and-donts-of-twitter-hashtags/?&_suid=135541562070707004636290948838
http://www.secondlawmedia.com/the-wrong-right-way-to-use-hashtags-on-twitter/
http://intelligentdesignsmedia.com/2012/05/21/using-hashtags-on-facebook/
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/entertainment/celebrity/justin-bieber-meets-cancer-patient-hailey-roser
http://www.lionleaf.com/blog/5-ways-to-harness-the-power-of-twitter-hashtags/
