People often ask how to find anything on Twitter, and how can you make better use of Twitter for business. With the constant stream of information it must be simply overpowering. Of course, one of the answers is to use hashtags. Hashtags work in the same way in Twitter as keyword tags do in a blog or tagging photos or video on a media site.
They are simply a quick and easy way to find content on Twitter that is related to a particular keyword or subject area. During the recent election in the UK, if you wanted to follow the debate on Twitter you would search for #leadersdebate; if you are looking for a job then try #jobs; if you are an employer posting a job then include #jobs in the tweet. Before you get carried away and start using hashtags, here are a couple of things to consider:- Do some research to find out which tags already are in use. Do a search on http://search.twitter.com to see what is popular at the moment then you may find a ready audience for your messages.
Currently popular are #worldcup and #vuvuzela (if you do not know what it is check it out). You may want to use more than one tag on your tweets, but keep it on subject and do not spam. You may want to use a main topic then break the audience down further so if you are advertising a work in London and Toronto then you could add two tags to the one post #irelandjobs and #dublinjobs. If you are a plumber looking for work, search for #plumber; there are plenty of people looking for you. Finally, do not overuse this! Your tweets should add value to your audience and keep them informed. Adding multiple hashtags can cause a drop in your followers, unless you are selective and on message.
To learn more about how you can best implement social media into your business’ internet marketing mix, get in touch with a ePresence Internet Marketing Consultant.
