Applying Hashtags for Increased Business

Perhaps the most important part of current social media marketing is the hashtag. Hashtags (#) are used to group messages together based on topic, originally appearing on Twitter before spreading to other social media sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, and will likely appear on new social media sites as they appear.

Hashtags can generate attention for content from people who otherwise may not have seen it, meaning it can play an important role in online business. By taking advantage of the hashtag, as well as other social media language, you can promote your business online to a wider client base and bring in greater profits and success.

#Why and #How

Most hashtags appear within the body of user-generated content, often placed at the end and based on topics that are currently trending on social media. In addition to written content, they can also be applied to images and videos. The more content tagged will help your business to appear on more social media networks with greater frequency; this is invaluable for attracting people who find your business through a random search.

There is an etiquette to using hashtags, though. Like keywords, social media optimization means proper hashtag usage. For example, you can’t overload a tweet with hashtags; one or two are ideal, with three being the maximum. Adding too many may also violate the terms of service of several  social media web sites, leading to an account suspension, which will kill your current social media marketing plans, meaning you wasted time and money.

#GameChanger

Hashtags often lead to organic searches for online marketing material by directing customers using targeted keywords and content. Even the smallest update posts should incorporate hashtags; the more you have, the better and more often your online business will be seen.

Finally, while hashtags may seem easy to implement, you can’t just choose yours at random. Research exactly which words and phrases related to your business are currently trending and use those; if #OnlineBusiness is popular, use that, not #OnlineCompany. Your first thought might be to be different and creative to stand out in searches, but using a less popular synonym will only hurt your results.

By Michael Arnold

via http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/applying-hashtags-increased-business-0831103#!CIpCE