If you’re reading this article, it’s quite likely that you already know what a hashtag is. There is hardly any brand campaign these days that doesn’t have a corresponding hashtag, to be used on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram – everywhere! It’s a basic truth – there’s no escaping hashtags! But have you thought of using hashtags on Twitter the right way?
But as with everything good, hashtags are also susceptible to a good deal of misuse and abuse. In the wide, wide world that his social media, hashtags make it easier for us to connect with others on a particular topic, to find information or start a conversation. Although hashtags are prevalent on all social media platforms, they seem to have special value on Twitter, probably because that is the birthplace of the hashtag. Using hashtags on Twitter is the easiest way to get across your message in under 140 characters – perfect for live events or trending topics!
Using hashtags the wrong way can affect your brand image, decreasing engagement and potentially affecting business. So to make sure we’re not misusing, abusing or overusing hashtags, we’ve gathered here the do’s and don’ts of using hashtags on Twitter – so you can stay safe but still on trend!
4 Do’s of Using Hashtags on Twitter
1. Do use hashtags relevant to the content you’re sharing. A bunch of random, unrelated hashtags can confuse your audience, especially when you have under 140 characters to explain yourself.
2. Do keep hashtags on point. Try to use a hashtag as closely related to your content, rather than one that’s too generic. A hashtag named #recipes is way too broad, but #christmasrecipes is narrower and helps connect to your target audience better.
3. Do be consistent. If you’re having a conversation with a certain hashtag, don’t change it suddenly. You’ll end up confusing others and the conversation might get redirected unnecessarily.
4. Do watch out for hashtag fails. A hashtag fail is when a hashtag is interpreted in a way different from what was intended, often embarrassingly so! One famous example is the hashtag created for promoting singer Susan Boyle’s new album. The original hashtag for ‘Susan Album Party’, #susanalbumparty, started being read as ‘Su’s Anal Bum Party’. Read and re-read your hashtag to avoid such unfortunate interpretations!
4 Don’ts of Using Hashtags on Twitter
1. Don’t go overboard. Studies show that the more hashtags you use, the less user engagement you get. And with Twitter, they take up valuable character space that you could use to actually post content. Two seems to be the golden number, some also suggest three, but don’t go beyond that.
2. Don’t use the wrong spelling. This is particularly important if you’re talking about a trending topic that’s getting lots of search hits. The wrong spelling won’t show up and you’ll miss a valuable opportunity to be heard.
3. Don’t make it two long. Just as using too many hashtags is a no-no, using lengthy hashtags is also frowned upon. Stick to phrases with no more than three words – it should convey your intention without eating up character space. Longer hashtags are also less likely to catch on with users.
4. Don’t use it to draw attention. Some people use trending hashtags like #Syria or #Tsunami to draw attention to their brand, only to talk about something unrelated. Besides being in extremely poor taste, it can drastically put off your audience and lower your engagement like never before.
With these golden rules in place, you’ll be on the right path of using hashtags on Twitter. Basically, you need to keep them crisp, short and easy. Also, do make sure someone else reads them before you post, so you can catch embarrassing moments before they happen!
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