{"id":3489,"date":"2016-11-17T16:37:30","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T13:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webceo.com\/blog\/?p=3489"},"modified":"2024-02-02T14:55:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T11:55:59","slug":"the-value-of-the-hashtag-4-tips-for-user-generated-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webceo.com\/blog\/the-value-of-the-hashtag-4-tips-for-user-generated-content\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of the Hashtag: 4 Tips for User Generated Content"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hashtags are everywhere. Ask the youth today what the symbol is, and that\u2019s what they\u2019ll tell you \u2013 they\u2019ve never even heard of a \u201cpound sign.\u201d But as a marketing professional, what are you supposed to do with hashtags and how can you create a great one? Can you just adopt some from the mainstream, like the infamous #TBT for Throwback Thursday, or do you need to make your own?<\/p>\n

The importance of hashtags lies in their ability to help your brand aggregate user generated content and extend your following by creating a short, memorable slogan, and it\u2019s not hard to do. For those still grappling with the format, however, we\u2019ve pulled together a few key tips that will help you create catchy hashtags for your social media posts, but don\u2019t forget to ask for help from millennials<\/a> in your own workplace.<\/p>\n

Additionally, leveraging tools like WebCEO’s Keyword Research Tool<\/a> can significantly enhance your social media strategy by identifying the keywords and phrases that resonate with your audience, further amplifying the impact of your hashtags.<\/p>\n

With these tips and a little support, you\u2019ll be tweeting like a millennial in no time.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Keep it Simple<\/span><\/h2>\n

The best hashtags around are short and simple for a few reasons. First, hashtags emerged on Twitter, which has a 140 character limit for all posts. Users didn\u2019t want to waste their characters on the hashtag. The second reason hashtags are brief is because it makes them more memorable.<\/p>\n

When trying to create a hashtag for your own brand, focus on keywords that will bring more people to your posts and keep an eye on what\u2019s trending. If you can apply a trending keyword or hashtag to your own work \u2013 they\u2019ll pop up alongside your Facebook and Twitter feeds \u2013 do so, and watch the post views grow.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Have a Mission<\/span><\/h2>\n

One mistake many people make when using hashtags is applying them for no real reason. This may be fine if you\u2019re a teen posting for your friends, but as a company, your hashtags should have a role in your overall marketing strategy. For example, hashtags are a great way to encourage users to create and share images for inclusion in visual commerce<\/a>. When users take a picture that they want your company to see, they\u2019ll tag it with the hashtag you\u2019ve provided.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Be Original<\/span><\/h2>\n

When you create a hashtag, you want it to be specific to your company, or you\u2019ll have to filter through thousands of unrelated posts to find what you\u2019re looking for. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to test your wording before you launch a hashtag, in case another brand or movement is already using it.<\/p>\n

Take Marc Jacobs\u2019 widely successful #CastMeMarc campaign as an example. This hashtag was successful because it offered an inspirational message \u2013 everyday people could be models for Marc Jacobs \u2013 and combined that with recognizable branding. Had the brand used #CastMeMarcJacobs instead, they would likely have still gotten a great response, but only because they\u2019re already prominent. That hashtag is otherwise too clunky.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, had the singer Marc Anthony already used #CastMeMarc to find performers for a music video, Marc Jacobs would have found themselves in a bind. Using the same hashtag in these circumstances isn\u2019t an option because it would have produced murky results and confused users.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Know Your Platforms<\/span><\/h2>\n

When a topic is trending, it isn\u2019t always trending on all of the social media platforms at the same time \u2013 something that has a lot to do with the different demographics concentrated on various sites. Before you launch a hashtag, then, it\u2019s important to know what platform it\u2019s likely to trend on. When you put your hashtag on the wrong site, there\u2019s a strong chance that no one will even see it.<\/p>\n

Hashtags are one of the best ways to draw more attention to your social media posts and increase your ROI<\/a> in this area, which is why it\u2019s so important to integrate them into your marketing strategy. Start slow \u2013 pull out some archival images from the early days of your company for #TBT or hop on some prominent trending topics and build from there.<\/p>\n

You may be surprised by just how many more views your posts receive using this simple tool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hashtags are everywhere. Ask the youth today what the symbol is, and that\u2019s what they\u2019ll tell you \u2013 they\u2019ve never even heard of a \u201cpound sign.\u201d But as a marketing professional, what are you supposed to do with hashtags and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[132,8],"class_list":["post-3489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media-marketing","tag-guest-blogging","tag-social-media-marketing"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Value of the Hashtag: 4 Tips for User Generated Content<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve pulled together a few key tips that will help you create catchy hashtags for your social media content\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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