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With Facebook’s new hashtag feature, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly are hashtags, and how can they help my business?”

What Is a Hashtag?

Hashtags organize social media content around specific topics. A “hashtag” is created when you use the hashtag symbol “#” before a word or phrase in a social media post. A hashtag can contain a single word or multiple words with no spaces—for example, #webdesign. When you create a hashtag, the word you tag becomes an active link.

Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all content posted by other users that contains the same hashtag.

Why the #HASHTAG Would I Do That?

Since hashtags are clickable links to all messages that have ever been posted using that same hashtag, it offers several advantages to businesses.

  • Hashtags allow your message to extend beyond the people who have subscribed to see your information (your likes, followers, etc) to people who are actively searching for information or seeking to have a conversation about your hashtagged topics.

  • Hashtags give you the ability to see how many people are talking about your brand.

  • Hashtags give you the ability to track trending topics that are being discussed, allowing you to incorporate these topics into your messaging.

  • Hashtags give you the ability to maintain a positive reputation, letting you respond to conversations about your brand that are not taking place on your page.

Where Can I Use Hashtags?

Hashtags can be used on each of the following social networks.

Facebook

  • Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar.

  • Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram, to view the full list of everyone talking about that specific topic.

  • Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.

Twitter

  • Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar.

  • Click on hashtags in any message that you see to view the full list of everyone talking about that specific topic.

  • Hashtagged words that become very popular are often highlighted under “Trending Topics” on the Twitter sidebar to encourage further use of those hashtags.

Google+

  • Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar.

  • Click on hashtags in a post to view the full list of everyone talking about that specific topic.

  • Hashtags with gray coloring are those used by the author of the post, while hashtags with blue coloring are added by Google based on the content of the post. These related hashtags help posts get discovered and build conversations around the content of that post.

Instagram

  • Write a hashtag in the description of your image.

  • Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar.

  • Click on hashtags in a post to view the full list of everyone talking about that specific topic.

Catch Customers at Different Points of Sales Funnel

Instead of waiting for customers to find you, you can use hashtags to find people who need your services. For example, if you are a wedding photographer looking to book your services for 2014, you can use social media to actively search for newly engaged couples to offer your services to by using the hashtag #engaged or #wedding2014. By using either of these hashtags, you will see all the posts from individuals who recently got engaged or are having a wedding in 2014, giving you the opportunity to directly engage with them to congratulate them on their recent engagement and offer your photography services.

Actions to Take

  • Start using hashtags in your posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram!

  • #Dont #hashtag #every #word #in #a #post. Use 1 to 7 hashtags in your posts and only hashtag the main topics, like this: “We are currently offering #discounts on #wedding #photography for those who are recently #engaged.”

  • Local businesses should hashtag their city so that social media users who are searching for products in services in that location can find them.

Contests & Giveaways

Hashtags are excellent for contests and giveaways (especially on Instagram) so that all entries are tracked and organized. For example, “The Rainbow Factory is having a Rainbow summer giveaway. Post a picture of a rainbow this summer with the hashtag #MyRainbowSummer for a chance to win.” Not only does this allow the moderator to track the entries, it also allows for each contestant to see other entries that have been submitted. (Contestants must have a public profile in order to enter).

How Do I Make a Hashtag for My Business?

Create it! Any word that has the “#” symbol in front of it will become a hashtag link, so in your posts, feel free to start a hashtag for your business’s name, and encourage people to use it!