
You’ve told your story. Now how do you get it to the masses?
Think hashtags.
Hashtags (#) are used to mark keywords or topics across social media. First popular on Twitter, hashtags have spread to Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and many other social media and blogging platforms.
Using the hashtag (#) before a relevant keyword in your tweet will categorize the message, making it more likely to come up when people search under that keyword.
So even if you only have 40 followers, using hashtags gives you the opportunity to connect with a global audience. Every time someone searches a keyword on social media, your post is more likely to rise to the top of the search.
So how do you figure out what hashtags to use? How do you find hashtags relevant to your industry?
Here are some websites to help you:
-Hashtags.org – On this site you can not only look for hashtags, but also see which ones are trending. For example, if you search “#education,” Hashtags.org will generate a graph showing what times of day and which days of the week that hashtag is most popular. Below the graph, the most recent messages using #education are displayed. On the homepage, Hashtags.org lists some topics along with their related hashtags so you don’t have to always use the same one.
-What the Trend (whatthetrend.com) – This site allows you to see which hashtags are popular in each country, region or city. Just use the search box to look for information about a hashtag that you’re considering using.
-Twubs (twubs.com) – Twubs are Twitter groups formed around popular #hashtags. This site allows you to see what hashtags are popular under any category. Not only can this site be used to discover hashtags relevant to your industry, it can also be used as a way to connect with others who have similar interests (twub members).
Using hashtags is a powerful way for you to get word out about your organization and to expand your social media circle.
Now that you know that, is your story ready for the masses?