Social media networks have billions of users. Having that much users hungry for updates and information, they're all potential targets for your campaign. To get the attentions of many those, many brands and internet marketers have used hashtags to boost their sales.
Using hashtags is one of the many ways get attention on social media networks. But their existence have become one of the most prominent because of their effectiveness.
The '#' symbol that come before a word, has become the indispensable tool in creating a hype and increasing user engagement, as well as spreading relevant information on products and about anything else that comes in mind.
If you look at your website's traffic stats, you will see that social media is likely to be among of your top three traffic sources. In fact, on some niche and website, social media traffic can even be more important than search engine traffic or direct traffic.
While hashtags are often over-hyped, they're also often overlooked. Many people have complained about their ineffectiveness. But in reality, the amount of traffic and engagement you can get from social media networks depend heavily on how you structure your social media posts and your contents' share worthiness.
In order to drive traffic to your website using hashtags, you need to know some of the key points. These should be kept in mind when creating a strategy for driving traffic and conversion from social media networks.
Choose The Best Hashtags You Need
Any word can become a hashtag word if it has the '#' symbol. But to make one that can be used to your advantage, you need to make some researches first. Start by using the search function on Twitter or Facebook, or other social media networks that prominently promote the use of hashtags. Search for the hashtag you wish to create and see if it's already available.
By searching for the already available, you may find some existing ones that use similar keyword and are already active and have garnered many attentions. You may want to use that instead.
But if you want to create one one your own, after getting the information you need, you can specify the new hashtag better by adding descriptions, the year or names to distinguish it from others that may be discussing similar topics. Use two to three words at most to help users remember. Avoid using very long hashtags and symbols, and apply proper separation by capitalizing the first letter of each word used.
Launch Your Hashtag
When you first create your hashtag, realize that no one is seeing it yet. To get attention, share a post accompanied by a compelling photo/video to create hype.
Choose unique visuals or a catchy line that will encourage people to click on the hashtag. Determine the best times your target audience is most likely browsing through the social media site so that your introductory will be visible and guarantee better participation.
Link To Your High-Quality Content
Hashtag is one thing, the next is the post that you want to promote along with it. A high-quality content is essential in driving traffic to your website, as well as maintaining current participants. Provide links to your website after sharing short information on the hashtag. It will drive more people to get further information about the topic by visiting your website.
And by providing informative content, humorous jokes, good infographics and so forth, you can make wandering social media users that happen to visit your website happy.
Engage With People
One good thing should be followed by another, and another and another. If you're able to get that hype you wanted, you shouldn't just stop there. Although anything can be viral on social media networks, you shouldn't make people do the work at least just yet.
You need to keep the conversation going by interacting with them: you can ask questions, give them updates or share unique news, giving details or just plain chit-chat. In short, be as active and attractive as you can on social media.
You can also invite other experts or influencers in the industry to participate and help answer queries. Encourage participants to share and exchange their own data on the hashtag. Manage the conversations and keep these within topic. Answer within a reasonable period of time to maintain the interest of users.
Mentions People
Mentioning someone is as simple as it can be. But the effect can be huge. Users on social media networks love to be seen and complimented. Tagging and mentioning relevant users in a good way could be seen as "you respect what they're doing".
Mention relevant users who can improve the quality of information shared. Use these social media leaders to your advantage by letting them know about the existence of your hashtag. By making them interested in you will benefit when they share your hashtag and post to their own followers.
Evaluate And Analytics
As with any form of marketing, you need to observe its progress. Always check how your hashtag is currently performing by using analytics tools of your choice. You can also check your hashtag performance in a day period or a week.
With the information, you can evaluate and compare with any of your previous campaigns to see how it works. You can then adjust accordingly.
Why Businesses Need To Use Hashtags On Their Marketing Campaign
Hashtags have been around for quite a long time, and they're here to stay as their popularity is increasing as more people are using them for various marketing campaigns.
As a social media tool used in various materials like advertising new products and to leverage brand awareness, hashtags encourage more people into specific conversations. One advantage of these can offer you the ability to target people outside your reach, and even to other platforms.
Businesses can use hashtags to gather people with similar interest, into one single conversation. Information can be provided and updated to the same people using the same platform, and here you need to find those people that are relevant, and are most likely to be your potential customers.
A properly made and used hashtag can help you get new targeted customers in just a small amount of time. When you succeed, you've made social media as your inbound marketing in which you're able to add value to the overall community.
One specific reason for this to happen is because hashtags can be used to start a hype and increase interest on a new or existing company/product. People who are interested in a subject only needs to click on the hashtag of their interest to check on the latest information and conversation.
With hashtags in mind, you can run analytics on them to find how many posts and impressions are made. With this valuable information, you can apply the data to ramp up your own business strategy. Analytics allow you to track hashtag's performance as soon as an hour and as far back as two months.
As an added advantage, hashtags on social media networks can also be made using the same brand but dedicated to specific areas. For example, companies with offices in different countries, can hold an event on one place by launching specific hashtag to address only the targeted audience on that location. This way, targeted users can discuss issues and anything related to the subject, without affecting other region's campaign. Many big brands have followed this localized approach.
So while hashtag can essentially drive traffic your website, they can also render many other benefits. By using hashtags, companies regardless their size can experience an increase of attention without spending much on marketing campaign.
But again, experience is the key. You may want to find some experts in the business and learn from them. Explore the different uses and functions of your social media account to maximize your exposure.