Articles in The 'hashtags' Tag

The Dos & Don’ts of Hashtags

by Kristin Lesko

Hashtags weave individual comments together to form a bigger-picture perspective on a given topic. They reveal to us what people are talking about and – in turn – what matters most to them. As a business owner, this information is vital, allowing you to not only be a fly on the wall, but to actively contribute to the greater conversation. But, as with anything, there’s a downside to the use of hashtags. And in this case, it’s the #overuse – #and #misuse — #of #the #trend. Here are some dos and don’ts as to how you can strategically use hashtags to tune into your audience, and tune out the irrelevant hashtag “noise.”

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5 tips for using Instagram for Business

by Meredith Corsillo

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger loved playing around with cameras when they were kids, and they came up with the ‘Instagram’ name from a mixture of using the concept of an instant camera, with the way they compared a picture to an old telegram that was sent over a wire to others.  Thus the name Instagram.  Their concept though simple, has transformed the photo taking and photo sharing world.

Taken directly from the Instagram FAQ page, this is how the two Stanford grads describe what Instagram was created for: “Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, and then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We’re building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos.”

Over the last few years, millions of users later, after being acquired by Facebook, after launching IOS and Android apps, and even after a desktop version, the use of Instagram by companies has skyrocketed.  It’s not just for personal use any longer either.  Instagram has become the perfect opportunity for brands and business to get quick, instant messages and photos to their target audience in a very rich, visual manner.

Images are being used more and more within business social media marketing strategies.  Here are a few ways to use Instagram to market your business:

1. Take advantage of the desktop version and set up a Profile that gives your audience a better insight into your company.  The desktop version is bigger, therefore more visual and robust, so take advantage of the increased real estate and tell a story with the images.
2. Create engagement with photo contests.  Contests are easy to create on Instagram.  Companies can ask users to incorporate a specific hashtag (#) for the contest, so after uploading their pictures, they can tag it with that hashtag.  That way, it’s easy to search through pictures, ask other followers to vote for their favorite pictures, and pick a winner.
3. Reward followers with promo codes within your photos.  This will definitely keep followers coming back to check in and see what new photos have been posted and what promos are being offered.
4. Post photos of your customers – nothing says brand loyalty more than a happy customer.  Take quick pictures of your customers, with their permission of course, and showcase a sneak peek into what the experience with your company or brand is like for them.  Make sure the photos showcase your brand values while also highlighting the customer experience.
5. Most importantly, promote your Instagram feed across all of your other social networks.  Create a custom tab under the Timeline photo on Facebook, add the Instagram badge to your website and to your G+ page, and make sure to include it in all email marketing.

Customers want a personal experience with a brand, and by adding Instagram to your marketing tools, your brand can start engaging with customers instantly while telling a story with images that are quick and easy for customers and fans to digest, process, and ultimately share with others.

Monitoring A Moment In History: The Royal Wedding

by Melanie Wahl

The world held its breath the morning of April 29, 2011 as the royal wedding began.  Catherine Middleton fulfilled the fantasy of becoming a princess as she married Prince William.  Technically, according to the statement issued by the press secretary to The Queen, their official titles are His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, but princess she did look as she married her prince.  Online, millions of people had something to say whether it was well wishes, fashion commentary, or comparisons to Grace Kelly or Princess Diana and many chose to share their thoughts through social media. 

Wedding updates, news, and remarks skyrocketed online.  What could have been an unorganized mess was streamlined by a well put together social media strategy.  The Royal Wedding was broadcast live on the official YouTube Channel, which had a side bar showing tweets from @ClarenceHouse one of two official Twitter accounts belonging to The Royal Family (the other is @BritishMonarchy).  In addition to official tweets, @ClarenceHouse shared images, such as a photograph of one of the carriages, via twitpic.

The official hashtag of the wedding was #rw2011, however #royalwedding was extremely popular as it was promoted through the media. Over 2.5 Million tweets used #royalwedding the day of the wedding.  ABC News conducted Twitter polls by asking viewers to tweet using the hashtags #RoyalSuccess or #RoyalMess for a variety of questions such as opinions of Kate’s dress and the couple’s double kiss.   

Additional tweets that trended well with The Royal Wedding were:

#theroyalwedding
#theroyalkiss
#RoyalKiss
#WilliamandKate
#PrincessDiana
#PrinceHarry
#SarahBurton
#BuckinghamPalace
#GraceKelly
#marrymeharry
#weddingdress
#mcqueen
#proudtobebritish

Having a social media strategy in place can help businesses, organizations, and even families keep track of the social conversation as it is happening.  The Royal Wedding is a wonderful example of social media done right. 

Congratulations to the happy couple!