The early days of Twitter were such a love fest! We’d emerge from a Twitter event, flowers in our hair, looking for the after-party. But today, bashtagging (#myNYPD) has made us all painfully aware that like the last strains of Jimi’s guitar at Woodstock, those flower child days are over.
Hashtracking’s recent #Hashchat yielded some uber-timely reminders about picking your next hashtag. We’re sharing them here, plus a few of our own.
1. Use Hashtag Explore to see whether your hashtag been used or not. Use Hashtracking History to look at who has used certain hashtags, including your competitors (both are available on Hashtracking.com).
2. Build on what your community is already using.
3. Short is good (but #worldbunnydomination is still a winner).
4. A generic hashtag works if you want to get in on the already existing action and aren’t interested in your hashtag metrics (#Halloween) or (#12thMan).
5. Using a brand name can invite hashtag highjacking
(classic example: #McDStories).
6. Check for any ways your hashtag could be misread. Then check again.
7. Choose a hashtag that creates a sense of positivity and therefore is tougher to bash (#BoostYourCQ).
No matter what hashtag you choose, you must always remember: your brand is in the hands of your customers. To avoid bashtagging, start by taking good care of them.
–Anna Schryver