When marketing a product, event or business on Twitter, it is vital to do an evaluation to determine the success of the campaign.

Hashtags are one of the tools that you can use in social media networks, providing quick information to the target market as well as creating an avenue where relevant clients and partners can discuss issues and topics that relate well with your business or industry.

Not all hashtags will render a positive response from users. You can also make use of analytic tools to determine how well you’re doing with the hashtags you create or which areas should still be improved.

Starting Out

Begin by using a hashtag then wait a few days to determine how well the public responds to it. Positive and negative responses can be acquired from the use of these. Some of the successful hashtags will indicate that you have followed the guidelines properly, using catchy and specific keywords and including the right elements that will make it stand out among others.

The hashtag should also be easy to find via search engine or when social media users interact with others. Observe some of the best hashtags then determine how you can also improve your own by using specific keywords. Do not use very long hashtags or too many words. When tweeting, use only 2 to 3 hashtags at most to avoid confusing online users.

The hashtag analytics tool will give you specific information about the hashtag. Some of the information that you can get via a hashtag analytics tool include the total tweets generated in 24 hours, 1 week, 1 month or 1 year. You can also get information on the total impressions made by the hashtag. You will identify the most relevant users and social media leaders who can further grow the business.

Let’s see the recently popular hashtag in the US #ICanAdmit.

Build relationships with these key individuals so that they can easily spread the news about your offerings and the industry. You can turn your most loyal followers into brand evangelists.

The analytics tool will also show you some of the comments and posts regarding your business and offerings. You will also discover other related hashtags that can be used to share information and to guarantee the success of future campaigns.

Acting on the Analysis

Depending on the turnout of the hashtag campaign, you can make some adjustments to improve the way you make hashtags.

If the tweets generated are quickly growing within 24 hours, it means that you have chosen the right attractive keywords to bring in relevant social media users. If the start is rather slow but the trend eventually gains momentum, you might need to pick better terms for people to immediately understand what the hashtag is all about.

Because of the gradual rise or popularity of the hashtag, you may be monitoring the conversations properly and use quality content to keep users interested.

Future campaigns should be adjusted depending on the comments and total impressions made. For the hashtag #ICanAdmit, for instance, here are some of the comments by users.

If the tweets generated and impressions made are good, you simply need to use the same strategies when formulating future hashtags. Stay updated with the latest news and events then share these. Provide good quality content, links, videos and pictures. Also mention and tag individuals in the conversations and bring in the most influential users who can improve its popularity.

A Successful Hashtag

The hashtag #samsung has been a popular one in social media networks since the company continues to introduce state-of-the-art gadgets and stays abreast with the latest developments in the industry.

The hashtag started out with about 300 to 450 tweets per hour during the first 3 hours. The tweets peaked at the fourth hour with over 500 tweets per hour. The tweets started to average only between 150 and 300 in the next several hours. It even peaked as high as 27,000 tweets.

The most prolific users of the company are tech-savvy individuals and tech publishers and writers who are constantly followed by others online. They can write great reviews about new products which is why Samsung is very active in giving favors and mentioning these key people.

The company is also monitoring customer feedback and responses. They create new designs and introduce features based on what users are saying from previous conversations. Hashtags are created regularly to talk about specific products. They can then get accurate and specific data about their products to make the needed changes.

Samsung is also using other hashtags to draw more experts in the field and expand their network. They use these hashtags and provide links for future campaigns. Examples of hashtags related to #samsung include #innovation, #galaxy, #apple and #microsoft. These hashtags can be used to make comparisons between models and products.

Bernie Zak, an 18-year-old high school student from Massachusetts wanted to study at his dream university and thought of tweeting instead of waiting. He decided to use Twitter to tweet 50 reasons why he is eligible for a spot.

The success story shows how social media is quickly becoming an effective tool for various activities and tasks such as getting into excellent schools or finding the ideal job.

Zak created with hashtag #AcceptBernieUCLA to cite his witty reasons.

He posted several smart and creative tweets, labeling each as “Reason” followed by the corresponding number. When he reached Reason 32, UCLA informed the Twitter user that he has been admitted.

Bernie continued tweeting even after his acceptance. For example, he cited, “Reason #39 @UCLA, should accept berniezak: It would be nice to have a future president of the United States at your school”.

He used the same hashtag for each of his tweets. Sometimes he included a photo or link.

ObamaCare, or The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is again making waves on social media platforms like Twitter.

The plan was made into a law on March 23, 2010 but Republicans are relentlessly trying to repeal the ACA.

Recently, the Republicans tried to repeal it — for the 37th time. The hashtag #ObamacareinThreeWords was spawned on Twitter for Democrats to show that they are fully supportive of the bill.

Considering how the Senate is controlled by majority of Democrats and the House of Representatives is governed mostly by the GOP, the issue went on throughout the afternoon, with both sides sharing their positive and negative thoughts.

According to Jon Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner), House Speaker, there are 70 new members in the House of Representatives who were not able to vote on ObamaCare. He iterated that it would be favorable for the new members to also be given a chance to vote on the health care law.

The hashtag amassed some 25,000 tweets an 43.4 million impressions at its peak. To date, it has generated a total of 126,300 tweets.

What is ObamaCare About?

ObamaCare features more than one thousand pages of reforms covering the health care and insurance industries. The objective is to provide affordable health benefits and insurance to Americans. President Obama proposed the bill to make health care affordable to all individuals in the United States by lowering costs and making insurance plans and medical treatment readily available to everyone.

Since about 44 million Americans do not have health insurance, the ACA intends to provide them with it by boosting Medicare and Medicaid.

Twitter users are invited to share their opinions and sentiments in only three words. Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) posted, ““#ObamaCareinThreeWords –> Costs $1.8 Trillion.”

Most of the Democrats argued that the bill has already become a law so there would be no use raising the issue again and again. Republicans said were never fully convinced of the ACA, saying that it costs too much and would not completely solve the problem.

Here’s what some Twitter users have to say about the speaker’s statements.

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Google Glass continues to gain momentum as top social media platforms the like Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook collaborate to come up with new apps.

Google Glass is one of the most innovative products from the search engine company, described as an eyeglass frame that has the ability to search the internet, record videos and send email messages.

A small panel is positioned just over the left eye so that the user can see images and browse the internet. Future users can expect to purchase products from Ebay, as well as gain access to the top social media networks, with the recent developments.

Before, Path and the New York Times were the only apps announced to be included in the Google Glass experience. The inclusion of Ebay in the group will most likely result to show-rooming, wherein users can easily check items and product prices online and purchase as necessary.

Google Glass is bound to take out advertisements to provide users with a unique experience that will truly match their interests and objectives. According to the groups tasked to come up with apps, they are limited to only make apps that are short and relevant for the small screen. These should be suitable for individuals on the go. Tasks should be made easier and alerts should be relevant.

Facebook and Twitter introduced apps on May 16, 2013. In the app created by Facebook, users can conveniently upload pictures from Google Glass to their timeline. Speaking can also provide a description to the photos if the users like.

Twitter on the other hand showed an app for Google Glass where users can share text messages and photos. The app use was presented by tweeting a photo from an array of sessions. The posted picture as demonstrated was provided with the hashtag #throughglass. Furthermore, the app also allows users to stay updated on other accounts using notifications. Tweets can be retweeted, favorite or replied to.

Google Glass is set to be released in a few months, but #throughglass has already gotten a lot of attention online. You can stay updated on the developments by following the hashtag. So far, it has generated 4,700 tweets and 24,300,000 impressions.

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The Financial Times’ account on Twitter, as well as its website, were hacked on May 17, 2013, with the hacker leaving a message: “Syrian Electronic Army Was Here” on several Twitter accounts owned by the Financial Times.

Other previous victims by the hacker include The Guardian, The Onion and The Associated Press.

As a response, the publication immediately informed social media users about the recent attack and suspended the @thelexcolumn account. The @FTMarkets account was also cleared of the messages left by the hacker.

The Financial Times did not say how the Syrian Electronic Army was able to hack into their online accounts but shared that they are currently working to eliminate the compromise as soon as possible.

Previously, the hacking group relied on email phishing to illegally enter websites and social media accounts. The email address and password of an executive from the Financial Times were posted on his own account on Twitter for the public to see.

Before the Financial Times, three accounts by the BBC were also attacked on Twitter by the same group. One account had may messages with racial and political content.

In April, the NPR or National Public Radio website was also accessed, where article headlines were altered and accounts associated with NPR were entered into to post on Twitter.

The attack made to 11 accounts owned by The Guardian resulted in the Syrian Electronic Army’s account being temporarily suspended. When the hacker attacked the Twitter account of The Associated Press, they left this message:

The Syrian Electronic Army is speculated to be composed of online activists and hackers who support Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria.

Using the right hashtag is highly important if you wish to reach the highest number of target consumers that will mean much to the continuous growth of your business.

There are certain strategies to use when creating a hashtag. Do not randomly target individuals in the social media network without knowing more about their background first.

Look for the right people who can immediately communicate with other relevant social media users who can show support and avail of your products.

Why You Need A Good Hashtag

A targeted hashtag is a very effective social media tool that will improve the way people relate with your company. The hashtag has to be distinct from others in the same industry to attract more customers and bring in social media experts who can further grow your business.

Identify the keyword that will appeal to them the most. Also be aware of the latest issues and current events in the industry. Being specific means that the hashtag has to be easy to understand and readable even when viewed for just a few seconds.

Use no more than 2 to 3 words. Use capitalizations and numbers to create separation.

The specific hashtag will drive the right individuals on the social media platform to follow. These relevant people on the internet are those who are truly interested in your products and company. They constantly communicate with other potential clients and also do their own research.

You can convert your most loyal followers into actual clients to bring in much needed sales. You will save time, effort and money by investing in people who are relevant to your business instead of randomly targeting anyone online.

Strategies for Hashtags

Engagement

Join social media discussions, chats and conversations to find some of the most relevant individuals that you can include in your network.

Add and follow experts in the chosen industry and keep up with the latest trends and developments in the business. You should also be part of Twitter chats regularly held by experts in the market.

Connect with others who join in the discussions then provide good quality posts and content to entice them to follow you online. Use links, photos, videos, articles and other informative and interesting social media content to drive the right people to your account.

You can find out which people are using your hashtags the most by looking into analytics tools. Let’s see the recently trending hashtag #Music, as an example.

Appreciate Analytics

You should also make use of social media analytics to know how well the hashtag did and which areas still need improvement.

The analytics tool will specifically show how well the hashtag did during the first hour, first 24 hours, first week or within a full month’s time. You can assess the type of people visiting the conversation and monitor the posts.

The tool will also give you details on the impressions made by the hashtag and interactions made by users. Using the tool will help you determine which topics and issues are most interesting to the target market. You can also get more tips on how to come up with the best hashtags and how to provide good quality content to keep social media users interested.

#Trending10

The hashtag #Trending10 was spawned by the account @tridentgum together with Fuse and Twitter to further boost the television show which focuses on real Twitter conversation peaks and spikes.

The TV show features 10 stories based on the most-discussed music topics of the day. People who are interested in music will find conversations and original content showing the views of people from all over the globe.

Since music is one of the most popular topics on Twitter, it is expected that #Trending10 will also do very well among social media users. Here’s how it’s faring on Twitter to date.

The show was presented just after the recent launch of #Music.

Different businesses and industries are benefiting from social media and social analytics tools. Through these platforms and options, they can easily identify the relevant individuals who will mean much to the success of the business.

The health sector in particular can get several advantages by using social media.

A lot of people rely on social media to get quick information about medical procedures, medicines and medical professionals. Creating a venue and initiating conversations focused on healthcare will greatly benefit majority of social media users and increase awareness on treatment and procedures.

Some Advantages

1. Wider reach

When people and departments in the health sector make use of social media and analytics tools, it will be easier to find individuals who are in need of products and information pertaining to specific diseases and health issues.

The health sector can directly communicate with individuals who are relevant to the medical issue, instead of taking on a general approach. More people can gain access to useful information for better treatment online.

For instance, the hashtag #health has been used for many related discussions, amassing as many as three million tweets in the last 6 months.

Courtesy of Hashtags.org Analytics

2. More experts

More health professionals and experts have social media accounts and will communicate with others in the same industry or field. Potential patients can get reliable and accurate information through social media.

There is a huge list of health professionals who can render care and state-of-the-art materials and products. These experts can also guide the clients towards full recovery regardless of the time and day.

3. Easy communication

Before, health professionals and clients find it hard to maintain constant communication especially during emergency situations.

Social media and measurement tools can easily be accessed using portable devices no matter where people are in the world. They can send messages, share pictures and videos as well as give step-by-step instructions. Others can also order products and medications for health experts and companies using social media without further problems.

About Analytics

When the health sector uses analytics tools, departments can determine which products or issues are most interesting and useful to patients. They can see how well certain topics and posts will get attention by checking the interactions among target users.

The reach and impressions made will point out the details specifically so that companies and professionals can provide for demands accordingly. It is important to evaluate the response of the market to products and topics so that health agencies can adequately supply for their needs and improve on future campaigns.

Analytics will also be useful when handling different health departments. The needs and healthcare procedures needed by individuals can vary so it may be necessary to launch two or more campaigns at a time. Social media analytics tools can also show how well simultaneous campaigns are doing within a 24-hour period or longer. Health professionals can also find out which keywords will most likely bring in more social media users.

Pfizer Hashtag

The hashtag #pfizer has been created by the company to keep customers informed about latest news and new products. The company steadily provides links and other useful social media content that will keep people abreast with developments in the industry.

Through the past half year, the hashtag has generated a considerable following, getting as many as 4,004 tweets and 7.6 million impressions to date.

Courtesy of Hashtags.org Analytics

By joining conversations, they can learn more about Medicare benefits, get more value out of the products they buy and get quick information on certain locations and stores offering discounts and free samples.

Tapping the social media network solidified the position of the company as one of the top brands when it comes to pharmaceuticals. Pfizer also joins discussions and hashtags created by related agencies. The group gives tips and insight on related products and procedures. People online then refer to the company as an specialist in the field that can be relied on for top quality products and expert information.

Generally, no one owns hashtags. These are created by users who wish to talk about a certain topic or issue with any other user on the platform.

Anyone using the proper social media platforms can start hashtags and they can further develop these to specifically relate to their business, event or objective.

There are still a number of rules to follow to prevent the hashtag from getting hijacked. Even promoted hashtags (which are paid for) can still be taken over and totally driven away from their intended topic.

However, while you cannot control what happens to a hashtag when it’s already out there, you can make it targeted enough so that users will not misconstrue its meaning.

Even large companies have become the targets of hashtag hijacking. Here are some rules and guidelines on how to protect a hashtag online.

Hijacked Companies

A hijacked hashtag means that online users started to share posts and comments that are entirely different from how the creator wished it to be.

Many companies start a hashtag with the aim of increasing brand awareness and spreading the positive responses of clients from different places. However, there are times when users and rivals begin to use the hashtag as a means of attacking the company. There are a number of companies that experienced online nightmares after getting hijacked.

One of the most popular examples is #McDStories which was supposed to garner memorable moments from loyal McDonald’s fans. The problem erupted when people instead shared bad experiences in the restaurant.

The hashtag #Qantasluxury was attacked by customers from all around the world after the airline company was the subject of a lot of criticism and rage when a strike caused thousands of passengers to be stranded in various foreign locations.

What Creators Can Do

The makers of the hashtag can regain control of the hashtag by sharing positive posts and providing good quality content. Also provide clear and honest explanations for the bad PR and let customers know what is truly going on.

It is equally important to let key leaders in the company explain the circumstances. Make an apology if necessary. The idea is to let customers know that you are listening and are looking for solutions to predicaments. Some companies simply let the issue die down after several days or remove the conversation altogether.

Although promoted trends may seem to be in a less vulnerable state online, these can still be the subject of hijacking. It is important to regain control over the promoted trend quickly by asking for help from Twitter or replacing the negative comments with positive ones instead.

Some companies can regain control in just a few hours while others might have to wait several days for the bad PR to go away. Another effective solution would be to bring in influential individuals who can share useful information as well as bring in more followers who can induce others to share positive posts. Include keywords that will drive the right traffic to the conversation to make it trend better.

Social media marketers should be careful about what they post online since there are instances when marketing approaches do not work as they expected or, worse, get misunderstood.

Promoted Hashtags, although very popular and effective, are not always functional. Some people learn the lesson the hard and expensive way — because promoted hashtags are paid.

It is best to know how the target market thinks and then pattern strategies based on projected potential responses. Without knowledge of the kind of market for whom the strategy is created, you face the risk of making a very pricey social media blunder.

As a marketer, it is also important to note how some marketing words can repel consumers instead of draw them closer to your company. You don’t want your brand hashtag to be turned into a laughingstock online.

The High Cost

A promoted trend is an advertisement which will effectively draw social media users to discuss and spread information about a certain topic or company. Promoted tweets and hashtags cost $120,000 per day now, compared to its $25,000 to $30,000 price tag when it was first introduced.

Promoted hashtags and their price tag were highlighted during the US Presidential Elections in 2012, when both the Romney and Obama camps became more invested in their respective social media awareness campaigns.

Back then, Romney’s #AreYouBetterOff and #BelieveInAmerica made as many as 5.6 million and 5.7 million impressions at their peak, while Obama’s #Forward2012 and #VoteObama made 105 million and 930 million impressions.

Many individuals running small or medium businesses will not be able to afford the cost. Even those who try will quickly realize that the investment is just too big to recoup within their limited timeframe.

Advertisers will pay Twitter for every follower depending on the bid system. The only consolation that advertisers get is having relevant customers whom they can continue to transact with for many months or years. However, without the initial budget, promoted tweets are out of their range. Basically, promoted tweets may not work well with small enterprises.

Considering that only the biggest brands worldwide can afford the hefty price tag, some of these giant corporations realize that the high price does not necessarily equate to an effective response from their consumers. McDonald’s learned the hard lesson after it came out with the hashtag #McDStories, which triggered online users to share horror stories about their experiences in the fast food chain. Many online users immediately followed to share all the things that they despise about the famous restaurant.

The second promoted hashtag #UnwrapWhatsFresh also backfired. It was supposed to discuss the new Premium McWrap, a grilled or crispy chicken product wrapped in warm tortilla. McDonald’s didn’t get the response or optimism from customers that they wanted. Social media users immediately tweeted about anything wrapped, including underwear. It became a very bad and expensive investment.

Without Prior Research

Not defining the target demographic thoroughly can lead to consequences. Some companies simply put out hashtags without thinking about other words and meanings that can be derived from the phrase. It is always important to spend some time thinking about the right keywords to use that will effectively draw clients.

Putting very vague words together will not work for promoted hashtags. Very long hashtags will also turn off many potential clients since they will only spend a few seconds reading the line. It is best to use 2 to 3 words at most, making use of capitalizations and numbers as necessary to make it easier to understand.

The use of the word “promoted” may not appeal to everyone. Some people believe that hashtags should not include anything related to advertising since it gives the idea that the company or business is only interested in making quick money instead of catering to the real needs of consumers.

Critics of the Grand Old Party or Republicans resorted to Twitter recently by coming up with the hashtag #GOP2016Slogans, which primarily aims to spite and inject humor to the “constantly declining base of the party”.

Detractors of the Republican Party spawned the hashtag to poke witty and humorous comments although there are also a number of more serious tweets.

The hashtag has been trending very well — and as the number of Twitter users continue to chime in on the conversation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish funny from serious tweets.

The funny slogans are intended to show how inconsistent the party is at the moment. Some of the posts are also intended to show how the GOP has been very rigid when it comes to certain issues, like gay rights and acceptance and independence and dignity for blacks.

The party has been attacked several times for its very strict measures and guidelines which contributed a lot to people talking ill about it. On the brighter side, the Republican Party can also monitor #GOP2016Slogans to determine its weak points and other areas that might need changes to win supporters.

Since the hashtag started in May 12, it has generated some 50,300 tweets in total.

Here are some of the tweets sent on #GOP2016slogans recently.