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What Does It Take for a Hashtag to Trend?

October 17, 2013
Twitter has over 200 million active users, which is why a trending hashtag can lead to huge sales and success for marketers. There are several strategies that lead to a successful hashtag campaign. Since Twitter users post over 400 million tweets each day on the site, it is important to have the right content and maintain focus to grab the attention of the target market.

Getting Information

1. Find relevant individuals

Build and expand your network by looking for relevant fans and users who can immediately spread the content you provide as well as retweet your posts. Provide good quality content then point out the key users who will be most valuable to your hashtag campaign. Usually, these individuals have a huge following online and also know the basic techniques on how to make successful hashtags. They host online events and use different tools and features to maintain their followers online. If you gather these people, you have a greater chance of keeping the hashtag visible to more people online. Let them participate in some of your social media activities. Provide incentives and rewards whenever they bring in new loyal clients. Also acknowledge their presence and communicate with them often to know about recent trends and developments in the market.

2. To pay or not to pay

Promoted hashtags or trend can cost several thousands of dollars although research has shown that brands that carefully prepare their campaigns experience bigger rewards that lead them to invest more in promotional tools on Twitter. There are also paid promotional tools on Twitter that can be set according to your budget. You can choose to keep content visible to the target audience at a certain fee or use free methods like regular blogging or tweeting to entice loyal followers. Frequently talk about the hashtag and upload good quality content in exchange for cash.

3. A relevant topic

A hashtag will trend better if you discuss relevant issues that people are interested in. Add excitement to your brand or product by correlating it with current events. When managing the hashtag, discuss relevant matters and provide quality content that will bring in more relevant users. Correlate the topic with your brand then encourage participants to share and upload their own content and related photos.

Maintaining the Hashtag

4. A good schedule

Proper timing is crucial for a hashtag to trend excellently. Before creating the hashtag, check if there are other existing ones that are similar to it. Look for a focal point that will distinguish it from others on the social media platform. Plan your tweets accordingly. Determine the schedules of the target audience by knowing when they will most likely be checking their mobile devices or logging on to Twitter. This is the perfect time to post another tweet or provide fresh data. Keep them informed and interested about upcoming events.

5. Provide benefits

Many social media users prefer companies that focus more on their actual needs compared to those who seem to be only after a quick sale. Talk to the target audience like a real person. Show the benefits that your company can provide, instead of talking solely about your products and offers. Provide constant support by being available when they have concerns and questions about the industry. Provide facts about the product which will give them long term benefits. The focus should be on the client if you wish to have more people joining the hashtag. Think of other creative ways that will generate more tweets that include the hashtag. Start contents or provide rewards to the most interesting posts. Also observe how well hashtag campaigns fare with the aid of hashtag analytics tools.

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