Online Marketing 101: Hashtags for Effective Marketing Campaigns

www.sophisticatedrelations.com

Ahh, hashtags.

 A fairly recent term for what used to be what people called a sharp key or a pound sign and an apparent evidence of just how much Internet Technology has evolved.

I must admit when I first heard of this rather colloquial word uttered by my friends, I was confused.

And when it started making its debut on social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, I was even more baffled. I had absolutely no idea why this nondescript pound sign which was followed with a bunch of seemingly unreadable words mashed next to it became suddenly popular and trendy
.
Deciding to ride with the trend, I started using hashtags in what would perhaps be the most inappropriate way possible. As I had no idea what using hashtags entailed, I just did what I thought what everyone was doing: write a pound sign and write a phrase or sentence next to it (no matter how long)

Of course, by now, all you social media-savvy users know that this is not the way to utilize a hashtag.

And when I did discover what novice mistakes I was making, I began to realize the true potential of the hashtag.

Marketing campaigns

When that sunk in, it became clear just how much this new online trend can be exploited and utilized by online business owners and marketers. However, utilizing the hashtag may seem easy but more often than not disastrous results can happen when applied incorrectly.  

Let this article serve as your guide in navigating the ways of how you can harness the true potential of the hashtag in your marketing campaigns.

Understand that placing a hashtag anywhere before a bunch of words would not help you 

 Placing a hashtag before a bunch of unreadable words may seem like a tempting idea to try, but it is the wrong way to go about how to use it. Additionally, it would not help the cause of your marketing campaign. If you are a smart internet marketing agency, you would know that this is a basic mistake.
Not only that, it would make you look #superannoying.

Hashtags when properly used can be a source of unifying force across all of your marketing campaigns, making you easy to find. To illustrate just how powerful the hashtag is, take a look at a local commercial you see being aired today and more often than not, you will see a hashtag splashed on the screen at some point.

This is an effective way of letting viewers know that should they want expansive information regarding a certain product or whatever is being promoted, you can find it online through that hashtagged phrase.

Twitter- Where it all began

This recent genius all started from Twitter where it made rounds the first time it was successfully introduced. However, there is no denying that its popularity has certainly spilled over other social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram—thus becoming a well-known staple variant for a profitable viral modern marketing campaign.

It has been stated that for maximum engagement, tweets with a hashtag or two are most effective. But be cautious, it has also been noted that exceeding two hashtags in a tweet decreased your chances of engagement by 17%. Choose your hashtags wisely and make sure they are appropriate to your campaign.

This alone can increase your exposure and your click-throughs on the site.

Tread carefully with Facebook

Facebook may allow the usage of hashtags but people who are on the site tend to abuse this feature granted by the social network. In fact, they have been so overused and inappropriately used in Facebook that research conducted by EdgeRank found that posts with hashtags had less engagement than those without.

Like twitter, the formula is easy. One or two hashtags a post will do you wonders and that fewer hashtags will grant you more engagement. However, it is not as straightforward as we want it to be. Utilizing hashtags on Facebook would require you to test out some of your campaigns and see if your audience is receptive to it.

Forgoing the usage in Facebook altogether is not exactly the best solution as you will lose the cohesion across cross networks that would better serve you ultimately. Just test out a formula and limit your hashtags.

Google+ is boon for your marketing campaign 

The beauty in using Google+ is that it automatically assigns a hashtag for your post even without you assigning one. Consequently, your post will be made searchable through the juggernaut of search engines. Additionally, when you don’t assign a hashtag on your post, Google would assign at least one to your post using your post text or the headline of the link should there be one.

Organizing their hashtags by category is also a feature and they include them in their searchable database as well as use them to collate trending topics. Let that sink in for a moment and marvel as this wonderful addition to the social network.



So there you have it, some useful tips to keep in mind the next time you hashtag a post. Keep in mind that hashtags are effective when they are used appropriately and sparingly. Picking just any bunch of words and phrase that comes to mind and hashtagging it is a preschool mistake. Use a hashtag that fits your campaign perfectly, give it a lot of contemplation and make sure no one else has been using it.

When you have found just the right hashtag for your post, you can maximize your engagement from there.

DO’s and DON’TS of Using Emojis in Marketing Campaigns

www.mintel.com

Technology is evolving every single day.

That much is a fact as evidenced by how far advanced the Internet is nowadays compared to how it was ten years ago. Along with that evolution, was the rise of the social media trifecta: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These three juggernauts have managed to wheedle themselves into an average person’s daily lives.

And smart online marketing agencies are exploiting it. However, since the advent of this online rage, a few things have been making their rounds online as well. Consequently people both young and old are very receptive in utilizing it.

Take the Emoji for an example. What was once largely overlooked by users is now causing quite a stir and is making a lot of rounds online. And as of recently, it seems like even online marketers are capitalizing on its popularity. However, as tempting as lacing your marketing campaigns with Emojis is, this rather intrepid task is more of a hit or miss when being utilized in marketing campaigns.

But fear not, this article will walk you through the most basic DO’s and DON’TS in applying such in your campaigns.

DO NOT FORGO WORDS

Just because Emojis are trendy, it does not necessarily follow that every single one of your readers and followers can read them or speak it fluently.

Take a few seconds to give your post some brief contemplation, if it looks like it was composed by a teenager then odds are, you are doing it wrong. Apart from looking unprofessional, people would likely ignore your post because decoding your message is an absolute waste of time.

Stick to equal parts of message and Emojis. Use your words.

DON’T UTILIZE EMOJIS WHEN CONVEYING A SERIOUS MESSAGE 

There is always a time and place for the usage of Emojis.

Conveying a serious message is not. Emojis are meant to be accompanied with lighthearted, humorous and fun posts. And if you want to have an effective marketing campaign, then you should stick to this tactic. The utilization of Emojis in conveying a serious message or post can earn you the ire of your audience.

It would not only seem shallow on your part, but incredibly insensitive and callous as well. Additionally, your sound advice would fall to deaf ears. Don’t make the mistake of favoring Millennial targeting over making your post sensible and judicious.

DO USE IT CREATIVELY AND CREATE AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE

Emojis are popular because they are trendy and your readers and followers are rather receptive to it because it is familiar to them. And more often than not, these users employ Emojis in their daily communications which is why as a smart online marketer, you  should acquaint yourself better in the usage of such.

You do not have to create a customized set of Emojis just so you can relate to your audience better, use what is given to you instead.Develop a habit of using Emojis in communicating to your audience and never forget to include them in your campaign in order to make your marketing strategy more inclusive and interactive.

Have fun with the Emojis, think of ways you can turn those little icons into games and see your post gain traction.

DO USE EMOJIS TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE BETTER 

A smart and practical way to utilize Emojis is to commemorate momentous occasions and events. Though some pre-composed Emoji laced messages might be more of a hit or miss thing, never underestimate the power of a well-timed Tweet that can benefit from an Emoji or a lot of Emojis.

The frequent utilization of Emojis by various brands manifest their human side to their customers, as should you as an online marketer. Should the occasion call for it, get creative with Emoji art (include them in your Tweets in the same way, you would in a text message). Of course, as earlier stated, be careful in utilizing Emojis when topics are sensitive and serious.




Let’s face it, Emojis are here to stay. And if you want a successful marketing campaign, it would not hurt to include something trendy such as these Emojis.

After all, isn’t it much better to accompany your message with a round smiley faced fellow rather than a text that simply states *smiles*?

4 Simple Tips for Dealing with Upset Clients on Social Media

clickz.com

What do you usually do when you unintentionally upset your clients? Have you done anything wrong that leads them to be upset? Why do you think your potential clients are upset with the post that you have? How will you handle their frustrations and critics towards you? How will you let them understand that what you have done was not on your purpose? What did you do to calm them down?

Yes, when it comes to social media, your approach towards your potential and target clients will be much different than in person. You have the need to know what words you should use in order to fit the context of what you are trying to imply. Moreover, the tone of your content should be convincing for you to immediately grab their attention before anything else. Sad to say, there are just times that we tend to forget all of these things and do whatever we want to do.

Well sometimes, we are not aware that we already have offended our clients. If you could just talk with your client personally, then it is better and easier for you to make things go back to normal. However, you are dealing with a client through social media, which makes it more challenging on your end on to how you are going to let them understand the situation. If you are one of those people who are still stuck on these kind situations, then here are some simple and effective tips for you to deal with your upset clients on social media.

Respond no matter what

Misunderstanding between you and your client will definitely not be resolved if you don't respond to their critics immediately. Especially when your clients have some complaints about your post, then it is your responsibility as a marketer to let them know and understand the things on what you are trying to imply to them, in as much as simple way as possible.

Remember, there are hundreds to thousands of people who can see your post, and if you don’t respond and just ignore it, they might think that you don’t care about your target audience at all. Well, you don't need to fret too much since your clients will definitely understand if you just know how to explain it to them.

Be patient and understanding

There will be times that your client will try to argue with you on social media and insist that they are right about what they believe. However, even if they have the right to complain, it doesn’t mean that they will always be right. You also have the right to explain your side about the post that you have on social media. Of course, you have to be patient and understanding with your clients in order for you to effectively convince them that what you have posted is true.

Contact your client privately

Arguing with your client on social media is an act of unprofessional. You do not attack them with words below the post that you have. Of course, the conversation between you and your client will bring some attention to the other people. And it is not an ideal thing to do if you are protecting your reputation.

One of the best ways you can lessen the tension is to communicate with them privately. It will definitely not hurt you if you extend some time and effort in letting them understand what you want to impart to them. Also, this is also a way for you to know how and why they are upset with the post that you have, and know their side of their story.

Consider asking your client to remove the comment

It might be embarrassing to ask for a small favor from your client, however, it is the only way you can make the negative conversation stop.  Moreover, if you just leave the negative comment on your post, a lot of people can still read it and might try to continue the conversation that you had.  With that, your reputation as a marketer will definitely be destroy and people will not trust you anymore.

If you want to save your reputation, asking your client to remove the negative comment will not hurt you. Just at least reach out to them and let them understand what you want imply to them.