by Onyia Ifeluwa | Aug 21, 2017 | Social Media Marketing
Methods of Using Hashtag Effectively on Twitter
I am aware many people can use hashtag, in fact I got to know that almost 75% of people use it on social media but it is shocking that only a few can use hashtag on the social media platforms correctly. Perhaps, you are among the latter, well nothing to worry about any longer since this post is to orientate you on the proper use of hashtag: I am excited sharing this valuable knowledge, I believe you are as well.
How best can I trace the existence of hashtag? Well, the first use of a hashtag in social media can be traced back to one man. Chris Messina is a former Google employee who worked in developer relations and as a designer on Google+.
He’s been officially credited as the first person who tweeted using a hashtag. This famous tweet happened back in 2007, so it took a while for the practice to catch on.
I believe we can also match on as well with this friendly discussion on the use of hashtag. Using a hashtag on a social post is really as simple as adding the # sign before a single word or phrase, without spaces or punctuation. You can also include numbers in your hashtags as well. Typing out a hashtag is simple enough, but there are some subtle nuances you should learn to get the most out of them.
Here are a few quick rules for how to use hashtags:
- If you’re using hashtags for their intended purpose (categorization and discovery), don’t string too many words together with a single hashtag.
- On most networks, if you use a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag can find your post.
- Don’t #spam #with #hashtags. Avoid over-tagging a single post or adding them to every word.
- Use hashtags only on Tweets relevant to the topic. Trying to get attention by using a mismatch between the content of your Tweet and hashtag use won’t do you any favors if people are annoyed.
Don’t underestimate the understanding of how to use hashtags to join conversations, such as:
- Events and conferences (#WorldSummit)
- Holidays or celebrations( #ChildrensDay)
- Popular culture topics (#GameofThrones)
- Popular hashtags for days of the week (#TBT)
- General interest topics (#blogging)
While jumping in on trending conversations is recommended, be careful to tread lightly—especially when using a brand account to respond to a disaster. People have mixed feelings in terms of how a company should show their support for disaster victims. As a general rule, whatever you do, don’t use these types of conversations as a blatant sales opportunity.
Be wise while joining a community of hashtag users whenever there is an important discussion on Twitter. I have seen some brands and individuals use a trending topic of war, disaster and conflict to discuss their products and services. Annoying? I find it so, not do I and you find it so, and a lot of people do. I am not saying you can’t take advantage of these topics to introduce yourself if you have a solution or intelligent way. But the truth is it is not advisable in most case because many people like me do not find such promotion attractive at that given time, so of what purpose I may ask you if it is not popular with the social media community. Wisdom is vital! I trust you agree.
What are your thoughts concerning the effective use of hashtag on Twitter?
by Onyia Ifeluwa | Aug 18, 2017 | Social Media Tools
Facebook is also making hashtags searchable, even if they originate on different services, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram. From the Hashtag feed you can also compose posts directly.
Here’s one unique information about hashtag, anyone can make anything into a hashtag by adding a # in front of a word, acronym or phrase with no spaces. On Facebook, this is no different. As soon as you use the # symbol a blue box will appear over your tag. Then click Post. Your tag will appear in bold within your status update.
Facebook is tracking those hashtags people are using, after putting your post up, you can always click on your new tag to see who else is using that same phrase and what they are saying. Every hashtag on Facebook has its own unique URL.
Unlike Twitter or Instagram where most users’ profiles are public, Facebook users have private profiles. Thus, the hashtags most people use on their posts are not discoverable to the public and are therefore limited to the people they know. Because of this, most public hashtags belong to influencers or brands.
Discovering hashtags and related content on Facebook is quite simple, I believe the below tips would help a lot.
How to discover hashtags and related content on Facebook:
- Click on a hashtag to see related posts: by clicking on a hashtag you will be allowed to see related post and that cold make your goal easier and better.
- Search using the search bar: Hashtags on Facebook previously were not recognized, but now they are. By clicking the word you want to view in the search bar, you will be open to seeing the information you want.This was formerly not recognisable as being expressed earlier but now they are, for everyone’s satisfaction.
Now you are aware of the relevance of using hashtag on Facebook and how to be recognisable, I do hope you are ready to use this feature to your advantage.
What are your thoughts?
by Onyia Ifeluwa | Aug 18, 2017 | Technology
The influence of music in this modern day is indescribable; there is no doubt that music is the food of the soul. With the ever growing presence of technology and social media, it is amazing how far and wide a music composed or recorded in a particular place reaches every nook and cranny where human exists. This has impacted the bank statement of the individuals in the music industry, from the artists to the engineers to producers to make-up artist and the entire musical team.
A number of artistes have come out to strongly argue that technology has disconnected them from earning the deserved royalties they deserve and giving no thanks to the impact of music streaming services. Let us take Tinie Tempah as an example, the name should be familiar with followers of hip hop, an artist like Tinie Tempah accepts that the streaming era makes it difficult for artists to be properly compensated past a certain point. Having said that, the popular artiste admits to one of the significant effects of technology in this day which is, technology allowing him to connect and engage with fans on a one-to-one level through the social media platform. You would agree these feedbacks have helped and will continually help many artistes in knowing how, when and where to channel their musical energy while producing, which can be seen as an advantage to these artistes.
He also said that it has made the industry bigger and more inclusive, giving new artistes the opportunity to get their music heard when they would have had little chance before.
On the subject of new music platforms like Deezer, SoundCloud and Spotify – Tinie Tempah also emphasised how tapping into data can also help artists further their own creativity.
For him, understanding how a fan or listener feels about a new piece of music can prove far more valuable than money.
As you know argument goes up and down, some artists have also argued that while having a visible presence on Twitter and Facebook gives them a direct link to their fans; allowing them to gauge feedback and response, some have also come out to say it has taken away their creativity of being artistes.
Interestingly, the millennials are dictating the pace of the music industry in an influencing manner. With 15-20 year olds growing up with iPhones and Android rather than iPods and PCs, predictive technology is the present norm. This means that a feed tailored to unique musical tastes is an expectation rather than a perk.
At the same time, the fact that people now consume music passively – letting it find them rather than actively searching for it – takes away the linear aspect of listening to music.
Never mind even playing an album from start to finish – it wouldn’t be unusual for a 16-year-old to switch from Roberta Flack to The 1975 in the same playlist.
Whatever the case may be, it is certain that technology is the pillar of today’s century and the millennials are in business of controlling the pace of the musical empire.
It is also agreeable that technology has it own effect on some artistes from the financial aspect but could also be an advantage to many others; because many artistes that would have been denied the opportunity of becoming successful because they lack sponsor , have recently had little to worry about as far as they(artistes) are good and can produce valuable contents.
by Onyia Ifeluwa | Aug 17, 2017 | Technology
With this brief information on Pinterest, perhaps you would understand what it stands for, and this could inspire you to joining the community of existing users of Pinterest if you are not, and could propel you to becoming an effective user of this platform if you have been a passive user.
What does Pinterest stand for? Pinterest allows users to save images and categorize them on different boards. They can follow other users’ boards if they have similar tastes. The evolution of Pinterest is based on the shared interest of its users and relies on its members to produce the content.
For those familiar with Pinterest, you should agree that the most popular categories you can find in this platform are home, arts and crafts, style/fashion, and food. So, if your business falls into any of this category, I am yet to understand what could be delaying you from joining the community of this users.
Silbermann said he personally wrote to the site’s first 5,000 users offering his personal phone number and even meeting with some of its users. For those unfamiliar with the name Silbermann, he is the CEO of Pinterest, and his full name is Ben Silbermann. To Silbermann, Pinterest summarized the company as a “catalog of ideas,” rather than as a social network, that inspires users to “go out and do that thing.
In December 2015, Pinterest launched a new way for users to monitor price drops on buyable pins. “When users save pins, they’ll get a heads up when a price drops in the form of an in-app notification and an email. They can then jump straight to that pin and make the purchase.” In August 2016, Pinterest launched a video player that lets users and brands upload and store clips of any length straight to the site. On August 23, 2016, Pinterest announced that it would be acquiring the team behind Instapaper, which will continue operating as a separate app. The Instapaper team will both work on the core Pinterest experience and updating Instapaper.
Before 2013, Pinterest only accounted for about 2 percent of global social-mediated sales; however, it has recently substantially increased to about 23 percent. People use social media sites like Pinterest to direct or guide their choices in products. However, at this time, the data collected from Pinterest is predominantly from female users. A recent study found that 80% of Pinterest users are women.
Pinterest won the Best New Startup of 2011 at the TechCrunch Crunchies Awards. At the 2012 Webby Awards, Pinterest won Best Social Media App and People’s Voice Award for best functioning visual design.
In March 2017, the company came under the scanner of the Chinese Internet laws. China has decided to block Pinterest. This decision came as a major shock to the users in China and further throws light on China’s curtailment of freedom of speech.
Internet service providers in India had blocked Pinterest following a Madras High Court order in July 2016 to block a list of around 225 “rogue websites indulging in online piracy and infringement of copyright”. Considering that Pinterest is an online bulletin board and not a file sharing service or a video streaming service, it was a surprise for many. The block was temporary.
It is not surprising that irrespective of this disapproval by the above countries, many of her citizens admit the importance of this powerful platform. Pinterest can add a lot to your business than you can ever imagine.
Thanks for the presence of Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia, and majority of the information on this article was gotten from it.
by Onyia Ifeluwa | Aug 17, 2017 | Social Media Marketing
Before we go into how to make content marketing viral, we need to understand two things. First, what exactly is content marketing? It is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a defined audience with the aim of driving profitable customer action. Viral content on the other hand, is any piece of media (a Facebook post, YouTube video, Instagram post or tweet), that becomes wildly popular overnight. So, how do you make your content marketing viral?
Make people look smart. Send them content that makes them look clever to their friends- Any piece of content makes people seem smart, they’re more likely to share it with their friends. And people like being the first to share information because it makes them seem cool and in-the-know.
People have a short attention span so; follow the KISS rule– keep it short and simple. It has been researched that people are better moved with content that is supported by visual images or videos. The present generation is more into pictures and videos that they find reading boring and less educative. The best way to keep your content in the head of people forever is via images and videos.
Make it relate-able- People are more likely to share if it applies to them or personal. Being personable is the key in this 21st century, people are not some statistics or robots you just pour out information to and not receive feedback.
Make it interactive– Choose topics people can discuss on. Promote content that creates rom for interaction, find news relating to your industry that is trending, share with your followers and engage them while this topic is on.
Create an avenue for people to comment and respond to good and controversial comments- Posting on your social media account is not enough until you create the right atmosphere where your audience can freely comment on topics.
Use catchy and curious headlines to pique people’s interest-Do not be boring, people are attracted to good energy, so should your headline, create that kind of topic that will inspire people to read all over again.
As you were previously encourage, follow these how tos and watch your content marketing become viral.
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