Since the first hashtag appeared on Twitter in 2007, the little cross hatch has become a ubiquitous method of tracking conversations across the web. It has also become a powerful social media marketing tool. When properly employed, it can become a highly successful piece of your event marketing strategy, encouraging people to promote your event through their own conversations.
To help you maximize the power of your event hashtag, follow these simple best practices!
1) Choose Your Hashtag Carefully
Before your hashtag can get to work for you, it needs to be the right one. There are a few important elements of an effective hashtag:
• Unique – Choose a hashtag that no one else is currently using. Be careful to avoid those that are being used to promote a different event. Check the hashtag dictionary to see what words are currently in use.
• Related – Your hashtag should be related to your event. More than that, it should evoke your event in the minds of attendees and potential attendees. For instance, #OCCarshow is obviously referencing the Orange County Car Show.
• Memorable – Your hashtag should be easily remembered and associated with your event even after the event has ended. The simpler it is for attendees to remember your hashtag, the more likely they are to use it.
2) Promote Your Hashtag
No matter how cleverly you’ve constructed your hashtag, you can’t exploit it for your benefit if people don’t know about it. To that end, make sure your event hashtag is actively integrated into any channel that could possibly reach a potential attendee. This includes your social media channels, as well as your website, app(s), and any marketing materials you send out specifically on behalf of your event, including:
• Emails
• Newsletters
• Fliers
• Brochures
3) Listen to the Conversation Before the Event
Once your hashtag has been deployed, you need to monitor social media conversations closely in the days and weeks leading up to the event. In this way, you’ll be able clear up any confusion and answer any questions potential attendees have. You may even be able to adjust your program to address specific concerns or desires attendees express. And you’ll uncover these because people will be using your hashtag!
4) Keep Listening During the Event
An effective hashtag marketing strategy doesn’t end when your event begins. During the event, follow the online activity around your hashtag to monitor the attendee experience in real-time. In doing so, you may become aware of small problems and be able to solve them before they grow larger, potentially damaging your reputation. Alternatively, you may discover particular types of presentations and services that are popular and ought to be expanded.
5) Analyze Hashtag Data Once the Event Is Over
Once the event is over, take the time to analyze the tweets and posts people made online about your event and using your hashtag. Put a hashtag tracking tool like hashtracking.com to use, and you’ll be able to acquire detailed information regarding who said what about your brand during the event. This will allow you to pinpoint high-quality tweets and posts which you can then compile into testimonials for future event promotion. To encourage future participation, make sure to thank as many users as you can.
You can also use your hashtag to track other aspects of your attendees’ event experience you might have missed while the hashtag was promoting in real-time, allowing you to craft future event programs that integrate attendees’ feedback.