Hashtag Platforms

Hashtags as a method of informally tagging similar content in a group or message first became popular on Twitter, but has since spread to nearly every social media platform. So which platforms are best suited for marketing specific hashtag use?

Not the originator, but as the platform that saw the first widespread use of hashtags, Twitter is a great place to start. Twitter has a regular user base in the hundred millions. While that number is starting to decline, there’s no denying Twitter is a big, big platform. A user’s ability to curate their own content means there are thousands of insular, bubble-like communities. Instagram is the same way. It can be hard to grow an audience if no one is seeing your content.

That is where hashtags come in. Doing your research and finding the right hashtags will allow your posts and profile to appear in relevant searches within the platform. Using these hashtags regularly is a key strategy in growing your audience on Twitter and Instagram.

Facebook is a different story. Hashtags on Facebook are an opportunity to build your brand in a custom way. I’ve been experimenting recently with creating my own hashtags on Facebook, and I found that posts with my custom hashtag out-performed posts without. So if you post regular, timely content (say, a link to a weekly blog post) to Facebook, consider coming up with a unique hashtag to make your own!

Hashtag Strategies

Knowing your audience is key to using hashtags strategically. Really, you can determine which hashtags to use by answering one big question: what is everybody else using? It’s only a little more complicated than that. Let’s break it down:

• What is the competition using? What hashtags are your rivals in the same field using? Especially ones that have been around a little longer or found more success. You have an opportunity to share your content with their audience by using some of the same hashtags.

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  What are industry insiders using? In nearly every professional field there are thought-leaders, innovators, and people the masses just pay close attention to. Making yourself a part of the same conversations those people are having is a great way to get your brand presence in front of new eyes, and build a reputation as a thought-leader yourself.
• Can I make my post a meme? I can’t recommend every brand go for the sillier side of the internet, but there are all-time popular hashtags that are meme-related that are still in wide use. If you have an old photo that can go on Instagram, maybe save it for Thursday and use #tbt (throwback thursday). Other popular hashtags to explore are #love, #friday, #fashion, #cute.
• Does my location matter? Yes, there are popular hashtags that are location based, too! If you operate out of a brick-and-mortar storefront, or prefer local clients, these can be useful hashtags to use to engage your local community. #pdx represent!

With these guidelines in mind, start making a list of hashtags you can use with your posts. Use the platforms themselves to explore how each hashtag is being used, to make sure it’s a conversation you want to be a part of. Remember, active and popular hashtags are good, inactive, unpopular hashtags are not.

Hashtags might seem intimidating at first, but while there is a lot to know about them, you can start seeing results with just a few small steps. Above all, remember to stay flexible, and don’t be afraid to experiment! If you need a hand, we can help! Reach out and chat with us about social media today.

“I know this is beta, but it seems really clunky.”

“I can’t find anything on this thing!”

If you’ve been on Ello, you’ve probably noticed that, well, it’s not exactly easy to find things. We’re not talking about obscure user settings, either–we’re talking about functions that are vital to the site, like uploading images, posting, and editing. And, hey, let’s be real: if someone visits your web site and can’t find what they’re looking for, your web site is not doing its job. 

How can you fix that? There are a few simple things that you can do to make your user’s experience easier to bear, so your web site can build that effective connection with each person who visits you.

Contrast, Contrast, Contrast.

Part of the problem with the Ello interface is Contrast: the colors of different elements don’t pop enough against the background. Important function buttons are light-grey on a white background, which makes them hard to find, because your eyes are getting pulled towards the darker icons and text. How long will it take for your average user to get frustrated, when they can’t easily find the button they need?

For important things on your web site, like vital information, frequently-used links, or Calls to Action, you’ll want to have good contrast to make sure they don’t get lost. We’re not saying you should bust out the day-glo green, or anything, but wise use of light-on-dark or dark-on-light can get you a long way.

Icons: What’s That Shape Mean, Anyway?

The icon trend has been on the rise in web site interfaces since well before Ello hit the Intertubes, but they weren’t shy about jumping on that wagon. The problem is, while certain icons are fairly universal–or at least easy enough to figure out–others are, well, a tad confusing. Would you have guessed that the (+) icon would mean, “Invite,” before you hovered over it?

This principle goes back decades in web site building: don’t make your web site user think. “Mystery meat” links and icons can be confusing, and nobody likes to go in guessing. It should be easy for your visitors to figure out what different links and buttons lead to. If it isn’t? You risk losing their attention, and their business.

There’s More Than One Way

One of my bigger beefs with the Ello interface is photo uploading: for using images in posts, there’s an upload button, but to change your Profile photo or Header photo, you’re forced to drag-and-drop the image you want. In fact, they have to specifically instruct you (on hover, of course) to drag-and-drop. If you don’t hover over that profile photo, you’ll never know what to do.

Not only is it dreadfully inconsistent, but it’s also not terribly intuitive. And, seriously, who forces Drag-and-Drop as the only option for a photo upload?

Not everyone is going to engage with your web site in the same way. Different people use different devices, and they’ll flow through your content in different ways. We don’t expect you to go out of your way to serve absolutely every stone-age 1990s refugee desktop PC in the world, but an extra option or a bit of adaptability can go a long way towards helping your viewer find what they need, so they can take advantage of what you’re offering them.

Small Changes, Big Impact.

The temptation to get super-slick with your web site can be hard to resist, but the best answer to making your web site more effective is often the simplest one. Small changes can make a huge difference in how people interact with your web site, how they respond to what you have to offer, and whether or not they contact you or get interested in your product.

Your web site’s mission is to make the most important parts of your brand and your business easy to find and to learn about. Don’t get so caught up in style that you lose out on connection.

Portland branding agency – Portland web design – Upswept Creative