The Importance of Hashtags

If you want your business to get noticed when using social media, it is vitally important that you start to incorporate hashtags when sharing your content online. At fatBuzz we use them to help get your content to the right audience, and in this post we will share with you some hints and tips for using hashtags.

Now some would say that hashtags are just part of the “online lingo”. Which is of course true, we have all seen #NoFilter or #Selfie being used online. But the hashtag is much more than a modern colloquialism, it is an incredibly useful tool for connecting your business with the people you want to engage with.

With most major social networks now supporting the use of hashtags, including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram, there has never been a better time to start using them!

Hashtags will serve as a hyperlink to other users on social media sites that search for the term.

If you start to think of hashtags as a conversation topic, they will allow people who are interested in the discussion to be able to quickly identify and engage with you.

For example, if you were wanting to engage about the Oscars this year, using the hashtag #Oscars2015 has a better chance of being seen by those interested in the awards as they can simply search for the hashtag and see your post.

In using hashtags you will be able to expose your content to a wider audience as you are channeling information to the right people. However, using them correctly is what can truly boost your business’s chance of engagement.

One key factor in using hashtags is to keep it brief. Overlong and overdetailed hashtags simply won’t catch on. You want yours to be a clear and concise summary of the topic/event you are talking about.

You also shouldn’t be using more than two hashtags at a time. Studies have shown that when you use more than two hashtags, engagement drops by 17% on average. A quality summary will always be better than a high quantity when it comes to hashtagging.

If we look at the Oscars example again, picture yourself searching for a term to see who has won best actor. Are you more likely to look for #WhoHasWonTheOscarForBestActor or #OscarWinners?

It is that simple, and getting yourself into this habit will make sure that your hashtags are relevant and easy to find. If you stick to using keywords in yours it will make for a much more engaging hashtag.

Remember as well to use existing hashtags to connect with your audience. If your business is attending an event, look out for official tags and if you think they are relevant - use them! They are a great method of marketing yourself within an existing group.

We have covered the basics to help you in using hashtags on social media. The next time you post an update, a blog or tweet, we hope you try some of our tips and see for yourself how helpful using a simple hashtag can be. #GoodLuck!

For more helpful hints on how to market your business follow fatBuzz on our social media channels below, check out our QuickBuzz videos on YouTube and of course stay posted right here on our blog.

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What a wonderful time of year for fatBuzz and our clients

      

It has been a fantastic year here at fatBuzz, and it could get a whole lot better tomorrow evening - as we are nominated in the High Growth Company category of WeDO’s annual awards ceremony.

We are absolutely thrilled to have been nominated for this award, and it is testament to the hard work and effort that our talented team have put in throughout the past year or so.

We are home to a creative and innovative team with a diverse range of backgrounds, including design, marketing, journalism, and PR, and without them, we wouldn’t be half as successful as we are.

As proud as we are to be nominated, we have been slightly overshadowed by our fantastic clients, who have been successful in various awards ceremonies across a range of industry sectors.

Last night, two of our clients scooped awards at The Herald Society Awards 2013; New College Lanarkshire won the Education Initiative of the Year, while The Scottish Guardianship Service, run by Aberlour Child Care Trust in partnership with the Scottish Refugee Council, won ‘Young People’s Project of the Year’.

The ‘Young People’s Project of the Year’ is one of many awards that Aberlour has won this year. The Scottish Guardianship Service won the highly prestigious Partnership of the Year at the SCVO Charity Awards 2013, Aberlour Options - Borders won an award at the Scottish Business Diversity Awards 2013, Aberlour Youthpoint Glasgow was presented with the Young Award at the Evening Times Community Champion Awards, and Aberlour Family Outreach - Dumfries & Galloway won the School and Learning Community Award at Nithsdale Community Achievement Awards 2013.

Just last week, two of our clients, Spectrum Service Solutions and Phoenix Car, were nominated for ‘Family Business of the Year’ at the Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce Awards 2013. Unfortunately, they couldn’t share the award, and Spectrum were the deserving victors on the night. The success doesn’t stop there for Spectrum, as they have also been shortlisted for ‘Scottish Family Business of the Year (Large)’ at the Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2013!

Our clients in the health and beauty industry have been particularly successful this year. Edinburgh-based beauty salon and spa, Zen Lifestyle, has been shortlisted in four categories in the prestigious Professional Beauty Awards 2014, while Glasgow barber, Rebel Rebel, was nominated for Men's Stylist of the Year at The Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards 2013, and Best Barber and Best Website at The INAA Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards.

The innovative Lustre Pure Light acne treatment technology has been selected as a shortlisted finalist for three awards at the Aesthetic Awards 2013-14, coming on the back of winning a prestigious Gold in the 'Best Product Innovation' category last year. Lustre has also been selected as a finalist for the prestigious award 15th Annual Medical Design Excellence Awards competition.

Saks Hair & Beauty is another client who has had a tremendously successful year. Among many other awards, Claire Denyer at Saks Kings Hill scooped the coveted title of Franchisee of the Year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards, and Saks Doncaster scooped the coveted Men’s Image Award at the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final.

Away from the health and beauty industry, Excel Vending was Highly Commended for Best Local Operating Company and Vending Supervisor of the Year at The Vending Industry Awards, and Greenvale Farm Fresh all rounder potatoes won the Meal Accompaniment Category at The Grocer New Products Awards.

Moving northwards, Dean's Shortbread, whose website we recently designed and developed, were recently shortlisted for Exporter of the Year at the annual Food & Drink Federation Awards, and picked up a hat-trick of awards at the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards, including the Investing in Skills Development Award, bronze award for Best New Retail Product, and gold award for Best Packaging for their premium Mary Steele gift brand. 

Earlier in the summer, Mary Steele also won the best Bakery & Cereals product at the Scottish Food & Drink Excellence Awards. Mitchells Dairy, who are slightly closer to home in Inverurie, won Local Independent Retailer of the Year at the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards, and the Healthy Option Retailer of the Year at the first ever Scottish Grocers Federation Retail Excellence awards!

The Royal Yacht Britannia had a glorious year of celebrations in its 60th anniversary year, winning the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice® 2013 award and TripAdvisor Excellence Award, and being nominated for Most Stylish Entertainment Venue at the Scottish Style Awards.

Britannia also achieved the highest mark ever awarded to a visitor attraction in VisitScotland’s quality assurance five star grading (95.85%), and the Green Tourism Gold Award which awards the most environmentally friendly businesses for good sustainable practices.

Last but not least, Club 29 won Scotland’s Nightclub of the Year at The Scottish Entertainment Awards, while 29 Managing Director, Lynn Mortimer, received the Bighearted Scot 2013 title at the Bighearted Scotland Awards 2013.

As we're sure you'll agree, 2013 has been a hugely successful year for fatBuzz and our clients, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of them. Here’s to 2014...

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Educating Children about Social Media - What's The Point?

On Safer Internet Day 2013, Derek Howie tackles the increasing prevalence of underage social media use.

‘You’re not allowed to use Facebook until you’re 13 anyway - what’s the point in discussing it?’

Unbelievably, that was the response I got when I told someone I was going to write about underage use of social media for Safer Internet Day.

What’s the point? While we're on the subject, what’s the point in talking to under-16s about sex? And what’s the point in talking to under-18s about alcohol and drugs?

The point, in case he still hasn’t realised, is to impart knowledge and, hopefully, help children make more informed decisions. 

Hoping something will go away, or in this case asking ‘what’s the point?’, is precisely the sort of mentality that has seen British teenage pregnancy rates consistently remain among the highest in western Europe.

Unsurprisingly, one of the main ways to reduce teenage pregnancies is through education - and the same goes for social media.

Now, let’s not pretend there aren’t risks associated with social media. Of course there are.

But we can’t ignore the fact that underage children are increasingly joining social network websites like Facebook and Twitter - often without adult supervision.

Talking of facts, an expert at the London School of Economics recently estimated one million nine to 12-year-olds already use Facebook, despite the fact they are meant to be 13 before becoming members.

Do we ignore those one million children? Ask ‘what’s the point?’.

Of course we don’t. We confront the issue. We listen to the children (god forbid) and find out why they are using social media.

Most importantly though, we educate them.

We discuss the risks and the dangers associated with social media, we explain the legalities surrounding it, and we advise the children on how to stay safe online.

And we don’t stop with social media. We talk about Internet safety, personal data and even sexual exploitation online.

Late last year, I saw for myself just how important, and divisive, this issue is.

fatBuzz welcomed a primary 7 pupil in to the office for a day’s work experience, and while he was here, he asked our Facebook community whether or not he should be allowed to use social media.

The response was fascinating.

Unsurprisingly, there were a wide range of views. Some suggested that children should definitely be allowed to use Facebook, but only with parental supervision.

Others said that social media should be taught in schools, while some even suggested he should get off a computer and play more football.

I didn’t agree with all the comments, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it, does it?

In England, the 'dangers' of social media are currently being taught to schoolchildren as part of a pilot project launched by the Information Commissioner's Office.

If the pilot proves a success, it will be rolled out in schools nationwide.

There is already a growing consensus that the way children are being taught information technology in schools is in need of a radical overhaul.

Could social media be taught alongside coding in the new curriculum? I don’t see why not.

Regardless of our opinions on social media, there is one undeniable fact - we all have a role to play in ensuring that every child is safe online.

Do you think children under 13 should be allowed to use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter? If so, what age do you think is appropriate? How do you think we can teach children about Internet safety?

Join the discussion on fatBuzz’s Facebook and Twitter pages and join the Safer Internet Day conversation using the hashtag #SID2013.

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