Using #hashtags for your business – The whys and hows.

March 15, 2016

I assume, that for many, I do not have to explain what a hashtag is and it’s importance within today’s marketing trends and how the correct usage of them can help to build brand awareness online.

“A hashtag is a type of label or metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content.” Quoted from #Wikipedia.

So why, when and how should you be using them. Where do you start? Can you really build your business with them?

A hashtag can be just as important as your business name, it can lead a trend online and build itself a whole new audience, but in order to be successful using hashtags, you need to follow some simple steps.

  • Great, you are thinking about using a hashtag, just make sure that no-one else is using it! Simply check the hashtag you are thinking about using and search for it on social media making sure you check the most relevant channels as one may be used on Instagram and not on Twitter!
  • Make sure that the hashtag you are using is as relevant as possible to what you want it to explain. Yes, choice is lessening everyday as more and more hashtags are created so it will be unlikely you can lay claim to the likes of #LuxuryProperty or #Architecture or even #A1 as they’ll already be used so you need to dig deep and use your imagination!
  • If you are using a hashtag, think long term as you may wish to use it more than once going forward. Yes, it is great to add to hashtags years ie 2015 / 2016, but you will of course have to change them each year going forward…
  • Try and keep it as short as possible to make sure hashtags are not misspelt and lost in translation. Sometimes it is hard to achieve abbreviated hashtags and sometimes #CharityRunHydePark is better that #CRHP as the longer version hashtag explains what an event is and may encourage new enquiries whereas the abbreviated version may be missed. Shorter is better especially for Twitter when there is a restriction on the amount of characters you can use per tweet.
  • Try and stick to using just one hashtag that you call your own, running more than one will be hard work and may again cause confusion to your followers. Try and keep the same hashtag when using other social media platforms also.
  • Do not overload your social media timelines with your hashtag, be conservative and use when relevant.

The ideal hashtag will be fairly short, explain / sum up what it is referring to and of course, no-one else is using it. You may be lucky and your business name describes exactly what your business offers, ie you are UK Printing Ltd with #UKPrinting or www.ColchesterTaxis.com with #ColchesterTaxis and these should be adopted as your hashtags if unused, though think about hashtags that entice conversations and discussions too such as #VoteNoColchester or #AskYourEstateAgent etc.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Signs of Outdated Wiring in Older Tulsa-Area Homes

Tulsa has a lot of beautiful older homes. Brookside bungalows, Maple Ridge tudors, the postwar neighborhoods that fill out Midtown and East Tulsa. They were built well, but most were built before central air, before microwaves, before two-car households with two laptops and a dozen phone chargers. The electrical systems inside them were designed for…
Read More →
LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Breaking News

Britain’s seaside price hotspots revealed

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals Britain’s seaside hotspots where prices are rising the fastest Bootle in Merseyside leads the way, with average asking prices up 11% year-on-year, followed by Crosby in Liverpool (+9%) and Penarth in South Glamorgan (+9%) Other coastal locations including Llantwit Major in South Glamorgan (+8%) and Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire (+7%) are also seeing strong price growth Average asking prices are currently 0.3% lower in Great Britain compared to last year, with some seaside hotspots outpacing the…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Hertfordshire emerges as strongest performing London commuter county

New research from UK Property Development reveals that while London property prices fell by more than -3% in the past year, prices in some of the capital’s surrounding counties have enjoyed positive growth, none more so than the premium commuter county of Hertfordshire.   In the past year, London’s average house price has fallen by…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Second homes losing appeal among the rich

New Survey Reveals Ongoing Maintenance Is the Biggest Barrier to Second Home Ownership   62% say upkeep and hassle would stop them from buying a second home, even if money were no object   A new survey conducted by luxury co-ownership platform Equity Residences has revealed that the practical realities of owning a second home…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

How to build a property portfolio with buy-to-let mortgages

One of the reasons property is such a popular asset choice for investors is that you don’t need to invest all the money yourself; you can leverage funds from the bank. Here’s a very simplistic example of how borrowing via a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage allows you to multiply your returns versus owning a property all-cash:…
Read More →
Home and Living

2026’s Fastest-Growing Bathroom Trend Is the Wet Room

“Wet rooms have become one of the standout bathroom upgrades of 2026, moving from luxury extra to everyday renovation choice as more homeowners prioritise space, style and easy cleaning. The momentum is only building as spa‑style bathrooms stay in demand.” “Wet rooms used to be a niche request,” says Ant Langston, Marketing Manager at Heat…
Read More →