Social Commerce Growth with Hashtags

Over the past few years, many social platforms have tried their hand at social commerce: the act of purchasing goods via social media. Although social commerce (a $14.25 billion industry) has seen its ups and downs, it's becoming increasingly more popular -- thanks in part to the hashtag.

Hashtags first began on Twitter, then grew to be included on other social sites like Instagram, Facebook and Google+, etc. They're essentially labels that help aggregate content and are very helpful for those who are interested in the same topic.

When it comes to searching online, businesses are using hashtags as connecting links between social networks. No longer is it simply social marketing, but it has truly become social commerce with a component of virality that includes discounts, coupons and more. When a friend buys something online via social, it is assumed that their friends will see the purchase and be prone to buy something as well. When you tie in hashtags, whether targeted or more general, a brand is automatically reaching a larger audience across multiple platforms.

As many researchers have found, the majority of the population go on social media to shop, read reviews (from strangers or friends) and more. Although those specific social platforms in use may vary, hashtags tie particular topics together while maintaining streamlined and simple programs for the user.

Today, companies like American Express have teamed up with Twitter to create a way to instantly shop with the use of an "actiontag." A user would simply tweet/post the distinctly branded "actiontag" which would automatically purchase the product. Additionally, hashtags are being used across a multitude of websites (to better filter content for fans), contests (to spark creativity) and even to help distribute discounts online, which in turn have proved to go viral with fans.

Although there's a lot more to witness as the relationship between social commerce and hashtags blossoms, we hope businesses will use the hashtag more creatively and effectively to promote sales in the future.

Tell us: Does your small business use hashtags in current marketing programs?

-- Samantha

How to Use TweetDeck

Need an easy platform or management tool to help you juggle multiple Twitter accounts at the same time? Try TweetDeck by Twitter. No only does it make it easy to multitask, but there are options to schedule tweets and track multiple keywords/hashtags, etc.

TweetDeck has a new version which boasts a better layout and backend framework that is truly derived from the Internet. Now, you can access TD through multiple browsers including Firefox and Google Chrome and can be obtained for Windows 7 or OS X (versus only limited options previously).

Want a log in right now? Head to http://web.tweetdeck.com to start your own account.

Getting Started:

As soon as you've created your own log in, you can add multiple Twitter accounts to the dashboard by clicking on the (+) Add Column button at the top of the screen. Each column on the dashboard will keep one feed of information visible and will be set based on your own preferences. We prefer to keep columns like the Timeline (similar to the typical Twitter newsfeed you see at Twitter.com), Interactions (to see who has recently mentioned us), Messages (to track direct/private messages) and several unique #'s to make sure that we're staying up to date with current conversations that are happening around us.

Scheduling a Tweet

The best part about TweetDeck is the ability to schedule updates at specific times. This function will allow you to queue up your tweets for the upcoming day or week (or month), so that you have time to do other important things! Keep in mind: We don't recommend scheduling tweets too far in the future as you still want your content to remain relevant with your audience.

To schedule a tweet, simply click the blue icon in the upper right (or left) hand corner which will let type out your tweet and subsequently, change the future posting settings. Be sure to double check the date and time of your intended scheduled tweet before clicking the "Tweet" button to set the tweet.

TIP: Add another column to your dashboard that contains future tweets. This way, you'll be able to easily delete, add or change scheduled tweets.

And there you have it! A simple platform to use to help manage all of those interesting accounts that you're using -- or following! We use TD daily and believe that it helps us stay up to date with the hottest conversations taking place around the world and more easily allows us to tweet succinctly and successfully to our target audience(s).

Tell us: What management system do you use to organize your social accounts?

Samantha & Mike

#TooMuch?

After reading our last post on how to take advantage of hashtags, we are sure you are eager to implement your new knowledge. While hashtags are an important tool in social media, beware of becoming the dreaded over-hashtagger. Remember, hashtags are great, but use only in moderation. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon demonstrate the aforementioned overuse below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA

-Mike & Samantha

How to Use a #Hashtag, for Beginners

Hashtags (links with the pound sign -- # -- in front) are everywhere. From Twitter to Google+, to Instagram and most recently Facebook, the proper use of hashtags can be somewhat confusing! Having said this, they're an important part of social media and should not be taken lightly when applying them to your brand's digital strategy.

To start, a # will make any word or phrase directly behind it into a completely searchable link. In essence, hashtags help aggregate content across many platforms and allows for better organization around a topic or conversation.

• Text following a hashtag should not (and cannot) include spaces, periods, commas, question marks, apostrophes, exclamation points or any special characters.
• Numbers are allowed.
• There are no limits to hashtags, so feel free to make up your own -- or better yet, enter in on a current conversation to stay extra relevant!

As mentioned above, hashtags can be used on a number of social platforms.

• Twitter: This is where hashtags first started. Be sure to check out the Trends section on the side of your Twitter feed to see the current list of hashtags that you may find interesting, typically based on your tweets.
• Instagram: Hashtags on this image-focused platform help you obtain new followers and also provide great sources of finding new users and interesting content.
• Tumblr: On here, there is a specific Tag area where you can input certain terms, which basically act as hashtags and organizes content around conversations.
• Google+: Similar to a Google search, clicking on a hashtag will show results relating to the topic at hand and will also give you the option of searching the # on Facebook or Twitter.
• Facebook: Although only introduced a few months ago, hashtags on this popular site have not done as well as originally expected. Although hashtags on Facebook serve a similar function as Twitter or Instagram, many digital marketers question the actual benefits of including hashtags in posts.

In addition to helping your company create or join a conversation online, hashtags often better help define a brand's personality. With a tone that may include sarcasm or humor, etc. hashtags can create a unique brand voice, which will ultimately keep your company top of mind for users. Note that you should not add too many hashtags to your posts/tweets, as more than 3-4 can often be seen as spam.

Lastly, creating a hashtag that your company or brand can own is crucial. Whether or not you decide to create your own or simply take over an existing one is up to you, as both have great benefits. Keep in mind the following:

• Creating a #: Be sure to do research before you choose. If you decide to join a conversation, make sure you pick a hashtag that has many users already using it. If you decide to make up your own, make sure that it's unique by checking to see if anyone has used it previously.
• Be consistent: After you decide on a hashtag(s), be sure to use them consistently across all of your brand's social platforms and marketing materials. Teaching your audience to expect certain messaging that will (hopefully) get them to tweet or post with your hashtag in the future!
• Make it short & to the point: Keep your hashtags short so they are clear to users and are easy to use by others. Also, be sure that the hashtag isn't too generic to keep it as effective as possible.
• Stay relevant: Be sure to follow current trending hashtags and be sure to use hashtags that relate to your business. If they're not relevant to you, don't use them as it'll end up looking like spam.
• Utilize your hashtag: A great way to kick off a new hashtag is by introducing it via a contest or promotion which will get the attention of your fan base. Do so in a creative way that will immediately make your fans think of your brand when they see it!

Comments, questions? Feel free to add them below and we'll get back to you!

-- Samantha

Instagram Introduces "Photos of You"

Yesterday, Instagram took inspiration from Facebook and introduced a new way of tagging people in images. As easy as adding hashtags, photo tagging will better connect mobile users to the friends they've captured. With the ability to tag any Instagram account in an image, the platform has made it easier to browse photo feeds of people you know and pics that you appear in with a new "Photos of You" section on your profile. When someone tags you in an image, you'll get a notification and the pic will show up in the "Photos of You" area. Worried about privacy? Instagram has that covered with easy to navigate settings to adjust what appears in your profile and what doesn't.

Although Instagram is constantly evolving, there was a large issue of only being able to “discover” photos of yourself by reviewing your "Activity Feed" for a mention of your username in a caption (e.g., “with @samshredder at Fenway!”). Sadly, user/account mentions won't be automatically converted into photo tags, so one will have to go back through every photo to manully tag people.

"Photos of You" will not be visible until May 16th, so everyone has a few weeks to try it out.

Personally, we see this latest improvement as a true positive within the social space and are interested to see how this will further help connect Instagram with Facebook . Not only will it provide a broader connection and engagement between users, but the ability to share personal (and brand) messages will beome easier moving forward as well.

For more info, watch this: http://vimeo.com/65246801

What do you think of the latest addition to Instagram?

xx Samantha