You’ve got a spare five minutes to spend on social media marketing. What should you do? #CapitaliseAHashtag.

Hashtags have gained popularity due to their ability to organise content and enhance engagement, communication, promotion, and expression in social media marketing. But they are not always easy to read.

Capitalising the first letter of a word in a hashtag serves a functional and readability purpose. Let’s take a look.

Why should you use capital letters in hashtags?

1: Accessibility

Proper capitalisation improves accessibility for people with visual impairments who may use screen readers. Screen readers often pronounce capitalised words separately, making the content more understandable. – it’s the right thing to do and will help your campaigns reach more people.

2: Readability

Hashtags are often used to convey a specific message or theme. Capitalising the first letter of each word makes it easier for users to read and understand the hashtag’s meaning. Proper capitalisation makes longer hashtags easier to decipher, especially if they contain multiple words. For example: #thisisalonghashtagthatisdifficulttoread #ThisIsALongHashtagThatIsEasierToRead

3: Clarity

Capitalisation helps distinguish between individual words within a multi-word hashtag. Words can blend together without capitalisation, potentially changing the intended message or making it harder to interpret.

4: Branding & Aesthetics

Capitalising the first letter of each word in a hashtag can make it visually appealing and help it stand out. This is especially relevant when users are trying to promote a specific brand like Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke campaign or a cause such as Always’ #LikeAGirl, where they took the term “like a girl” away from suggesting weakness by showing young girls who were uninfluenced by society’s expectations, turning it into a hashtag of strength.

5: Consistency

Following a consistent capitalisation style in hashtags makes it easier for others to adopt and use the same format. This can lead to higher visibility and engagement for the hashtag. For example, #bigcheeseweekender vs. #BigCheeseWeekender

6: Searchability

While capitalisation doesn’t affect the functionality of a hashtag (as they are not case-sensitive on most social media platforms), it can make the hashtag more readable and memorable, indirectly impacting its searchability and discoverability.

7: Context

Including capitalisation in hashtags makes incorporating them into sentences easier, maintaining context (#AsOpposedTo including them as footnotes in tweets and posts) – especially when it consists of multiple words.

On the other hand…

OK, there’s a caveat that using lowercase letters where the #hashtag is a single word makes it look more like a conventional sentence fragment or commentary within the text. But #single word #hashtags, more often than not, cover too broad a topic.

What if I don’t use capital letters in hashtags?

Not convinced? Check out these infamous examples of hashtag bloopers that could have been avoided by capitalising the first letter of each word.

#susanalbumparty 

This hashtag was famously misinterpreted due to the lack of proper capitalisation and spacing. #susanalbumparty It was intended to promote Susan Boyle’s album release party (#SusanAlbumParty), but the lack of spacing between “Susan” and “Album” led to a humorous and unintended interpretation.

#nowthatchersdead

Another famous one, #nowthatchersdead: This hashtag emerged after the passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A good (or bad) example of how combining words without using capital letters in hashtags in place of spacing (#NowThatChersDead) led to confusion and unintended interpretations (some readers read it as “Now that Cher’s dead”).

Have you got any examples of #HashtagsGoneWrong? Add a comment and let us know.

Finished capitalising? Let us know if it works for you.
If you’re on a roll, here are a few more social media Quick Wins:

Including a brand or campaign hashtag in your Twitter bio is an effective way to promote your brand, increase visibility, and encourage user engagement. By strategically placing a hashtag in your bio, you can attract followers, drive conversations, and connect with your target audience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to successfully incorporate a brand or campaign hashtag into your Twitter bio.

Choose a Relevant Hashtag:

Before adding a hashtag to your Twitter bio, it’s important to select a relevant hashtag that represents your brand or campaign. Consider a hashtag that is unique, concise, and easy to remember. Research existing hashtags related to your industry or campaign to ensure you’re not duplicating an existing tag.

Craft a Compelling Twitter Bio:

Review your current Twitter bio and make any necessary updates to align it with your brand or campaign. Ensure your bio clearly communicates your brand’s unique selling proposition or campaign objective. Keep it concise and engaging to capture the attention of your target audience.

Integrate the Hashtag:

To include a hashtag in your Twitter bio, follow these steps:

a. Open your Twitter account and navigate to your profile by clicking on your profile picture.

b. Click on the “Edit profile” button.

c. In the bio section, type a brief phrase or sentence that incorporates your chosen hashtag. For example, “Proudly supporting #YourBrand” or “Join the conversation using #YourCampaign.”

d. Place the hashtag strategically within your bio, ensuring it flows naturally with the rest of the content.

e. Double-check for any spelling errors or typos.

Optimise for Mobile:

Keep in mind that a significant portion of Twitter users access the platform via mobile devices. Ensure your bio and hashtag are mobile-friendly by reviewing your bio’s appearance on various devices. Make necessary adjustments to maintain clarity and readability.

Promote Your Hashtag:

To maximize the impact of your hashtag, consider promoting it through other channels:

a. Incorporate the hashtag in your tweets: Include the hashtag in your regular tweets, encouraging your followers to use it when engaging with your content.

b. Leverage other social media platforms: Cross-promote your hashtag on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to expand its reach.

c. Offline promotion: Include your hashtag on marketing materials, packaging, or offline advertisements to encourage users to engage with your brand on Twitter.

Engage with Users:

Once your hashtag is live, engage with users who include it in their tweets. Like, retweet, and reply to their posts to foster a sense of community and encourage further participation.

Twitter Marketing

Adding a brand or campaign hashtag to your Twitter bio is a powerful way to enhance your brand visibility and engage with your target audience. By selecting a relevant hashtag, crafting an appealing bio, and promoting it effectively, you can increase your brand’s reach and drive meaningful conversations. Implement these steps and watch your hashtag become an integral part of your Twitter presence.

Channel: Social Media Marketing

Social media is filled with posts that have no engagement at all. In most cases, your post will be seen by your followers who don’t want to be the first to engage. That first like or empty comment section can be very daunting to jump into. But your team works hard to create social content and it’s a shame to leave them unloved because no-ones willing to take the first step. 

Social media amplifies engagement

It’s difficult to get social engagement sometimes. It’s hard enough to get your followers to engage with your social posts, but this is compounded because people rarely want to be the first to comment on an empty post and an empty social channel can look like you have no social following at all. So what can you do? Obviously only posting content people are desperate to engage with would be the best solution, but it’s difficult to do that all the time, and sometimes you may need someone to get the ball rolling. In this instance we recommend asking your team to get involved with you on social media, and make those first Likes and comments to give others the confidence to join in. 

How to get your team to be the first to comment on social posts 

Appeal to your teams to be involved

If you want your team to engage with your social content it’s important they don’t feel coerced into it. Let them know the reason you’re asking, and that you would appreciate their involvement and ask for their support. It may be only one or two members of your team, but if their involvement can score you some extra engagement with your following, it’s worth doing.

Offer guidance on engagement you prefer

When appealing to your team for engagement, it is good to be specific about the type of engagement you want. Do you just want likes? Are you happy for comments and engagement that show off your staff’s personalities? Or do you want very sanitised and simple engagement that won’t stifle future engagement. Be upfront about what you want, and be sure it follows your strategy.

Send out previews or notifications of posts to staff

You can maximise your team engagement with your social posts by keeping them up to date with your social media campaigns in advance. This will give them a chance to consider their engagement a little more and plan accordingly. 

Make them feel included in your social output

The best way to get your team engaging with your social content is to make them feel included. You can do this in a number of ways. Talk to your team to get them involved with content creation, if possible use their ideas for content. Post content focused around your team, including celebrating their successes inside and outside of work. We’ll end here as we’re moving into a wider social strategy.  

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Have you tried this quick win?

Was it easy to follow? Did it take more than 5 minutes and has it had any impact (so far)? Share your thoughts and help other membership organisations achieve their Membership goals.

Channel: Social Media Marketing

A Twitter list is a way to customise the Tweets you see in your Twitter timeline. Using a Twitter list you can see a stream of Tweets that are only from the accounts on the list and are a favourite tool for businesses to connect and share content on Twitter which is typically a fast moving social network.

Twitter lists the underappreciated marketing tool

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to check which twitter lists you appear on to make sure there are none that cause you concern – And, to see if there are any opportunities that could arise from them.

Check which Twitter lists you appear on because you will find organisations like yours sharing answers and solving problems you have been struggling with alone. You’ll get up to date news and information relevant to your industry and the ability to leverage the list if needed to achieve your own goals.

How to check which Twitter lists you appear on

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to check which twitter lists you appear on to make sure there are none that cause you concern – And, to see if there are any opportunities that could arise from them

To find what lists you’re a member of, head to your Twitter profile and click Lists, then click Member of. Take a look just to make sure there’s nothing that causes concern, since this information is public.

The only way to remove yourself from a list is to block the list’s creator. Before taking this step, you could try contacting the list creator and asking them to remove you, but there is no other way to simply remove yourself from a list. If you wish, you can unblock the Twitter user again right away, but they will no longer be following you.

You can view which Lists you are a member of through your Lists tab.

Step 1 – Click the Lists tab from the Navigation menu.

Step 2 – Click the More icon next to the new List icon.

Step 3 – Click on Lists you’re on: using-twitter/twitter-lists

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Have you tried this quick win?

Was it easy to follow? Did it take more than 5 minutes and has it had any impact (so far)? Share your thoughts and help other membership organisations achieve their Membership goals.

Channel: Social Media Marketing

You’ve got a spare five minutes to spend on social media marketing. What should you do? Say thanks to new followers!

Welcoming new followers and friends to your social media channels is a great way to show you’re active and care about your social network. You can boost your relationship with prospective members, as well as making them feel important and valued. Most importantly it will encourage them to keep sharing.

Welcome new followers and boost your engagement

Every relationship starts with a “Hello”, and someone has to make the first move, so let’s get started. A welcome post is a great way to welcome new followers to your social media networks. Everyone loves a mention and it’s a great way to get a conversation started that could lead to a long relationship. It’s also a good way to discover who are real people and who are bots 😉

What to say? “Thanks for the follow”  – easy right?

How do you say thank you to your followers?

You will need some method of recognising new followers, but fortunately most social platforms have a notification for this. As soon as you identify a new follower create a post to thank / welcome them in. Don’t forget to @ mention them so it appears in their timeline and to their network as well.

You could go further and try to get a conversation going which will help build your reach for example:

@mention, thanks for following us. Is there anything I can help with today?

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Have you tried this quick win?

Was it easy to follow? Did it take more than 5 minutes and has it had any impact (so far)? Share your thoughts and help other membership organisations achieve their Membership goals.

Channel: Social Media Marketing

Including a call to action is generally a good idea, whatever the channel or objective. Whether it’s in your Twitter bio, in a social media post or in an email – A call to action acts as a signpost telling users what they need to do next without which your users may struggle to see the route to subscribing, joining or taking the next action.

Twitter can be a useful tool and not just for scroll exercises  

Despite the many premonitions of the ‘death of twitter’ it is still a surprisingly popular social media platform. Also unlike other platforms it seems to attract many business leaders and decision makers who use it on a regular basis, either by using a personal or company account. Your company twitter profile is also a touchpoint where potential companies will be looking, which makes it the perfect place to put a Call To Action  (CTA), a link which clicks through to an offer on your website.   

How to End your Twitter Bio with a Call To Action

Just in case it’s been a while since you have used Twitter. Let’s have a quick recap. 

Use images as a step by step:

·         Login to your account

·         Access the profile area to customise your Bio

·         Add a link with a CTA that leads to a meaningful place on your website

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Have you tried this quick win?

Was it easy to follow? Did it take more than 5 minutes and has it had any impact (so far)? Share your thoughts and help other membership organisations achieve their Membership goals.

Channel: Social Media Marketing