Using a Hashtag to Create Buzz for Your Event

This post is written by Maya Tarabishy, a member of Vistaprint’s Social Media team.

# — that symbol used to be something most people associated with a phone…now it’s all about Twitter.

Why
A hashtag (#) is a simple means of talking about or promoting something (in this case, your small business or event) on Twitter.

What
A hashtag on Twitter is, in simple terms, a mechanism that can be used to organize information. When you click on a word that follows a hashtag, a feed will open with different tweets that include that hashtag. An example: When we Tweet about a new blog that we wrote, we always include the hashtags #smb and #microbusiness.

When
If you want to try out a hashtag, but are a little wary of whether or not it will work for you, an event might be the perfect time to experiment.

How
Using a hashtag is easier than you might think! Some tips:

• Choose a single hashtag that you will use in conjunction with your promotion(s). For example, for your company party, you may choose the hash tag #smallbizbash.
• When it comes to choosing a hashtag, be sure to select something that is both easy to spell, and to remember, and that is unique.
• Be sure to start the trend — use your hashtag on any marketing material associated with your event (Printed a banner? Include the hashtag!), and, of course, anytime you tweet about your event.
• Encourage all of your attendees to do the same, and include this hashtag in any tweets they send in reference to your event.