The Power of Hashtags

Krista Robertson, Cook & James LLC

Is it a pound sign? Is it a number sign? When posting on social media, it’s referred to as a hashtag. It can be a powerful tool to broadcast your message. A simple hashtag can connect conversations with others you didn’t know were out there. You’ve probably seen people using it when a popular show premiers (#gameofthrones) to even posting pictures or comments about events. For example, the Atlanta Realtors Association’s Top Producers event promoted attendees and winners to connect with the hashtag #TopProducers2018. So how can you as a real estate agent use hashtags?

First, let’s talk about a very abbreviated history of the hashtag and how it evolved. Chris Messina, a “technology evangelist,” is credited as the creator of the idea in 2007. He proposed the idea when he was trying to connect a discussion with several users. Twitter’s creator was skeptical of the idea originally but by 2009 twitter start integrating the hashtag. It didn’t take long for the hashtag to be adapted into other social media platforms.

Now you are probably thinking ‘how can I use hashtags as a tool to grow my business? Not all hashtags were created equal, but when used correctly, users can see “2 times more engagement than those without, and 55% more Retweets.” (Cite?)Let’s dive into the basics of a good hashtag and post.

·       Keep hashtags simple & easy to understand. Meaning: don’t create a hashtag that’s so abstract someone can’t figure out you’re a real estate agent right off the bat. For example, I would use #KristaRealEstateAtlanta instead of #KREA. Yes, the latter version is easier to type, but new viewers wouldn’t understand it’s meaning.

·       Don’t spam your own post. We’ve all seen those cat pictures posted on instagram where the user used every hashtag that included the word cat.

·       Keep the hashtag related to the post. If you’re posting about the Real Housewives of Atlanta premiere, you wouldn’t want to use your real estate hashtag.

·       Keep an eye on the hashtag conversation. No one can own a hashtag or control how it is used, so keep an eye to make sure that the conversation associated with the hashtag is on the topic you want and stays positive!

Excited or overwhelmed about hashtags? Either way, we can help with building you a strategy for perfecting your hashtags and all other digital marketing needs.