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#Hashtag 101

Hashtags are everywhere these days, but do we really know how to use them? What began in 2007 as a simple way for individuals to search for and categorize topics and trends has become a cultural phenomenon overnight and doesn’t appear to be going away. In fact, Instagram just recently tested out a new feature that allows users to follow hashtags in addition to following other users. And while it’s true that hashtags play a vital role in social media campaigns, there is a right and wrong way to use them. So if you’re the kind of person who #CantStopWontStop with hashtags, read on, we have some #ProTips to help you out.

#BestPractices

When choosing hashtags for your marketing campaigns, first consider your audience. Will your hashtag resonate? Is it easy to understand? Does it relate to your content? If the answer to any of these questions is no, don’t use it. The last thing you want to do is confuse someone, or worse, waste their time. People can get easily annoyed if they have to wade through irrelevant content when searching for something specific.

Here’s what you need to know:

When using more than one word in your hashtag, capitalize the first letter of each word to make it easier to read. #LikeThis
Be mindful of the amount of hashtags you use. While Instagram algorithms favor the use of more hashtags (11 or more, to be exact), Twitter posts fair better with only one or two.
Use trending hashtags that directly relate to your content.
Read your hashtag before posting. Occasionally, hashtags containing more than one word can come across in a way that was not intended. Case in point – following the death of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, a website encouraged people, albeit irreverently, to tweet about Thatcher’s passing using the hashtag #nowthatchersdead. Not surprisingly, Twitter was flooded with tweets about the incorrect death of Cher.
Google your hashtag. If it’s being used elsewhere, you’ll want to make sure that it’s appropriate for your post. For example, the popular pastry company, Entenmann’s used the hashtag #NotGuilty in the summer of 2011, encouraging costumers to feel good about eating their treats. Unfortunately, that same hashtag was already trending, following the verdict in the Casey Anthony murder trial. You can only imagine the fallout!

#unique

In addition to using popular hashtags to help further your message and reach, many companies create branded hashtags. For starters, they allow you to quickly search what others are saying about your company (good and bad). They also invite people to take part in your movement. In 2013, Starbucks created the hashtag #ToBeAPartner and encouraged all of its employees and customers to use it to describe their experiences with the company. While some of the posts are undoubtedly negative, Starbucks is OK with it. They use these examples to remain transparent and address issues – and it works. At Team Fleisher, when we want to brag about the amazing clients we work with, we use the hashtag #ProudOfTheCompanyWeKeep.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your own hashtag:

Be creative and consider using humor, puns, or play on words. Your branded hashtag does not need to contain your specific company name but should be synonymous with your marketing strategy. Case in point – McDonald’s #imlovinit hashtag (McDonald’s created this hashtag before people started stressing the importance of capitalizing each word).
Include a call to action. Perhaps one of the best examples of this comes from the toilet paper company, Charmin. Their genius, viral, #TweetFromTheSeat campaign, encourages people to – yep you guessed it – tweet while using the restroom…and it’s wildly popular. And when Twitter wants to recruit new talent, they use the hashtag #JoinTheFlock. Get it?

So whether you’re trying to make your brand more accessible to new clients, invite your customers to join your efforts, recruit new talent or elevate your marketing campaigns, be sure to up your hashtag game. Trust us, you won’t be #SorryNotSorry.

Should you be ‘gramming?

To ‘gram or not to ‘gram? That’s the question many of our clients have been asking. The answer is not as simple as one would hope. With more than 700 million active users each month, Instagram has secured its place in the social media world and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere but up. But is it right for your business? Let’s find out.

Remind me about how Instagram works again. Certainly. Unlike Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, Instagram favors images over written content. The app offers an abundance of editing tools, like filters, to make even the most novice photographer look like they know what they’re doing. Like other social media channels, Instagram is a way to connect with others through following, liking and commenting on each other’s posts.

What kind of company should use Instagram? There’s really no right or wrong answer here. While Instagram is a great place for business-to-consumer companies, like Nike or Gap, who want to ultimately sell clothing and shoes, for example, it’s also great for service oriented companies. Businesses like Hootsuite and Paypal use Instagram as way to recruit talent, brag about their company culture, and collaborate and influence. Where the app currently has a leg up on its rivals is in its ability to attract a highly engaged audience. And like all social media channels, if you know how to tame the beast, you’ll reap the benefits.

Are #hashtags really that important? Yes and yes. Like Twitter, hashtags can make or break your Instagram campaign. In addition to being a useful way for users to search for certain products or ideas, it’s a way for companies to connect with their audience and generate participation. One of the best examples is Coca Cola’s recent #shareacoke campaign. This genius marketing idea encouraged users (more than 650,000 to date) to take photos of their personalized can and then post to Instagram with the hashtag #shareacoke. And who can forget the ALS Association’s famous Ice Bucket Challenge campaign? The idea, which garnered worldwide attention, prompted folks to donate to ALS, post a video of ice-cold water being dumped on their head, and then challenge friends and family members to do the same. So far, the hashtag #icebucketchallenge has been used nearly 800,000 times.

What’s the deal with Instagram stories? This past year, Instagram rolled out its own Snapchat-esque feature, Stories. The posts, which appear horizontally at the top of the screen, disappear after 24 hours. Like regular posts, users can choose to feature a video or a photo and customize it with filters, stickers or words. While some folks use Stories as a way to show ordinary highlights from their day, businesses are cashing in on this feature for it’s real-time marketing benefits. The Stories feature allows companies to involve their most loyal customers in flash sales, advertisements, events, and behind the scenes shoots, while simultaneously reaching new audiences.

But is it for my company? If your company or brand can leverage Instagram’s powerful visual platform, it could very well be an excellent promotional and communication tool for you. At the end of the day, the app is free, user-friendly and offers the ability for your company to showcase its personality and creativity. When combined with other marketing efforts, Instagram can drive sales, boost morale and promote your business in a new and exciting way: Give us a call, we’d love to take a look at your marketing strategy and assess whether or not Instagram is for you.

Social Media – An Executive Decision

Social media: an executive’s best friend or worst enemy. While it’s true that most businesses should maintain a presence, there’s debate as to whether or not the CEO should be involved in content creation and postings. When done correctly, a CEO with an active social media presence can drive sales, empower employees, and produce results. When done incorrectly, that same individual can cause embarrassment, controversy and negative press.

When it works

Here are a few winning examples:

When You Show Personality: There’s a reason why 4.53 million (!) people follow John Legere (T-Mobile) on Twitter. He’s creative, fun-loving, collaborative and competitive, albeit irreverent. Through his use of hilarious memes, interesting articles, and ability to connect with customers, Legere’s page has helped to boost his company’s image. Likewise, Aaron Levie (Box) knows a thing or two about making friends. With just over 2 million followers, Levie keeps folks in the loop on new product development and collaboration while sprinkling in humor and note worthy content.

When You Inspire: When you invent cool things like electric cars and rocket ships, people get pretty excited. When you take said people (12.8 million twitter followers) along on the journey, people buy in. Thanks Elon Musk!

When You Help Others: In the face of tragedy, CEO’s have the unique ability to unite, mobilize relief efforts and raise funds. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) is the perfect example. He has repeatedly used his personal Facebook page to raise money for those in need, most recently the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund and to promote Facebook’s “Crisis Response” tool. Brian Chesky (Airbnb) reached out to his 252,000 Twitter followers to promote his company’s Disaster Response Program and to encourage Airbnb hosts to open their doors to those affected. And when AirAsia flight 8501 crashed in 2014, killing all 162 passengers, Tony Fernandez, CEO, took to social media to offer condolences to the victim’s families, boost company morale and update the public on recovery efforts.

When it Doesn’t

Here are a few that missed the mark:

When You are Offensive, Derogatory, Misogynistic, Racist, Sexist, Etc.: For obvious reasons, companies do not take kindly to CEOs alienating or upsetting customers with their personal social media rants. When you’re the CEO of say, the entire country, it’s no different. President Donald Trump has had his fair share of Twitter snafus this year, most notably re-tweeting a meme showing him hitting former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, with a golf ball. Additionally, Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes came under fire recently for tweeting an offensive sex hotline to a reporter that he was unhappy with.

When You are Not the Only One Managing Your account: A CEO needs to be able to trust staff members with social media login credentials. Senator Ted Cruz learned this one the hard way when a staffer “accidentally” liked a pornographic video on his official page. And don’t even get us started on Anthony Weiner…

The long and short of it: CEOs need to recognize if they don’t have the right temperament or voice to carefully and effectively communicate on behalf of their company and to positively project their company’s brand. If they are not the right person to handle communication, that’s okay! On the other hand, if a CEO has a proven track record of great social media connection, they can be an incredibly effective voice for their company. Every organization should have a different social media strategy tailored around the mission of the organization and the strength of its individuals and communication experts.

If you think it’s time for a social media audit, give us a call – we do that and we’d love to help.

Where Have We Been All Your Life?

Hello old friend. Remember us? You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been a little absent on the blog as of late. You know the whole analogy about how the cobbler’s kid has no shoes? Guilty as charged. So what have we been doing? We’re glad you asked. Gallivanting throughout Europe, of course. Kidding…we’ve been busy! 2017 has brought a diverse client base, exciting new challenges and opportunities for growth across the board.

We’ve recently fielded a lot of questions about blogging and since we’re back at it, we thought we’d share our thoughts. Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or an entrepreneur just starting out, a blog can be an enormously helpful tool for building your business – if it’s done right. Here are our tips:

Ask Yourself, “Do I Need a Blog”?

A blog might not always be the best use of your company’s resources. Consider your audience and the product or service you offer and analyze whether or not a blog would resonate. It’s helpful in these instances to talk to someone who understands the industry and can point you in the right direction.

Be Realistic and Consistent.

We realize this is rich coming from us right now, but if you want your blog to work, consistency is key. That being said, you’ll need to set some realistic goals. Blogging takes time, so figure out what you’re capable of before diving in headfirst.

Outsourcing does not mean selling out. It’s important to recognize that your time might best be spent at something else, like selling your product, performing your service, caring for your clients or obtaining news ones. Practically speaking, blogging requires good writing, which might not be your bag, and that’s okay. In this instance, hire someone who knows what they’re doing (like, for instance, us…) and get back to business. A great writer will quickly pick up on your company’s voice and the type of material that is of interest to you and clients, making for an engaging and effective communication tool.

Share Strategically.

Your blog will be of no value to you if it goes unnoticed. The strategy behind how you share and promote this platform is as important as the content it contains. Whether your using social media channels, e-blasts, or SEO, you’ll want to determine the most effective methods for sharing. Again, this is where outsourcing can be very helpful. With social media changing on a daily basis, we are constantly tweaking our techniques, researching best new practices and making sure our clients see results.

As always, we’re here to get the conversation started, so let us know what you think and what you’d like to see on the blog. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a note. Thanks for stopping by and happy blogging.

New Year. New Name.

Nearly a decade ago, I entered the world of public relations and marketing communications. As a former TV reporter, it was an easy transition. Stories were my passion and, because I had been a journalist for so many years, I knew exactly what reporters needed to tell a good story, and do it effectively.

In the beginning, I worked alone, out of my house, on my trusty laptop. Panera and Starbucks were my go-to for meetings, and I went by MBF Communications (the B is for Beth, my middle name). That lasted for a couple years. Thankfully, my business grew, and eventually I shifted to Fleisher Communications Group. The “group” became increasingly important as I added professionals who could offer clients the full array of mar/comm services. It became very clear, early on, that our agency differentiator would be our people, communication experts with the experience and expertise to deliver the results our clients deserved.

Fast-forward to 2016. Team Fleisher has grown across the board. We have more clients, more offerings, and, yes, more team members. So when I took a look at our brand last spring, I decided it was time for a refresh. The first, perhaps the most important, consideration was the name. We debated long and hard over a name that would capture the personality of our agency. Did Fleisher Communications Group still reflect who we are, why we’re different and what we deliver? At the end of the day, the team was split. Half said yes, let’s go for it. The rest, were not so sure.

Enter the founder, me. Believing that more often than not, the status quo benefits from a bit of a shake-up, I pulled the trigger on the name change. Sure, it’s not a dramatic departure. In fact, our emails have always been Team Fleisher. But today I’m proud to say we are more than a group. We are a team of talented, dedicated, experienced pros working together to deliver communication solutions that truly stand out.

New Year. New Name. Still one mission. We’ve Got This.