Tweeting With #Hashtags


If you use Twitter, you might be familiar with (#)hashtags. Even if you haven’t used it, you might have seen others using it pretty often while tweeting.

So what are #hashtags and why do tweeters use it?
Hashtags are used by adding a hash symbol (#) in front of any word or keyword, for example #newplans. This helps in categorizing these words so that they are easily searchable and visible on Twitter. Hashtagged words that are most commonly used become trending topic on Twitter. People can then search trending topics based on these hashtags.

Advantages of using hashtags
  • You can join in on a conversation trending on Twitter and get noticed.
  • You can use hashtags to pull followers to your Twitter profile.
  • You can get up to date information on any topic on Twitter.
Using hashtags correctly
  • You can use hashtagged word anywhere in your tweet.
  • Do not overuse hashtags in your tweet. Ideal number of hashtags that can be used in a single tweet is two.
  • Use relevant hashtags in tweets.
  • Check Hashtags.org to check the popularity of your hashtagged words.
Hashtags when used correctly can bring about a positive change in your Twitter marketing. So use it well and use it right.




Attracting Leads To Your Business

As a business owner you might find yourself struggling with lead generation because you wouldn’t have a marketing department to support you by providing quality leads. Neither will you have a sales team at your disposal to go convert those leads into deals.

Here are some very effective tips that would help you generate quality leads yourself.

Web presence: Establish a strong web presence. As a business owner, you will not have a physical office address, as such, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting a virtual office space. We’re talking about websites here! Having a business website will lend credibility and a touch of professionalism to your home business. 

Add value: If you want to attract leads make sure you add value to them through your products, services and even the content that you have on the web. For example, if you sell baked goods from home, it’s a good idea to provide culinary tips on your website. Something like that will attract people to your site, where they will eventually find more about what you do and perhaps become a customer.

Get information: Get as much information as possible about your prospects. You could have your prospects fill up one line web forms that help you gather information about them. When someone visits your website or social media page, you should be tracking their online behavior. There are good marketing automation software programs that allow you to do so. You can later use this insight to position your business offerings in a manner that most appeals to them.

Advertisements on Facebook & Google: Facebook and Google Ads are catching up big time. These advertisements place your product/services on relevant web search results and web pages. For example, if you are selling baked goods from home, then you can choose to place advertisements of your products on sites and Facebook pages that talk about cooking or on the search results for ‘cake shops’ or ‘bakeries’ on Google.. To know how to go about AdWords or to get started, click here.

Social media: Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. are fast becoming a home business owner’s best friend. Not only do these sites offer unlimited audience for your services, but are also low-cost marketing media. Along the same lines are blogs, newsletters and YouTube videos. All these avenues act as great platforms to showcase your expertise and knowledge in the domain of your business and to attract leads in the process.

Partners & referrals: It can get a little overwhelming to do it all at once—all alone. That’s when you could use a partner to help you out. You could partner with businesses that complement your start-up. For example, if you bake cakes at home, consider partnering with the local supermarket or grocery vendor. Similarly, ask every happy customer to provide you with a referral. Leads through referrals are more likely to convert than the ones you generate in random.

So, even though lead generation can seem like a challenge for business owners, it can be easily surmounted if you have the right strategies in place.