The Fun of Hashtags

by Ashley Roberts

We wanted to have a little Friday fun and talk hashtags.

If you follow us regularly you see that we created our own hashtag, #DyslexiaRevolution. This encompasses how we feel and what we're after as a group. This is our "branded" hashtag if you will, but we will never copyright it as we want as many people as possible to use it. Getting into copyright situations with hashtags can be very tricky and our various marketing consultants and leaders have provided the guidance that based on our mission, we want to encourage the use of our hashtag, not discourage by copyrighting.

But, you might be asking, what is a hashtag exactly? What is it's purpose?

A hashtag is a unique strategy for categorizing messages on Twitter and is seen as a very powerful marketing tool by businesses. The # symbol is precedes the tag followed by one or more keywords that will properly lead individuals to conversations and discussions pertaining to a specific topic or theme.

(https://www.hashtags.org/featured/whats-the-point-of-all-these-hashtags/)

Hashtags play a crucial role in developing interest in your social media accounts and are used on a number of social media platforms, most commonly, Twitter and Instagram. Including a hashtag with your posts helps to categorize content for your audience.

(https://www.business2community.com/social-media/importance-hashtags-know-use-01837644)

So wow that was a lot of awesome information. Here's a little more very important information on hashtags in general.

How To Use Hashtags Effectively In Social Media Marketing?

1. Keep it simple and relevant

2. Utilize trending hashtags

3. Use hashtag on multiple social media marketing channels

4. Search the hashtag before you use it

5. Don't over use hashtags

6. Be specific and unique

7. Create brand engagement

(https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/how-to-use-hashtags-effectively-in-social-media-marketing)

Tips to #HashtagReponsibly:

Avoid using trademarks as hashtags in marketing posts (unless you own the trademarks). For example, don’t use #CocaCola if you’re tweeting from Pepsi’s official account and promoting Pepsi.

Don’t hijack another brand’s hashtag during an event or Twitter chat. It might not be illegal, depending on the circumstances, but it’s bad manners regardless.

Don’t use irrelevant hashtags. If you tag your marketing post #DIY when the content you’re posting has nothing to do with crafting or “do it yourself” projects, people will be annoyed. Typically not the reaction you’re going for when you use social media for marketing.

Don’t hashtag your Twitter fights. Ideally, don’t engage trolls at all, but if you feel the need to have a heated discussion about your brand online, avoid using hashtags relating to your brand. It’s like posting road signs to your street brawl!

(https://businessesgrow.com/2015/10/21/hashtags/)

You've seen us use some other hashtags like #ParentAdvocate, #ReadingRevolution, #MamaBear, #PapaBear, #CelebrateDyslexia, #EmpowerDyslexia, #LiteracyIsTheGreatEqualizer, #ScienceOfReading (one of our favorites), and the common hashtag for the IDA #UntilEveryoneCanRead. We love these hashtags because of the message they represent and by searching on these hashtags you can see the message of several dyslexia focused groups and their endeavor to share the #ScienceOfReading (see, I told you it was one of our favorites) with all.

For our movement, Voices of Dyslexia, we use the hashtag #AreYouReadyToListen. With the purpose of what Voices is meant to be, what it's mean to stand for, it's an appropriate hashtag.

For our movement Dyslexia Rocks, which is about spreading dyslexia awareness through painted rocks (isn't that a beautiful idea?), we use the hashtag #DyslexiaRocks. It's not a unique hashtag and has been used by many over the years. It is not owned by anyone, not copyrighted and helps to continue to spread awareness of how cool we all actually think dyslexia is, but with the rocks it's also a dual message, which we think is pretty awesome.

And lastly for our Book Tag movement, we're using #BookTag and #ReadingRevolution. #BookTag is our idea, but #ReadingRevolution is owned by all and helps to spread the message of literacy empowerment beyond just our dyslexia community.

But, again, that's the beauty of hashtags. They are meant to spread a message, and in our community, they are meant to spread awareness. Don't let someone stop you from using a hashtag, unless of course it's copyrighted, then tread carefully, but so long as you #HashtagResponsibly, you'll be fine. And, if you want to see how hashtags spread awareness, just search on any of these on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google. You'll be awe #Inspired at how far some of them reach.

And of course we'd love to spread the idea that we are all a part of a #DyslexiaRevolution!

Stay safe, and hashtag on!