HOW THE HECK SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY USE HASHTAGS?

Fun fact: hashtags used to confuse THE HELL out of me. A few years ago I used to avoid using them, purely because I didn’t know how they worked and thought they’d be too difficult to wrap my head around.

Now, hashtags are one of the most high-impact strategies that I’ve used to grow my online presence. And honestly, I LOVE them.

pic

Here’s a little snippet of how hashtags can rapidly grow your presence on social media…

Tweets with hashtags receive 2x more engagement than those without hashtags
Tweets with one or two hashtags have 21% higher engagement than those with three or more hashtags
Tweets with one or more hashtag are 55 percent more likely to be retweeted
Interactions are highest on Instagram posts with 11+ hashtags

I mean seriously, what single thing can do that for all your active social media platforms?

Plus, using hashtags played a huge part in the social media posting schedule that increased traffic to my blog by over 100%.

For that reason, when someone is starting to build their online presence and feeling the pressure to do #allthethings, I encourage them to focus on hashtags as one of their first actions.

It’s also why I encourage other bloggers and business owners that are already experienced to concentrate on hashtags too. They always work.

No matter what you write about or what social media channels you concentrate on, hashtags can help you quickly grow your traffic and community.

So let’s get into exactly why they're are so great and how to use them, too.

IN A NUTSHELL

#Hashtags (see what I did there 😉 ) have a main purpose of encouraging conversation and interaction. They make it a lot easier to find and join in with discussions online about everything from people, to world events to topics, events and more.

They also help to increase your visibility and get your brand discovered.

Holly SuttonNovember 22, 2016hashtags, twitter, instagram, facebook, google+Comment

How to Create a Great Twitter Bio with These Key Ingredients

Every second, 6,000 tweets are sent on Twitter.

That's 350,000 every minute. 500 million per day. And 200 billion tweets every year. These are incredible numbers. But there's so much more to Twitter than just tweeting. And you definitely can't do well on Twitter without a great profile. You'd think it would be simple to create a really good one. But it isn't.

So how do you make the most of yours?

This social media platform is one of the most important features of your personal brand. Interaction and promotion combined, this is one way you're guaranteed to be found.

I get new followers on Twitter every day, and since January my following has increased by over 20%. But what is it that makes someone decide to follow me? What is it that makes you want to follow them?

Here are thirteen steps you need to take to create a great Twitter profile.

Holly SuttonMay 12, 2015Twitter bio, Twitter profile, online presence, social media, twitterComment

Buffer: Why Do People Love It So Much?

I bet you hear this word a lot. Buffer this and Buffer that.

And I bet you've always wanted to know what the hype is all about.

I mean, it can't be that good - can it? Well my dear readers, that's what I'm here to talk to you about today. As a tried, tested and loyal user of this tool, I'm here to give you the lowdown on:

• What it is
• How you use it
• Why it's so great
• Why you should be using it

As of January 2015, Buffer had more than 2,000,000 registered users (source). I myself, have been using it for nearly two years. In all my time since I started using the Internet and all it has to offer, I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best tools that has ever been created.

Holly SuttonMay 5, 2015buffer, linkedin, social media, twitterComment

Tweeting For A Business? A Whole New Valuable Skill

Did you know 500 million tweets are sent every day? (source).

500 million. Millions of tweets about sport, fashion, news and, of course, for promotional uses. But there's a very thin line with the subject of promoting ourselves and our business on Twitter.

We have a common ground - it's something we all have to do in this industry. When you're a one-woman show and you're managing social media for your own business, you're okay. You know what voice you want to use and how you want to come across. The problem arises when someone "thinks" they know Twitter, but then has to tweet on behalf of a small business. Do you tweet as yourself? Or tweet as the business?

That's what Tom is here to talk to you about today.

How To Really Up Your Twitter Game

By the time you’ve finished reading this post, you’ll be a Twitter goddess.

This is a social media platform that creators should be utilising.

Whenever I’m asked about social media, Twitter is always what I discuss. Sure, I know people who gain traffic from Pinterest and Instagram. But Twitter allows you to pull everything together. And it brings results. How do I know this? Well, I’ve done it myself. So today, I’m sharing a list of ways that you can improve your presence on Twitter and up your social media game. Many of these ideas can be done constantly, and some will definitely overlap.

So I encourage you to take each step one at a time and pick the ones that are most suited to you.

Holly SuttonApril 14, 2015digital marketing, social media, twitter, using twitterComment

Journal Day #7: How Does Social Media Affect Your Life?

I

've been lacking a bit on my journal posts from Sometimes Sweet but this marks the start of them again. I'd really love to know your thoughts on this one too...

Do you use social media in your daily life? Do you think it adds to your relationships with others, or takes away from them? And furthermore, do you think social media adds more positive or negative to your life? Write about your relationship with social media, and talk a bit about how you got started, and what role it plays in your world.