To make an event go with a bang, a hashtag is an essential ingredient. Used well, a hashtag can help build the buzz around your event long before the big day and is an extremely effective way to maximise the effectiveness of post event publicity.

So what is a hashtag and how do you go about choosing and using a hashtag to promote your event?

A hashtag is a mechanism allowing online users to filter social media content to display items which are relevant to a certain word or phrase. The ‘#’ is the ‘hashtag’ part of the phrase followed by whatever combination of words you like.
We’ve all seen them, they can be used to identify posts about certain subjects (#travel), specific places (#manchester), events (#rednoseday) or anything else you choose. They work particularly well as a means to promote and enhance an event.

There’s nothing to stop you using a hashtag that’s already in use but the results will be more cluttered and less effective for your users and followers. So ideally, you should try choose something that is unique to your event.

Get a small team together to discuss hashtag alternatives. Write down a list of alternatives When you have a list of  favourites, search for those hashtags on Twitter and Instagram to see what comes up.  Just type the full hashtag in to the search bar. Ideally, you’ll find nothing and communication using that hashtag will be clear and uncomplicated.

When you agree on a hashtag for the event, make it clear within your business that is the hashtag to be used and only that hashtag.  Then use it religiously wherever and whenever the event is mentioned.

Make sure your staff use the hashtag in all communication, on and offline. Encourage your followers and customers to use the hashtag wherever they can too. Then go out of your way to retweet and repost anything on social media that uses the hashtag.

In summary, make using a hashtag for your event part of the plan rather than a reaction on the day. A well-used hashtag can make the event a better experience for you and the customer. It really is a small thing which can have an enormous effect.