Demystifying # and @ for Social Selling
Are YOU the type that scrolls through various social media feeds (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc...) consuming content but baffled by the hype around the use of # (hashtags) and @ (at sign) in postings?
Well be baffled no more...here is the straight talk on...
What they are
Why they are used
I was going to lookup actual definitions but reading through them I am not sure that it helps...and besides...you've most likely tried "googling" them for yourself! Here is what I think they are:
# (Hashtag)
Anything preceded by a # is a way to tag and create a logical grouping of information. For example; #leadership in a post would show up in a general grouping of all posts related to the topic of leadership. To narrow a conversation or topic even further you could also choose #leadershipbyexample or make one up of your own. Be warned, if you mistype a hashtag or make up one that isn't highly used it may be lost to the social media universe.
@ (At Sign)
Anything preceded by an @ is a way to tag an individual, company or entity. When you type the @ in posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram etc... you are tagging that specific person as opposed to all the other "Sally Jones" that may exist in the social media universe. You want to make sure you find the right one so they know (and their network knows) that you mentioned them.
Summary: #'s are used to group information, conversations or themes and @'s are used to tag a specific person or company.
Now...Why Are They Used?
Hopefully the wheels are already turning and you can start to see examples of why or how this would be useful in your social selling motion. Let's look at a post to demonstrate how powerful using these can be.
HP Inc is my customer and I wanted to celebrate and boost a CRN article that one of their executives was featured in. The post above got over 1000 views on LinkedIn (bottom of the picture which is only visible to the person who posted it). This is great PR and provides better reach on messaging for my customer as well as anyone looking to hear more about what they are doing with channel partners. It also makes my company and our capabilities more visible to prospective partners and customers. The more visible it is, the more likes, comments and shares you will get which in turn increases your impact.
So how did I get so many views and help extend the interaction with this post?
Take note that some of the text is showing up in "blue". This highlights the #'s and @'s that I used when writing the post. These are visible to you and the viewer as the groupings and individuals that have been tagged
When I used #HP, #channelpartners, #hpefs, #hpe it meant that anyone following those hashtags would see this post pop up in their LinkedIn main feed. When you start to type # in your post the more narrow the options become the more text you type. This will enable you to choose from #'s that are already established on the platform. That way you have a better chance of hitting your target audience with your message
When I used @ in front of typing Luciana Broggi, HPE Financial Services, Luis Alvarez, and Alvarez Technology Group - LinkedIn also found them and I had the ability to pick from a drop down menu to ensure I had the right contact. You will notice that the @ disappears when you choose the person from the picklist and displays it as bold and blue so you know it is a tag in your post. Now that you have tagged the person, not only does YOUR network see this post but anyone connected to them as well. Without tagging the company or individual, YOU are missing out on a PRIME opportunity to make sure your customer, your partners, their contacts and customers can see this great content .
In Closing...
LinkedIn in particular makes it really easy to ensure you are picking the right # and tagging the right people in your posts. Hopefully I was able to demystify a few things on this topic and you gained a couple of cool tips!
In next week's post I will show you how to find more #'s to follow as well as how to make better choices in #'s so your message gets better reach.
In the meantime, if you need help or have any questions - let me know - I am sure I could learn something from YOU too!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
What did YOU think of the definitions used above for # and @? Is there anything else you would add or a better way of explaining what they are?
What did you think of the example above? Did it help you see ways YOU could start using #'s or tagging people in your posts? Do YOU have a better example of what has worked for YOU or your company?
Any other tips or questions you have that would be good to share with others on this topic?
Thanks for reading and remember…YOU make a difference!
Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite
