Hashtags for #networking

flickr: Matt Hamm

If you haven’t joined Twitter yet or you have joined and didn’t get what the fuss was all about, then this post is for you. The answer is Twitter Hashags.

What is a hashtag? Basically it is a word or phrase that begins with #.

I know that doesn’t sound too exciting, but once you understand how to use them it will make much more sense.

Think of a hashtag as a group on another social network, but instead of having to join a group to post to it, you just add your hashtag to your tweet. The best advice i can give you about actively using hashtags is to download a twitter client that allows you to save a search. I follow #socialmedia and #highered. You can follow as many as you want but if it is a more popular subject it can be overwhelming.

How is this good for business? Well just following a hashtag probably won’t do anything for you. It’s like reading a great business book or blog and then not taking any of its advice. The key, just like everything else about social media, is interacting with others.

When someone asks a question that you know the answer to, tweet them the answer. Someone says something you disagree with or that you can add something too, tweet it to them.  If there is a relevant link you can send to support your point, send that too. This is a good time to send a link to your blog or website if it can help that person. Don’t be greedy though, don’t just link to yourself and only link if its relevant.

How turn it up to 11:

Webinars are becoming more and more common. I must get 5 invites a week easily and that’s without looking looking for any. This is a trend that is going to be continuing, because webinars are a great way to get leads for your business. The best part of going to the old style in person seminars was the ability to meet new people and network. Now with hashtags you can communicate with people during the seminar.

Ask questions and answer questions using the hashtag for that event and watch how fast your followers grow. Some people like to quote the speaker, I am not a fan of this, unless it is a very profound statement, but please do not be one of those people that quote everything being said like they are a taking notes for a quiz.

You can get some out of the twitter stream but until you start interacting with other and give them a reason to follow you, you’re not going to see much of a difference.

Has anyone else had thee kind of success that I have had with doing this?