Should You Use Holiday Twitter Hashtags?

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to start planning your social media campaign. Today, Twitter is one of the most powerful tools for promoting sales and getting shoppers excited about your store. With hundreds of millions of users and more than 500 million short messages called tweets being sent daily, Twitter can be a great channel for online retailers to engage new and existing customers.

Many retailers stay in touch with their customers year-round with frequent tweets using a store name or brand in a hashtag like #shipstation. So, a big question for the holidays is whether to send out all your tweets using that familiar hashtag or to create a new hashtag just for the season. Here are some of the issues to consider in making that promotional decision, and you can get more advice on hashtags from Twitter and social media marketing sites like Tint.

1. Analyze your Twitter-driven traffic. Is your current hashtag doing a good job of bringing prospects to your store? Are the clicks coming from your loyal customers or from new followers as well? If your Twitter feed is performing well, you may want to stick with that familiar hashtag, and simply increase the frequency of your tweets for the holidays.
2. Look at your objectives. If you’re not satisfied with your traffic or think your store could be more prominent in the “twittersphere,” then it’s time to create a new holiday hashtag. But before you start getting into the details, take the time to plan your campaign strategy and set an objective. For example, will you use the new hashtag to promote daily flash sales or to take part in a holiday contest? Knowing your objective will help you decide on an appropriate holiday tag.
3. Identify trending hashtags. Some hashtags are more popular with consumers than others. Take a look at those tags and see if there might be a word or phrase that could resonate with your shoppers. Incorporating a trending tag might also help you connect with prospects who are also following that trend. You can start your search for trending hashtags on Twitter, which has the latest and most accurate information.
4. Pick a simple, catchy hashtag. The best holiday hashtags are short and sweet – and aligned with your promotional campaign. In a crowded social media environment, you want consumers to “get it” instantly. A new hashtag can also play off your store’s current branding slogan, so it seems like a natural addition to your year-round program. Your hashtag should also be unique, so you don’t create confusion or run into legal problems. Take a look at Tagdef, which lists the popular hashtags along with definitions, and Hashtagify, which has nearly 60 million hashtags in its database, before making your choice.
5. Double-check your new tag. Have several objective observers look at your new hashtag before sending it out to the market. Is it clear to the viewer? Are there other words hidden in your tag? Better to look at it now than make a big mistake in the future! 
6. Promote your new tag. Creating a great holiday hashtag is just the start. You need to promote your campaign using email, newsletters, Facebook and Twitter itself. Remember that it’s all about numbers, and get as many people as possible to follow your new tag.

If you’ve looked at the key issues and planned your campaign well, you’ll find that a holiday hashtag can do a great job of generating more clicks and increasing sales for your store. And that’s the primary goal of every online retailer this holiday season!