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How Your Brand Can Be Expanded By a #Hashtag

Submitted by peek on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 1:57pm

How Your Brand Can Be Expanded By a Hashtag #hashtag

 
While working the other day, I received an email or facebook, it all melds together these days, from a Wine Brand Marketer I met at a Wine Conference this Summer that read, “Would you be interested in receiving samples and participating in next week's #winechat on twitter?
 
What is a #winechat exactly, I asked?
 
I learned #Winechat is an online chat on Twitter that occurs every Wednesday night from 9-10 pm EST (6-7PST). Each week the participants (this is a free session) discuss a different topic or talk with different guests about something near and dear to its community, wine. I was invited, via email, to participate in the next week’s #winechat where anyone can join in or sit back and enjoy the online conversation about Cave de Lugny Les Charmes on #winechat. Basically, next week @PasternakWine, distributors of the Les Charmes wine will be a featured guest, I was told.
 
But first, some background and refresher of a hashtag use on twitter.How do you join #winechat and what exactly is a #hashtag?
 
Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.Hashtags: helping you find interesting Tweets
  1. People use the hashtag symbol # before relevant keywords in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets to show more easily in Twitter Search.
  2. Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all other Tweets in that category.
  3. Hashtags can occur anywhere in the Tweet.
  4. Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics.
 
Using a tool such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite, log into your twitter account and follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!
 
Sure, I said. And thus, a bottle of Cave de Lugny Les Charmes Chardonnay 2009 was sent to my office in preparation for the big event.
 
Now, remember, Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find of specific interest. If it is cars, follow your favorite brands and magazines, same for finance, specific foods, health topics, sports, figures, Mom’s, children or business. Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow those conversations. The choices are up to you and limitless.
 
Being a hospitality, food & wine strategist, I follow multiple topics in the tourism world from hotels brands of interest to favorite wines and people that also do the same. I am building a community of similar interested individuals who I choose to follow and who may also choose to follow me. Currently on multiple #citypeek twitter accounts, I have over 7000 followers and on facebook over 6000 who go behind-the-scenes with me and like to share interest in trending issues of wine, food, travel and openings.
 
Now, I did some research on this hashtag party revolving around one of my favorite topics, wine and of course, its accompianment, food. It being Wednesday that I received the invitation, I tuned into the evenings #winechat session at 9 PM EST.  I tweeted ahead “@CITYPEEKpatti I was just invited to participate by sipping #wine in next Tuesday's #winechat-live on twitter cool-a 1st 4 me.” People that follow me and #winechat retweeted my message, hence virally building and growing on the topic.
 
Last night was the successful #winechat, where I sipped, chatted and listed what others thought of the wine, what they smelled, ate with it and would learn from the real-time, online happening
 
Bottom line is this. Twitter and other social medias like facebook give you access to voices, brands and information. It also is a free tool, and if used properly, can help you strategically build your Awareness, build your Brand and grow your Community. So remember your ABC’s, create a hashtag, invite others of similar interest to join in and try it out. From brand lift, to CRM, to direct sales, Twitter offers businesses a chance to reach an engaged audience.
 
I am here to help. Please “like CITYPEEK Patti on facebook and “follow” @citypeekpatti on twitter. I would love to know your ideas and help build your #hashtag revolution.


 


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