Twitter can be a bit of a mystery at times – millions of tweets, and nothing to be found. Learning to use the powerful hashtag search function in Twitter, you can sort through all that noise, in seconds, on the subject that interests you. And once focused on a subject or conversation, you can engage with experts just around the corner or around the world.
By engage I mean search, listen, learn and where appropriate, chime in.
Adding a hashtag ” # ” followed directly by a word or phrase such as “ #ElectricCars “ to a tweet literally lets you categorize, find, and join a topic of interest. You could converse with an individual, a company representative, or possibly 1000’s of people, depending on the subject.
It could very well be with a key player in a company you may be interested in working for.
Still not sure where to start? Search on a term in this hashtag directory, and find all sorts of options just around that particular term. For example, try “Electric” …
And just like any environment, you can follow a conversation and get engaged in it, but all the social norms of networking apply. First and foremost, it’s about them. Ask questions of the experts. For example, a tweet like this to the Publisher of Electric Vehicles Magazine might actually generate some responses from that person and others with similar interests:
Other than @ElonMusk and @TeslaMotors what other #ElectricCars do you see having an impact in #Europe?
(Go ahead, search the term #ElectricCars. Let me know what you find.)
Imagine now using those terms that fit the industry, role or specific jobs you’re most interested in. Go to Twitter.com and in the top right search bar, take those hashtags for a ride! Search #BigData, #Marketing, or #CustomerService and analyze the results. Now add your own tweet of insight or inquiry, and see what ensues.
Of course, too much of a good thing is just that – too much. Studies show that 1 or 2 hashtags per tweet are ideal. Using more? Well, careful now. You could end up sounding like these guys …
For more great social media article read: http://www.localwork.com/blog/linkedin-like-an-all-star-in-6-easy-steps-in-about-an-hour