Twitter tools « Social Media for Dealers

January 12, 2012 • 9:00 am 0

What Is a Hashtag? And Why Should I Use It?

Often, when dealers begin using social media, they become overwhelmed at the new vocabulary that is used on Facebook or Twitter. It’s confusing at first, for everyone!

One of the most common trip-ups is Twitter’s hashtag. Most dealers new to Twitter have no idea what a hashtag is, so they end up using it incorrectly or not using it at all. We are here to help you. Let’s begin with: hashtag = #. A hashtag is simply the number sign.

Hashtags are used in Twitter to categorize topics. Since Twitter’s setup is pretty simple, they developed the hashtag so people file their “tweets” under particular topics.

Example: You post a comment telling everyone to pop into your dealership this weekend. “Hey guys, check out our new inventory this weekend before you head out on your adventure! #camping”

What the #camping does:

Since you placed a “#” before “camping” it will automatically make it a link.
You (or anyone) can click on that link and it will take you to a page of every other Tweets that used “#camping”.
Your tweet will be held in this archive of all other tweets mentioning #camping.

The hashtag is a powerful tool because it allows people who are not following you to see your tweet. A person who has never heard of you but is interested in camping will search #camping and see your tweet. This helps expose your dealership to a wider audience, and it helps establish you as a key leader on topics.

Want to know more? There are tons of websites promoted to helping you understand social media vocabulary. If you are still a little fuzzy see how Twitter describes hashtags. Also check out this blog post that describes more Twitter vocabulary. Happy #Tweeting!

photo by ccsdteacher

Filed under: Twitter, Getting started, hashtag, social media how-to, social media language, social media presence, tools, Twitter, Twitter tools

June 7, 2010 • 9:27 am 1

Twitter tools profile: HootSuite

We’ve posted a lot about Twitter. How to get started, topic ideas, tips as well as a few strategies. We’ve also posted on tracking and tools. It can all be a bit overwhelming, so today, we’re kicking off a new series where we will be profiling a few of the Twitter tools that are meant to make your Twitter efforts a little easier. The tools we’ll be featuring help with posting (tweeting), replying, tracking – all of it.

The first tool we’re covering is HootSuite. HootSuite is a “professional Twitter client”, fancy for “free tool that allows you to post, schedule future posts, track, follow and stay updated with your Twitter strategy”. Check out the article “How to Get the Most Out of Social Media Using Hootsuite” by Zachary Sniderman on Open Forum. He does a great job over-viewing Hootsuite.

Our top three takeaways:

1. Multiple accounts.

HootSuite makes it easy to track, maintain and post on multiple accounts from the same dashboard. This means you can manage your personal Twitter (if you have one) and your RV dealership Twitter account from the same place (no need for logging in twice)! This is great if you have multiple dealerships with different accounts. You can also add your other social media sites (Facebook, Digg, LinkedIn, etc.) to this dashboard and track those accounts from the same place. Your HootSuite dashboard can become your one stop shop for social media.

2. Adding team members.

We’ve recommended in the past that you utilize multiple people at your dealership for posting. It mixes things up and takes a little pressure off of you to get all the work done. HootSuite allows you to add users, essentially you can add team members as needed. Each member can then log in and utilize the dashboard.

3. Tracking, tracking, tracking.

HootSuite offers the best tracking options of the Twitter tools we’ll cover. It offers statistics and tools that can tell you anything from what links were clicked on (and when) to which sites are sending traffic your way. Of course it also measures retweets, replies, and mentions. It’s a great way gauge your success and set benchmarks for the future. HootSuite makes tracking your dealership’s Twitter account a breeze.

Filed under: Twitter, Unique Tools, apps, article, Hootsuite, Mashable, Open Forum, social media measurement, social media monitoring, social media ROI, social media stats, Tracking, Twitter, Twitter tools, Twitter tracking

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