So, you’re a New Orleans business on Twitter and you’re desperately trying to get the grasp of the language. One thing you should know about and use are hashtags. Hashtags, as we discussed in last week’s Talking Twitter: Terms & Definitions post, is just the placing of the number sign/pound sign in front of any word or combination of words, making that keyword(s) searchable on Twitter. Hashtags are often used for events or conferences and can also be used to imply sarcasm or an inside joke.
Like everything else in New Orleans, we have a set of unique popular hashtags that you might see and that we recommend leveraging. Some of them may seem obvious, but all too often get over looked. Of course, there is a difference between leveraging and offering value versus exploiting and spamming your followers. Use hashtags wisely and when appropriate.
#NewOrleans – At any given hour there are at least 10 people using the hashtag New Orleans. As you can see from the chart on the right between 9:00 am and 10:00 am this morning (August 17) there were over 40 mentions of #NewOrleans. So, when discussing something going on in our fair city, be sure to use this hashtag!
#NOLA – Another very popular local hashtag. Since “NOLA” is 6 characters shorter than “New Orleans” is the perfect hashtag to use when you’re running out of room in that 140 character tweet. Any one that is from New Orleans or has been to New Orleans will know what you’re talking about when you say NOLA, so don’t be afraid you’ll get passed up.
#Saints – If you’re not a Saints fan in New Orleans then you’re not really a New Orleanian. If you’re in any kind of retail or hospitality industry in New Orleans, you have the opportunity to leverage the Saints. You can talk about the games, the players, offer specials and discounts — the possibilities are seemingly endless.
#WhoDat – Just like #Saints, the hashtag “WhoDat” is incredibly popular. Like we said, you have the opportunity to leverage the popularity of our beloved Saints team by joining the conversation using this popular hashtag. #WhoDat definitely spikes during football games but is pretty consistently used throughout the city. Be warned: don’t get caught in the heat of the moment when something bad happens or during game-time antics. Always think before you tweet.
#MardiGras and #JazzFest (seasonal) – I don’t know about you but every business I’ve ever encountered in New Orleans has been affected in some way by Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Despite the fact that the 2010 Jazz Fest isn’t for another 9 months, people are still talking about it. If you have any kind of valuable information or resource relating to either of these events, use the hashtag!
So, there you have it, six hashtags to use if you’re in New Orleans. But remember, hashtags are used to unify a community around a common interest, similar to a chat room or social group so respect that space by offering value to the conversations taking place.
This post was written by Andy Kutcher of FSC Interactive and originally appeared on the FSC Interactive blog.