Three words on growing your business: Hashtag, Hashtag… did I say HASHTAG? Follow our step-by-step guide on hot hashtags!
Why are hashtags useful?
Hashtags can help you reach friends of friends and the entire world; while reaching the entire world is not so helpful, reaching friends of your clients (aka your student’s friends or other parents) can help you grow enrollment.
How to Create & Use Hashtags:
Step #1: Create a Hashtag based on your business or studio name. It can be simple or fun. For example, if we were creating a hashtag for the famous Broadway Dance Center, we may use #bdc (as this is what most kids call Broadway Dance Center) or we may use #danceBDC to show that dance is a large part of Broadway Dance Center. Hashtags should be SHORT and SWEET; no spaces in your hashtags.
Step #2: Edit your “About” information or “Home Page” info on your Facebook, Twitter, website, and anywhere else you may use Hashtags. Hashtags are an easy way to connect multiple pages.
Step #3: Begin posting with your hashtag. When you write a post, include your hashtag at the end.
Step #4: After you post with your hashtag over ten times it will become “searchable.” This means when people click your hashtag or search your hashtag they will be taken to all posts containing your hashtag. If your hashtag is on your website, Twitter, or Facebook page, they will also be directed to these pages.
That’s it! So how will this grow your business? Here’s a personal example.
As a dance teacher, I posted a picture from a class I taught at one of my studios with #michaeljclark for me and #nameofthestudio (I took out the name of the studio for this article). The picture was of three students performing a particularly excellent move. When my students saw the picture they felt very proud and shared the picture on their “timeline,” retweeted the picture, and showed friends the “awesome” photo. One of my student’s friends, who had never danced before really liked the picture. They clicked #michaeljclark and began following me on Facebook, and they also clicked the #nameofthestudio. The next week they called the studio and came in for a class. When the studio owner asked how they found the studio, the parent replied the child found it on a friend’s Twitter. This friend of my original student is now one of the full-time students all because of hashtags!
As part of your website design and marketing, Dance Studio Web Design will create a Hashtag for you!