How to Use Hashtags to Promote Your Book

Contributed by Weegee Sachtjen

Everyone knows about hashtags thanks to the famous “Hashtag” skit with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.

But how can you use it effectively to self-promote your book? How does putting the pound symbol in front of a word  work?

The “#” in front of a group of words or phrases identifies the keyword or topic of interest. The phrase (withoutspaces) is immediately index by the social network and searchable by other users. If someone clicks on the hashtag, they are brought to an aggregated page of all the posts, and future posts in real time, with that hashtag.

Popular Hashtags for Writers
Hashtags can connect you with readers, experts, reviewers and other authors. You can connect about the writing process, book genres, industry info, readers and creativity.

Here is a great resource with a list of possible #writer hashtags:
http://www.authormedia.com/44-essential-twitter-hashtags-every-author-should-know/

Hashtag Etiquette
Online social media also has its own rules for posting etiquette:
1)    Don’t string too many words together into one. Although, there is a time and place for that.
2)    Don’t over-tag in a single tweet. A good standard is three.
3)    Don’t #hashtag #several #words #in #a #row.
4)    Do use hashtags that are relevant to the topic.
5)    Do research a hashtag before you use it to make sure it is appropriate.

Why Create Your Own Hashtag
Creating a unique, special hashtag can give an author or their book a special lift. It’s like a secret code word for followers to use in reference to you or your product. It will help to track mentions of you, your book and the genre you write in. Hashtags also increase the chance of someone discovering you or your writing through searches within the social media platform.

It could be your book title (#SpyWhoLovedMe), a key phrase from the book (#BondJamesBond) or the name of your book tour. Get creative. Have fun. Use it often.

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