What’s the deal with #hashtags
Let’s go back in time and discover when hashtags were actually invented. In the year 2007, a guy named Chris Messina saw an opportunity to begin something new. He initiated the use of #hashtags, and from that moment on, we have never looked back. To learn more about the history of these funny little things, you can visit this page here.
I personally have always found it challenging (and okay pretty useless) to spend my time adding hashtags to social posts, when I ultimately felt like they did absolutely.nothing. I have now slowly grown to realize that they can actually help your social media planning, and who wouldn’t want a little extra help with that? I’m not saying it can be your entire strategy, but it can absolutely stear your thoughts in a more consistent direction.
This is how I have noticed it helps…
Look at a calendar view of one week (ex. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…you get the point)
Decide what days your audience seems to be most engaged in your posting efforts.
Check out any of your tracking tools to find the most engaged times that you post.
On those chosen days, pick a “theme” to stick to.
Whatever “theme” you decide, brainstorm a catchy hashtag.
Create the content on those days that revolve around the hashtag you created.
And that’s it!
I know…not super magical. But it really is going to help you decide and reign in your crazy thoughts on what to post and when. Using hashtags gives you a template to follow, helping narrow down the decision-making process for a post.
The best part about this is how trackable hashtags are. Once you get your posts going using your amazing hashtags, you’ll begin to notice how some are performing vs. others. You can start to make changes as you see the activity.
You might be wondering, “wow this is great, but is it really worth it to come up with hashtags?”
Obviously, you know my answer is yes. The number 1 reason why I firmly believe this is important is that you are training your audience to expect different content from you and your organization. This expectation helps build a strong brand in the minds of your audience which leads to greater engagement and retention. Say WHAT? I know, crazy right? But it’s true! By being consistent in posting and using hashtags as a tool to help you determine what to post and when, you are helping your audience understand your purpose which will always lead to greater engagement.
Now for the good stuff…hashtag ideas
I think as a Catholic organization, it’s hard to visualize just how helpful hashtags could be, much less how they could actually help communicate your brand and identity. But let’s try and shift this mindset and utilize a social tool to our benefit. Below is a list of “Catholic-approved” hashtags that are sure to spice up your social feeds.”
Monday
#MindfulMonday
#MassMonday
#MaryMonday
#MagnificatMonday
Tuesday
#TeachingTuesday
#TuesdayTrivia
#TipTuesday
#TuesdayTunes
#TuesdayTestimony
#NewReleaseTuesday
#TheologyTuesday
#TabernacleTuesday
Wednesday
#WellnessWednesday
#WisdomWednesday
#WednesdayWonders
#WitnessWednesday
#WorshipWednesday
Thursday
#TrinityThursday
#ThankfulThursday
#ThursdayThoughts
Friday
#FellowshipFriday
#FaithfulFriday
#FeatureFriday
#FaithFriday
#FamilyFriday
#FatherFriday
Saturday
#SaintSaturday
#SacramentSaturday
#SocialSaturday
#SpiritSaturday
#SimpleSaturday
Sunday
#SabbathSunday
#SacredSunday
#ScriptureSunday
#SupernaturalSunday
These are just some ideas that came to mind as I was brainstorming what a Catholic hashtag would actually look like. Maybe these aren’t for you, but hopefully, they will help you start thinking of hashtags that do fit your social objectives. A great site for hashtags is this one.
At the end of the day, Catholics can absolutely utilize these social media trends and use them in a way that helps spread our message to the world.
Love, LHC