Marketing

I know, I know. Tooting one’s own horn is not fun, at least for this gal. However, word of mouth has proven to be the best marketing tool out there. Don’t believe me? Here are few surprising stats from the Ambassador Marketing Website.

According to research by Nielsen:

92 % of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than all other forms of marketing.
43 % of consumers are more likely to buy a product if they learn about it from family or friend.
83% purchase decisions made by consumers are influenced by their friend’s social media posts.
77% are more likely to buy a product when recommended by a family or friend.
79% of the people who ‘Liked’ a brand on social media, did it to receive a discount.
49% say their family and friends are their top sources for the best brands.

There you have it and so without further ado: Pass it On!

WIN A free paperback copy of my short story collection, Maybe Next Time.

Or, check out the Kindle Edition, available now for $.99!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

Welcome to the Cow Pasture’s, You Asked, the Experts Answer.

First up, a question from a recent Twitter chat. “What are hashtags and how do I use them? ”

I’m definitely not the expert on Twitter. So, let’s ask the experts.

Hashtags Defined by Twitter

“The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.”

How to #Hashtags:

Anyone can use a hashtag.
Place the # before a keyword (without spaces) to help categorize Tweets; examples include (#writingcontest, #flashfiction).
To find trending topics and those talking about it, search by the #keyword.
Can be placed anywhere in a Tweet and as a keyword in a blog post.
Use, clear, memorable, and common hashtags (those universally understood).

Advantages of Using Hashtags:

Lead to connections.
A search by #hashtag will help locate everyone who is talking about the topic.
Link’s you to social networks.
Increases traffic to your social sites and blog.
Can help you develop your own brand (#cowpasturechronicles).
People will notice you or your business.

Best Practices:

Don’t spam.
Don’t overuse hashtags, your message will be lost.
Twitter recommends no more than two hashtags per Tweet.
Make sure the hashtags you’re using are relevant and on topic.

There you have it, the run down on #hashtags. I hope I answered your questions, but if not, shoot me a note. Have another burning question? Submit it below in the comments.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.