Using Hashtags Efectively During a Crisis

Here are five pointers for using hashtags effectively during a crisis. Basically, you want to ensure that your tweets are planned for ease of retweeting in a crisis. Hashtags need to be:

• Compact – 10 characters or less. And remember that if you are linking, the tweet needs to be less 112 characters or less.
• Simple and easy to understand, i.e.; #foodsafe
• Share with partners, both internal and external, plus key stakeholders BEFORE the crisis hits.
• Organic. For example #bnefloods (Brisbane Floods). Choose hashtags that are easily understood and are straightforward. This is not the time for being witty and clever, although that is inevitable in SocialMediaLand.
• Test BEFORE crisis hits. Include Twitter language and hashtags as a separate but integral part of your next desktop or planning exercise. Brainstorm with your crisis team and advisers, and test, test and test so that you can iron out as many bugs as possible in advance.

Thanks to crisis bloggers Melissa Agnes and Kim Stephens for this information!