How to master the trending hashtag: The eclipse example

As most of you will be aware today we had the best solar eclipse since 1999. With the next one set to be 2026 it becomes quite a talking point. The great thing about national/global events like these is they’re a great platform to promote your business and get your name seen by thousands. Today we’re looking at how companies use the power of the trending Twitter hashtag to increase awareness using the eclipse and an example.

Here’s one you CAN look directly at. #Eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/o7clR6Hgr7

— Persil UK & Ireland (@persiluk) March 20, 2015

Recap: How hashtags work

Hashtags work by linking your tweet to a word or phrase. By doing this anyone then searching for that word or phrase has the chance of seeing your post. So if you are posting a tweet about a new drill you want to sell, let’s say, then you could hashtag it with #drill #DIY #renovation #tools etc. etc. Then anyone who is interested in these terms (By which I mean your target audience) has more of a chance of being exposed to your brand.

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Use hashtags that relate to your business and industry for a better conversion rate
Click To Tweet

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Piggybacking Trending hashtags #eclipse2015

Today we saw a great example of how you can piggyback ‘trending’ hashtags. You can find trending terms on Twitter on the left hand side of your homepage. These are phrases that thousands of people are currently talking about and therefore more likely to be searched. You can plan for these in advance, for example we all knew the eclipse was coming, so by planning and preparing your tweet all you need to do is assign the trending hashtag to it to gain more exposure. In this case #eclipse2015 was the trending tag. This also occurs for big sporting events (#superbowl), Seasonal (#Christmas), TV show launches (#GoT), etc. Although we recommend you use hashtags that relate to your business and industry for a better conversion rate, this tactic is great for increasing exposure to a large blanket audience. It works even better if you can tie it in with your business and interject some humour like Super League, Persil and Bubble Footy 2015 have done below.

Don’t wait another 11 years for your next #oreoeclipse pic.twitter.com/Ke0HweW6Bc — Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) March 20, 2015

if you missed the #eclipse2015 ….. pic.twitter.com/QSgSV5hGG8

— BubbleFooty2015 (@BubbleFootyUK) March 20, 2015

Our prices eclipse all others! Don’t be left in the dark, shop with us today! #eclipse2015 http://t.co/BzNvOhSOu6 pic.twitter.com/8hf6ExxAkL — Ironmongery Direct (@IronmngryDirect) March 20, 2015

Didn’t get to see the #Eclipse2015? Try these amazing star-gazing destinations instead http://t.co/5j3Lyp4f4e pic.twitter.com/ZidN1VSjML

— Condé Nast Traveller (@cntraveller) March 20, 2015

13 stunningly British views of the solar #eclipse2015 http://t.co/LFRJ4kxEtr pic.twitter.com/YABrquNpZ5 — BuzzFeed UK (@BuzzFeedUK) March 20, 2015

What to say during an eclipse… #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/Iwaa60gbey

— BBC One (@BBCOne) March 20, 2015

Can’t see the #eclipse2015 because it’s so cloudy? Worry not, we have an exclusive picture for you. pic.twitter.com/5TNR9KOzg2 — StarCraft (@StarCraft) March 20, 2015

Possibly the only day that you could have got away with wearing this to work… http://t.co/3uZIg1AuBv #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/I7ePYuN15U

— Amazon.co.uk (@AmazonUK) March 20, 2015

That’s no moon!!! #starwars #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/VZZbfZX037 — Numskull (@NumskullDesigns) March 20, 2015

Rugby League – The sport that eclipses all others! #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/kR51dDWto5

— Super League (@SuperLeague) March 20, 2015

The extra mile

Have some fun with it. Twitter is a social platform and hard sells don’t work well. Be funny and casual. Innocent and BBC, for example, went one better and changed their Twitter icon to be more topical…

and everything else

If all else fails or you forgot to prep, you can always give a glimpse into your business by showing staff and behind-the-scenes shots or even advice and tips like the examples below…

The #eclipse2015 might not have been all that impressive, but fun was still had watching the office window scramble. pic.twitter.com/7cPm9w07qm — LateRooms.com (@LateRooms) March 20, 2015

Some desperately underwhelming #eclipse2015 photos, courtesy of our readers. http://t.co/LMu3vbdFfe pic.twitter.com/JbKxJByjzW

— Guardian news (@guardiannews) March 20, 2015

Here’s everything you need to know about #eclipse2015 http://t.co/RfZpOrVe9a pic.twitter.com/0NKu23icN1 — Sky News (@SkyNews) March 20, 2015

The team at Macdonald Houstoun House just watched the #eclipse with their homemade viewfinder #eclipse2015 pic.twitter.com/y5crW5aCFo

— Macdonald Hotels (@MacdonaldHotels) March 20, 2015

Just to honour the #eclipse2015… https://t.co/FxaRG00CAc — heat & heatworld.com (@heatworld) March 20, 2015

RECREATE your own eclipse for just 12p. pic.twitter.com/0btckKib7I (via @FrizFrizzle) #Eclipse2015

— Twop Twips (@TwopTwips) March 20, 2015

by Jennifer McMillen on 20/03/2015