What is 'Hashtag' and Use ?

Definition of Hashtags

A hashtag or this symbol “#” as it is more commonly known has become an integral part of social media. If you have never used it and you’ve asked yourself what is a hashtag and what does hashtag mean, here is a great primer to get you up and running.

This article was in part inspired by someone who commented here on Small Business Trends by saying, “I’m still not sure how hashtags are being used, or how to use them, or when to use them, or what the significance is in using them… totally confused ….”  We hear you, Dr. C — hashtags are baffling to those who do not spend a lot of time online or who are new to social media.

A hashtag is a label for content. It helps others who are interested in a certain topic, quickly find content on that same topic.

How To Hashtag

Hashtags are simple things.  There are just a few technical requirements to know:

No Spaces Allowed

A hashtag can be a single word, an abbreviation, an invented combination of letters and numbers, or a phrase.  If it is a phrase, there can be no spaces between words.  All letters and numbers must run together without spaces in a hashtag.  You can’t have punctuation or symbols in your hashtag (other than the # symbol at the beginning).  Numbers are OK, but you must also have at least one letter with the numbers — hashtags cannot consist entirely of numbers.

Start With the # Symbol

To create one, start with a hashtag symbol # and follow it directly with letters and sometimes numbers.  Fun factoid:  depending on where you are in the world, the symbol # is called various things.  In the United States and Canada, it is called a number sign or sometimes a pound sign.

Make Hashtags Unique

Make Hashtags Easy to Remember and Understand

How to Use a Hashtag That Already Exists

More: smallbiztrends.com  thank u.

What is Facebook "Off-Facebook activity " ?

Please check if you are using 

Facebook...    the amount of info stored from non Facebook apps with Facebook is astonishing.  

Are you aware of a new feature that Facebook added since the Feb 1st update? Many of you prob don’t know that over the past 8 weeks facebook has been monitoring & tracking what you do when you're offline and not on Facebook.

Look now as you won’t believe it...

1. Go to Facebook settings,

2. scroll down to Your Facebook Information.

3. Click on Off-Facebook Activity. (You can see the list in Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity).

4. To shut it down go in the same settings and click on 'More Options'

5. Go into Manage Future Activity and TURN IT OFF.

6. While you are there, make sure you clear the history. 

Impact of COVID-19 on organic traffic

It’s no longer news that coronavirus has upended the way we live our day-to-day lives. Unprecedented unemployment rates, emptied shelves where toilet paper and Lysol wipes used to sit, an innumerable amount of people working from home – this has become our new reality.

We know the ways it has impacted our lives personally, but how has consumer behavior and the way people search changed as a byproduct? What we’ve seen across our clients at 3Q Digital and within the industry is two-fold:

Search behavior drastically changed as a result of the coronavirus, and it will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months with “at home” keyword modifiers seeing a material rise;
Consumerism has also seen a large demand shift from desire-based purchases to people buying what they deem as essential for overall health and fitness.
As people are forced to stay home, how can you shift your SEO and content strategy to address your audience to maintain relevance?

Every site should have a page about COVID-19
This is especially important if your business is considered essential or is significantly impacted by COVD-19. Creating a dedicated page to capture all relevant coronavirus traffic can help sustain some traffic loss. You don’t have to update people on the ongoings of coronavirus but more so what your company is doing. For example, FootJoy created a COVID-19 page detailing how a portion of their sales will go towards relief efforts.


More:- visit searchengineland. 

12 Tips to help build the foundation for a new SEO career

TIP 1. Set your focus on your clients success.

TIP 2. A difference in your performance is a difference in your profits.

TIP 3. Have confidence in your own strategies and explore profit sharing.

TIP 4. Don’t forget community and charitable work.

TIP 5. Work on Relationship building and position yourself for success to come.

Tip 6. Set your course of action and get started.

Tip 7. Choose which voices you choose to listen to carefully.

Tip 8. Run a balanced business.

Tip 9. Don’t forget to recognize and be thankful for the progress you’ve made.

Tip 10. Give something back to your community (with gladness).

Tip 11. You must be willing to change and take action!

Tip 12. Surround yourself with the high quality people!

Rules Of Social Media Optimization - SMO

For years now, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites has been honed into a fine art with entire companies devoting considerable effort to defining best practices and touting the value of SEO for raising a site's performance on organic search listings.  While I believe in the power of SEO, there is a new offering we have started providing to clients which we call Social Media Optimization .
(SMO).  The concept behind SMO is simple: implement changes to optimize a site so that it is more easily linked to, more highly visible in social media searches on custom search engines (such as Technorati), and more frequently included in relevant posts on blogs, podcasts and vlogs.  Here are 5 rules we use to help guide our thinking with conducting an SMO for a client's website:

Increase your linkability – This is the first and most important priority for websites.  Many sites are "static" – meaning they are rarely updated and used simply for a storefront.  To optimize a site for social media, we need to increase the linkability of the content.  Adding a blog is a great step, however there are many other ways such as creating white papers and thought pieces, or even simply aggregating content that exists elsewhere into a useful format.

Make tagging and bookmarking easy – Adding content features like quick buttons to "add to del.icio.us" are one way to make the process of tagging pages easier, but we go beyond this, making sure pages include a list of relevant tags, suggested notes for a link (which come up automatically when you go to tag a site), and making sure to tag our pages first on popular social bookmarking sites (including more than just the homepage).

Reward inbound links – Often used as a barometer for success of a blog (as well as a website), inbound links are paramount to rising in search results and overall rankings.  To encourage more of them, we need to make it easy and provide clear rewards.  From using Permalinks to recreating Similarly, listing recent linking blogs on your site provides the reward of visibility for those who link to you.

Help your content travel – Unlike much of SEO, SMO is not just about making changes to a site.  When you have content that can be portable (such as PDFs, video files and audio files), submitting them to relevant sites will help your content travel further, and ultimately drive links back to your site. 

Encourage the mashup – In a world of co-creation, it pays to be more open about letting others use your content (within reason).  YouTube's idea of providing code to cut and paste so you can imbed videos from their site has fueled their growth.  Syndicating your content through RSS also makes it easy for others to create mashups that can drive traffic or augment your content.

There are many other "rules" and techniques that we are starting to uncover as this idea gets more sophisticated.  In the meantime we are always on the lookout for new ideas in Social Media Optimization to encourage even better thinking.  Perhaps we may even see the rise of entire groups or agencies devoted to SMO in the future …

SEO: 3 Key Areas to Focus on Right Now COVID-19

As it continues to spread and take hold in various regions, COVID-19 leaves in its wake a devastating human tool.

As of publishing, more than 2 million have been infected and more than 130,000 people have died worldwide.

As new data and early projections on the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic are made available, only one thing is certain:

Nothing is certain.

In these challenging times, empathy and compassion for customers and employees are critical.

In enterprise organizations, large teams and in many cases the entire workforce is affected.

History has shown that in tumultuous economic times, SEO is more important than ever.

The entire supply chain is affected, all the way from manufacturing facilities through ordering, customer service, delivery, and of course the customers themselves.

The demand for credible, useful information is massive.

Media consumption has spiked as people now need to figure out how to work from home with children out of school, how to get groceries and stay fit without leaving the house, and more.

These are just the bare-bones logistics.

In the coming weeks and months, we will be exploring entirely new ways to go about our business as usual in an environment that is anything but.

Many businesses are now in a position where they need to adjust operations or even pivot their strategy in light of COVID-19 business interruptions and impact.

Paid search budgets are being halted as marketers have to figure out new ways of serving customers and delivering products.

Universally, companies are looking for the most cost-effective channels and many are having to shift from real-world events and promotions to digital-only in record time.

All of this widespread change means enormous volumes of content being created and pushed to consumers.

Companies need to be agile and get in position to capitalize on demand surges with short-term wins, while balancing this approach with the need to protect the brand long-term.

Interest in SEO as a discipline is growing more than ever before.

Google Trends Interest on SEOGoogle Trends interest on SEO as of April 8
Here are three key areas where SEO professionals need to focus right now to get ahead of these trends.

 People

Your employees must do what they did before in a remote work environment that may be brand new for them.

While a lot of organizations had some flexible scheduling or an occasional remote workday, entire companies have now had to go remote-only.

Employees are feeling a lack of connection and the impact of social isolation, not only in their work-life but in their personal lives, as well.

Teams that may have functioned quite well together in the office now need to learn entirely new methods of communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and productivity.

Your brand can support employees by ensuring that remote work policies are empathetic to the needs of employees in this environment.

Regularly scheduled team meetings may not work for all, especially those with other family members to care for.

It is important that each employee has the tools and also knows the process for executing their duties remotely.

Dedicate Some Channels to Socialization Only
For example, you could put a member of each team in charge of scheduling an (optional) hour of games played on Zoom once a week.

You might have dedicated Slack channels for discussing what people are watching on Netflix.

Remember that a lot of people aren’t getting these simple conversations they would’ve had at the water cooler anymore, and that complete isolation can be devastating.

Set up an Open Room Online Where Colleagues Can Get Together in a Co-Working Environment
It should be made clear that this is not a chat room, and that it is appropriate to go on mute well you get work done.

However, this structure still allows employees to take breaks together, run ideas by one another, and have that face-to-face interaction that is so important in professional relationships.

Don’t Forget About Physical Wellness & the Mental Health Benefits of Activity
In some regions, people are being entirely discouraged from going into public spaces and well in a lot of areas you could still go for a walk, many people are entirely housebound at this point.

Put a member of the team in charge of organizing group video activities that employees can opt into at different times of the day do light stretching or other low-impact physical activity.

Offer employees a free subscription to a fitness video website.

Find ways to support the mental and physical health of your employees at this time.

Tap Into the Expertise of Your SEO Pros as You Develop Content & Channels for Employees
They have the skills and knowledge to make that content readable and findable, to make your channels user-friendly, and to set up systems of measurement that will help you understand how they are being used and how you can improve your delivery.

Remote work may very well be the new normal for your organization and investing in your employees’ success today will pay off for years to come.

Be More Respectful Than Ever of Employees’ Time
Hold meetings only when necessary, and only for as long as needed to get the major decision making done.

9 Ways to Support Small Businesses During COVID-19

Since COVID-19 has become a full-blown pandemic, unemployment rates have skyrocketed as businesses are forced to shutter their doors for the sake of public health.

It is certainly a stressful time, especially for small business owners who have much smaller coffers to sustain them.

If you’ve checked your email recently, you may have noticed all the businesses sending out notifications letting their consumers know how they are trying to help.

It is admirable to see individuals and organizations coming together to offer assistance to those in need.

If you would like to join the ranks of the helpful, here are 17 ways to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

1. Volunteer On Behalf of Your Company
If you are not a member of the at-risk community, consider getting out there and doing some hands-on volunteering on behalf of your company.

Meals on Wheels expects the number of individuals in need of their meal delivery service to increase and is actively looking for volunteers.

You can also do the out-and-about – like shopping or picking up prescriptions – for at-risk individuals in your neighborhood.

Post on a community Facebook group or, if you live in an apartment building, help your direct neighbors by putting a notice in the lobby.

If you’re not able to brave the outdoors, but you have a sewing machine, you can join the ranks of people making homemade non-medical masks.

They are easy to make, and a growing number of hospitals are requesting them to help extend the life of their N95 masks, which are in desperately limited supply.

2. Take to Social Media & Amplify Messages
Instead of spending your days listlessly scrolling, make an active effort to follow and share the posts of companies you want to support.

Make a Twitter list so that you can make this an ongoing effort.

Amplify messages from small businesses with minimal effort and provide them with the most valuable advertising there is – word-of-mouth.

If they’re running an awesome promotion to boost their sales, retweet it to your followers.

If you have a loyal following, your social media boosts can also add credibility to the company you’re vouching for.

3. Choose Credits Over Refunds
If COVID-19 prevents a company from providing the product or service you ordered, wherever possible, choose a credit rather than a refund.

With the economic hit of the pandemic on small business owners and entrepreneurs, this distinction might be the difference between them making rent this month – or not.

4. Order (More) Take Out & Delivery
You may finally have the time in quarantine to cook your own meals, but don’t forget to consider the dire situations of your favorite restaurants.

Usually, restaurants only make a small amount of money from take-out orders.

However, with dine-in temporarily restricted in most cities and towns, take-out and delivery have become most restaurants’ sole source of income.

Order online and you can keep a Grubhub or DoorDash driver employed as well.

Just make sure that you’re tipping well – these people are working on the front lines of dealing with a dangerous disease.

Toast is a popular Point-of-Sale (POS) system for the food industry that has created a website to facilitate take-out and delivery purchases.

Rally for Restaurants lets you add your favorite restaurants for consideration and will even make a donation to other organizations feeding the community.

5. Buy Credits or Gift Certificates to Use Later
If you can’t frequent a business right now, either because you are in quarantine, or the company is temporarily closed, consider purchasing credits or gift certificates that you can use later on.

This cash flow will mean a lot right now while incomes are lean, and you can make use of your purchases when it’s safe to do so.

In Asheville, a public relations and marketing and agency called Bright Planning started a website – Asheville Strong – where consumers can find a directory of local small businesses that are offering gift cards.

If you have the skills, consider making something similar for your local community.

6. Use Your Expertise to Help Struggling Businesses
If you have the time and ability, consider using your skills to build an ecommerce website for a brick-and-mortar business to move their sales online.

Or, if you’re an expert in enterprise and have strategies that can help small businesses bounce back from the economic upheaval of COVID-19, you’re in a unique position to offer tangibly useful information to the companies that need it.

For example, Ahrefs is currently offering premium content for free – their popular blogging for business course.

If you don’t have a course already built, put together a webinar filled with detailed, helpful content that you’re uniquely qualified to teach.

You can combine your audience with someone who works in an adjacent position to make a presentation that goes further.

And if hosting a complete webinar on a brand new topic is more than you can commit to right now, trying making things simpler.

Erin Flynn, of Successfully Simple, sent an email to her subscribers asking for any business questions they had and responded to all of them with personalized Loom videos.

7. Organize Your Expert Friends to Share Knowledge
If you’re especially well-connected in your industry, you can go beyond a webinar and organize a virtual summit.

Gather experts and offer free access to their presentations for 24 hours.

After that, you can host the content and charge a small fee that will not only add value, but also help recoup any costs.

Give your experts an affiliate link so that they are incentivized to share it with their followers.

Whether you decide to organize a virtual summit or stick to a simple webinar, remember that the goal here is to serve, rather than profit.

8. Offer Free Office Hours
If you’re a business that is geared toward helping other businesses, you can offer free consultations to small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19.

First, take the time to listen so that you understand the current state of affairs and problems they’re facing.

Then, use your expertise to tell them how to generate more leads, market their business on social media, or whatever your company is best positioned to offer.

Note from the author: this is something that I’m doing – tweet me for my calendar scheduling link!

9. Advertise Free Offers From SaaS (Software as a Service) Companies
Many SaaS companies are offering incentives to counter the negative impacts of COVID-19.

Share their offers with the small business owners who can use these discounted services the most right now.

They might find something that is not only inexpensive in the short-term but indispensable to the growth and success of their company as we come out of the crisis.

Helping to facilitate this connection is win-win for the SaaS company offering the deal and the small business owner taking advantage of it.

You can also take advantage of these offers yourself.