Top 10 Sales-Related #hashtags

Social media hashtags, which are keywords preceded by the # symbol, are an effective way for a salesperson to highlight daily news and conversations related to sales skills, sales tips and sales promotions. These tags also allow salespeople to track sales-related chatter among peers, competitors and followers to see where market trends lie.

Hashtags are used by businesses and marketers to raise awareness about company services and products. Social analytics websites, such as Hash Tracking, Tweetbinder and Hashtags.org make it easy to follow the latest sales hash tags in real time.  Topsy can help salespeople study past trends.

Here are the sales-centric hashtags typically in the Top 10. Augment your sales skills by using them to drive your next round of promotions.

1. #sale

The #sale hash tag is the most common sales-related tag, used at least 10,000 times a day, including by sites like eBay and Etsy. It is instantly recognizable by customers and associated with excitement about getting a good price on a coveted item. To use, follow this hashtag with information about what’s on sale and for how long. Include hashtags related to the sales item, such as #jewelry, #fashion or #leatherlaptopbags.

 2. #save

The #save hashtag is most often used, according to HashTags.org, in the evenings, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., which is a prime after-work or after-school shopping window.  However, this is a tag that can become generic quickly and be used to reference heroic events or rescue causes.  Those with expert sales skills may choose to avoid the general word “save” unless using it with another popular sales hash tag that is unambiguous in meaning.

3. #coupon

Followers are always interested in coupon codes. Buyers are known to search specifically for codes while in the process of checking out. Make a habit of listing the monthly coupon codes with a brand hashtag followed by #coupon and the alphanumeric code.

4.  #offer

This hashtag is often combined with the terms #special, #discount and #sale, according to Hashtagify.me. #Offer is often followed with a discount percentage, such as #30% off, along with a product name or model number.

 5. #shopping

This hashtag appears also as #shop and appeals to people who are fans of the pastime of leisure buying – whether there is a sale or not.  With the #shopping hashtag, the key is to offer tantalizing items with irresistible features; it’s a keyword that is effective with high or low prices.

 6. #bargain

This hashtag is strictly for the bargain hunters. They are often searching for the lowest prices and respond to this tag followed by the category of goods that are on sale. Works well with the #shopping and #cheap hashtags.

7. #discount

The word “discount” is often used with the tags #voucher and #coupon as well as with details on the dollar amount off or percentage off.

 8. #free

This is more than a sale; it’s a giveaway. However, it is a very popular tag that sellers use to get followers to try trial sizes of products or to review products. It is also used to entice people to enter contests or take surveys where the prize is a free product.

9.  #promo

#Promo is a meta-marketing tag that can be used to make ads in text, video or photo form go viral. It announces in an upfront way to followers that the tweet is all about promotion and blatant marketing, which makes the audience more receptive to the pitch.

10. #deal

After #sale, this is the most popular sales-related hashtag. Used by stores like The Gap, #deal is often used during holidays, but can create excitement around any campaign. Follow with specific descriptions of the offered items.

A good salesperson should not just follow hashtag trends. They should set trends by creating hashtags linked to their own business. Learning to use hashtags strategically should be among the top sales skills for any sales professional. They are a perfect way to create buzz and activity for a specific product or overall brand.