Sumber Bisnis untuk Wedding Entrepreneur

• 

Hashtagging is the currently beloved habit to identify a social media post with a community. There is the #ootd community, the #flatlay enthusiasts and the #weddingdream - ers among many. However, the use of hashtag is more than just to build a community - it also extends to targeting a potential business market especially for wedding vendors.

First, what is a "hashtag"? According to Twitter (the company that first founded the hashtag function), the '#' symbol was meant to mark a keyword or topic in a post. It groups contents in social media so people can see other posts marked with the same keyword. A hashtagged word or phrase becomes more popular and rises in search result as more people use it.

As a wedding vendor, you can use hashtag to attract brides-to-be who are looking for information in the social media. It is particularly crucial for Twitter and Instagram however less so for Facebook, Pinterest or other social platforms. So, here are some benefits of hashtag:

Build a wedding catalogue with #brandhashtag
Hashtagging your brand is like making a catalogue of all your works. According to Deza of Hiraloka Wedding Invitation, hashtag helps potential clients to find Hiraloka's products before even entering its Instagram account. With its brand hashtag #hiraloka, brides-to-be can see the various designs they have made in the past.

Gain entry into unique market
If you're from a non-English speaking country, use the local language to attract the local market where you're based and use English to tap into a more international market both abroad and in your home country. For Hiraloka (which is based in Jakarta, Indonesia), Deza uses #undanganpernikahan, #pesanundangan, #desainundangan, #weddinginvitation, #weddingstationery, and #invitationdesign in its posts.

Inspire & get found with category hashtag
There is a specific category hashtag for everything you do, be it #weddingcake, #preweddingdress, #boutonniére or many others. Use the hashtags most appropriate with your service so you'll appear in that particular content group. For example, Hiraloka will come up whenever a bride-to-be search for #weddinginvitation.

Attract couples from out of town
Use location hashtags in your posts (e.g. #balimakeup #melbournemakeup #queenslandmakeup) to identify the places where you're open to do business hence, enabling couples planning from out of town or are having destination weddings to find you and submit their leads.

Get noticed by wedding curators
These people are behind the accounts solely dedicated for wedding inspirations. They check photo submissions based on the hashtag used in a post, then repost pictures and credit the vendors when the works go well with the overall theme of the curation accounts. This is another way to popularize your works and inspire brides-to-be worldwide. You can also use #FriendsofTBBF to submit bridesmaid-themed pictures or #thebridebestfriend to submit your wedding works for a chance to be featured at @thebridebestfriend Instagram account.

Before you go on further with your hashtagging spree, we've got a two tips for you to keep in mind:

1. Limit yourself. If you're a vendor who likes to include many many hashtags to improve your search result, limiti yourself to 7-10 hashtags iso your posts don't look like spam. Fear not because you can put the remaining hashtags in the comment area and still make sure your posts appear in the search!
2. Make your account public. The point of using hashtag is to allow brides-to-be to find your works. When your account is on "private", only married brides who have followed you can see what you've done, therefore you're not directly inviting potential clients to your doors.

Hashtag is a feasible & cost-effective method for wedding vendors to promote their services. It's pretty simple to use, but always do a quick research to find which hashtags are commonly used by both brides-to-be and vendors in your category. Afterall, the point of using a hashtag is so you can find each other and come to a deal (win-win!).

Share this article to your friends if you find useful and if you have more suggestions on how to effectively use hashtag in a social media post, feel free to leave a comment!