Social media hashtags can be an easy way to find the latest news on the causes and close to your heart and also to support your favourite charities. Productivity blogger Kayla Matthews explains how you can get started.
Hashtags are a great way to find and share content that your favourite charities post on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Some carefully used hashtags even go beyond those purposes by inspiring people to give to causes, or sparking conversations about the things that really matter to you.
Here are some of the best hashtags that you can use when showing your support for charities and non-profits online.
#GivingTuesday
You’ve almost certainly heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as two events that kickstart the holiday shopping season. Giving Tuesday is a version of those occasions that falls immediately after the first two days, and encourages people to support their favourite charitable organisations through giving instead of buying.
It has been celebrated since 2012 in the US, but is already so popular that it's making real waves in the UK (read more about it on the UK Giving Tuesday website). Start making plans to use this hashtag so you can join in the festivities this year!
#Activism
The #activism hashtag is very versatile. You’ll probably find it’s a great way to connect with like-minded people who are interested in the same causes you are. Experiment with using the hashtag if you’re posting your own tweets that help people learn how to get involved with a cause that’s dominating the headlines.
#Fundraising
Hashtags are often used to gain visibility for a certain charity’s event. If a group you support is doing something great to raise money, give your nod of approval by tweeting links to their event that include the #fundraising hashtag.
You can also follow this hashtag to find ideas and inspiration for your own fundraising efforts – whether it is tips on how to run a successful coffee morning, or how to find sponsors for your charity run, there are lots of articles out there.
#FF (Follow Friday)
Friday is when people usually reward themselves for being productive and look forward to a couple of days of relative serenity. It can also become a day when people anticipate finding new and interesting accounts to follow on Twitter.
Insert #FF in your tweets to give the people who follow you some pointers on which great charitable causes they can find out about on Twitter. The hashtag is usually abbreviated as #FF but sometimes seen in full as #FollowFriday. It’s a good way to give credit where it’s due to hard working non-profit organisations, and an easy way to broaden your own network.
#Crowdfunding
Make sure to use this hashtag if you’re using a crowdfunding platform to raise support, awareness, and most importantly, funds for your own organisation.
Crowdfunding is a relatively new way to raise money, but most tech-savvy people are aware it’s an option that has come to be depended on by musicians, entrepreneurs and many others. It can make people feel especially good to support something through crowdfunding, because when they give their funds they often get something in return.
Although this is certainly not a complete list of hashtags to use in your philanthropically oriented tweets, it’ll get you off to a good start, even if you’re relatively new to the idea of using social media to spread the word about charity.
Kayla Matthews is a productivity blogger with a passion for social media and using technology to be more productive. You can find her on Google and Twitter, and read her blog at ProductivityBytes.com
Image by oggin
