Hashtags are a way for people to self-organize on social media networks. Tagging your content makes it easier for other people to find it, even if they aren’t directly connected to you. Conversely, it helps you find other people or organizations that are talking about similar topics. There are at least four reasons you should be tracking relevant hashtags to enhance your church leadership:

• Plug into broader conversations. // People are talking about stuff that can propel your ministry forward. Hashtags help you find that content, but more importantly, you can find people who share similar interests.
• Open data gathering. // Social media provides consumer insights on scale. Tracking the hashtag trends in your community will give you a sense of what is important to them.
• Find your community. // Encouraging your community to use hashtags gives you a way to “find” them online. We encourage people to use #LiqiudChurch and we follow that content to encourage interaction with the church.
• Ride a trend. // Hashtags go viral. Keep an eye on trending hashtags to find opportunities to infuse the message of your church into the broader culture.

I use Hootsuite as the core of my social media strategy … I simply open a new “stream” with the hashtags that I want to follow. Here are some hashtags to consider following on Twitter or Facebook:

#chsocm – Church social media conversations – including a weekly chat on Tuesday evenings!

#kidmin & #stumin – Kids and student ministry conversations

#pastor – What’s it like being a pastor today?

#leadchange – Wide-ranging conversations about making things better

#churchmedia – Videos, art and other media pieces for churches

 #churchtech – Conversations about using technology in ministry

#innovation – Insights into future trends and ideas

#mktg – Marketing … the art of telling stories that gather attention

#tutorial – Help for doing all kinds of different tasks, with a slant towards technology

#poverty – Jesus pleads with us to care for the least of these … this hashtag gives insights into the last and the least

#CharityTuesday – How non-profits communicate their visions

Which hashtags do you follow? I’d love to hear!