#Hashtag – Buy Something on Twitter via Amex

Twitter and American Express now have a new partnership that allows users to buy products via a #hashtag.

The way this works is fairly simple. Amex cardholders must “sync” their cards with their Twitter accounts. After you tweet the specified #hashtag to purchase a product, Amex will send a second tweet with instructions on how to send your confirmation tweet. Once you send your confirmation tweet, your credit card is charged and the product is shipped to the address you have on file.

From a business perspective, anything you can do to make the purchasing process easier for the consumer, is a good idea. Time will tell if this initiative will catch on, but I think it just might depending on how compelling the offers are.

Security is my main concern with this new payment method. How can you be assured these tweets are not opening you up to being hacked? I think it would be smart for American Express to address this topic sooner rather than later.

What are your thoughts on this new offering? Please leave your comments below.

Like this post? Connect with Erika Barbosa on Google+.

Using Hashtags for Branding

Originally posted by awkwardimages.com

A few weeks ago, we revealed the mystery of hashtags to explain what they are and how to implement a hashtag strategy on Twitter. But did you know that hashtags are also very useful for other social media sites, such as Instagram, Pinterest and Google+? They are becoming so popular, one couple recently named their newborn daughter Hashtag!

You use hashtags on other social networking sites in much the same way you do on Twitter. Simply add a # symbol in front of the word or phrase you wish to tag (without spaces) in your post. You can also add hashtags to words in comments, although you must be the original poster for this to work on Instagram.

So how can your brand benefit from using hashtags? You can run a promotion asking users to upload photos of your product or from your event with a specific hashtag and use the content in later promotions. (See this Mashablearticle for some examples of branded hashtag contests on Instagram). The best thing about hashtags is that you can be really creative in coming up with ways to use them for your brand – and let your fans get really creative with the implementation!

Please share your hashtag success stories with us in the comments below.

The Mystery of Hashtags Revealed

I’ve been asked a lot lately about hashtags, so I thought I’d put together a brief tutorial for those of you out there scratching your heads at the phenomenon of adding a pound symbol (#) in front of a word or phrase. What does it mean and why should you care?

The hashtag first became used in popular culture on Twitter as a way for users to categorize or group messages together and as a way for their tweets to be found more easily in Twitter search results. To create a hashtag, simply add the pound symbol (#) before a key word or phrase that you want to highlight. For example, if you are a retailer and you’re having a big sale on shoes, you might use #ShoeSale in your tweet to help get found by anybody looking for a shoe sale. (The capital letters don’t have an effect on search, but it makes the words easier to read). As Jeff Bullas points out in his blog, “hashtags are like Twitter SEO.”

At the same time, you can find other people who are talking about your product or industry by doing a hashtag search of your own. You would simply type your keywords into the search bar to find anyone who is talking about #shoes and join the conversation. Many events and conventions designate a hashtag that attendees can use to find other Twitter users who are attending the same event, and people who cannot attend may still follow along what is happening by following the hashtag. Televised events now have hashtags that are broadcast to viewers so everyone can be part of the same conversation, such as the Democratic National Convention (#DNC2012) and Republican National Convention (#RNC2012).  If you do a search in Twitter for these hashtags, a list of tweets showing these topics will come up. Often, hashtagged words that are very popular become Trending Topics.

Hashtags are not just limited to Twitter anymore. Other social media platforms, such as Pinterestand Instagram, have also picked up on using hashtags as a way for users to categorize their content and to make searches easier – both to find what they’re looking for and for others to find them. How are you using hashtags for your business? Have you had success in creating your own trending hashtag? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Twitter Chats

The “twitterverse” is alive every day with all kinds of chatter on a wide variety of topics. You can find and follow people who tweet about your interests be they Vegetable, Animal or Mineral. Lately I’ve been participating in a few “Twitter chats” that pertain to topics that interest me.

What Is a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter Chat as a real-time discussion on a pre-determined topic. They typically are scheduled for an hour and are “moderated” by the chat founder. There seems to be a chat for any topic any time of the day or night. All tweets pertaining to the topic are tagged by using a hashtag.

Where Can I Find a Twitter Chat Listing?
There are lots of folks who have started to track all the chats that happen on a weekly basis via Twitter. A simple Google search will turn up a few good lists. You can also start to follow a few of the chats I list here to get a better feel for what’s available.

How Do I Participate?
Don’t be shy….just join in. Find a chat that interests you and jump right in at the scheduled time. Don’t forget the hashtag!

Why I Like Them?
I’ve met some great people and learned a few new tricks from Twitter chats. You never who you might meet or what you might learn

Some Of My Favorite Weekly Chats
#blogchat Learn how to make your personal or company blog better on Sundays at 8-9pm CST moderated by @MackCollier

#jobhuntchat Weekly tips from fellow job seekers and HR professionals on Mondays at 10-11pm moderated by @blogging4jobs (who is a great Words With Friends player BTW) @cornonthejob and @mscareergirl

#journchat Weekly discussion with PR, journalists and bloggers on Mondays at 7-10pm moderated by @prsarahevans and @journchat

#smmchat A biweekly discussion designed for Social Media Managers who work for a brand/company/corporate entity every other week on Thursdays 9-10pm EST moderated by @malcolli @loritodd and @jen_mccoy

Tomorrow, June 30th is Social Media Day!

Tomorrow, June 30th, is Mashable's Social Media Day!

Celebrate the social media revolution by organizing or attending one of the many meetups across the country.

There is even an event here in Boca Raton, FL which is hoping to be the largest social media meetup in Palm Beach County!

Social media has changed our lives as well as the way we communicate and interact with others. Why not celebrate by meeting up with your "tweeps" and long lost Facebook pals?

Don't forget to share your pics and tweets with the world by using the hashtag (#smday) on Flickr, YouTube and Twitter!