5 writing tips from popular Twitter memes

Hashtags help authors and bloggers to connect and to cross-promote their work.

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Meme can mean a lot of things, like a viral pic (remember “ridiculously photogenic guy“?), video (the infamous RickRoll), a phrase (Eastwooding, anyone?), or as shorthand. Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became a humorous meme this year.

Memes are usually a theme of some sort that people riff on, or discuss and share—a lot. A meme is when you hear about something going “viral.” It is usually, but not always, accompanied by a hashtag (#) on social media.

Our focus today is on how we as writers can best use established Twitter memes for connection, engagement, and, yes, the dreaded P-word: promotion. Using these hashtags in your tweets make them (ergo, you) more searchable and visible.

Let’s deconstruct (in no particular order, because I’m tired):

1. #WriterWednesday aka #WW: This is self-explanatory: writers recommending other writers to follow. You typically make lists of writers with their handles (or Twitter name, i.e., I’m @RachelintheOC) so they can see that you’ve mentioned them and follow other people you recommend.

Tip: Fit your tweet into 120 characters or fewer, so others can RT you.

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