Melanie Lampro

A detailed guide for small businesses who want to use X (Twitter) with confidence.

This is the companion to the beginner’s guide. It is written in plain English but assumes you already post and engage on X. The focus is on UK Gift Hour, though the principles apply to any hashtag hour or online business community.

New to X or hashtag hours? Start with our Beginner’s Guide: Getting Started on X with UK Gift Hour. It walks you through the essentials step by step, in plain English, so you can post with confidence right away.

Why X Still Matters

X remains one of the few platforms where you can build relationships in real time. People come to X to talk, discover and respond, not just scroll. For small businesses, this means your posts can be seen by people who are ready to buy, support or share. UK Gift Hour is proof of this: every weekend small makers, artists and consultants meet, post and connect in a way that feels genuine and lively.

Go Beyond the Basics

Once your profile looks professional and you are posting regularly, the next step is to refine how you use X. This means thinking about strategy as well as content. Ask yourself: what is working, what feels authentic, and what brings results? Success is not measured in likes alone but in clicks, conversations and repeat visibility.

Content Mix That Works

Good content on X has three qualities: it is useful, it is timely and it feels human. A balanced mix might include:

• Short native videos – these perform better than links. Keep them under two minutes and focus on one product, idea or moment.
• User-generated content – when a customer shares a photo of your product, repost with thanks. It acts as free proof and builds trust.
• Interactive posts – polls, questions and simple call-outs encourage replies. The algorithm values interaction.
• Timely contributions – link your post to a trend, a season or a cultural moment. Do it in your own voice so it feels natural.

Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags are not about stuffing as many as possible. The sweet spot is preferably two and never more than three, though of course there will always be exceptions to any rule. Always use #UKGiftHour and #UKGiftAM. Both are used on both days, so there is no wrong time. Add one more that is descriptive of either the community (such as #ShopIndie or #SupportSmallBusiness), the craft focus (like #HandmadeUK), or your locality (such as #MadeInSheffield).

This keeps your posts visible to the right people without looking spammy.

When to bend the rules:

• Seasonal campaigns (for example, #CWordSeptember or #MothersDayGifts)
• Relevant trending hashtags that genuinely fit your post
• Collaborations or joint promotions where a partner hashtag helps visibility

The aim is to stay intentional. Exceptions are fine when they add value, but avoid turning posts into long strings of tags.

Community Hours: How to Get More From Them

Joining UK Gift Hour is more than dropping a product photo. The value comes from the networking. Arrive with a few posts prepared, but spend most of the time engaging with others. Comment thoughtfully, ask questions and retweet posts you admire. Use #UKGiftHourPower to celebrate purchases and show the community spirit. If you do this every weekend, people begin to recognise your name and associate it with generosity and quality.

Tools and Costs

X Pro (formerly TweetDeck) and some schedulers now sit behind a paywall. You can work around this with free tools and habits:

• Keep saved searches open in browser tabs
• Use X’s built-in scheduling tool for free
• Track performance with X Analytics and Google Analytics links
• Store post drafts in Google Docs or Sheets for team access

You do not need to spend to make X work. Paid ads are optional. If you test them, start small and targeted. For many small businesses, consistent organic posting through hashtag hours is enough.

AI as Your Assistant

AI should never replace your voice. Think of it as a PA. Let it draft posts, tidy text, suggest hashtags, or remind you when UK Gift Hour is about to start. Use it to analyse your analytics or create a simple posting calendar. But always keep the talking and engaging human. If you share AI-made images, say so in the alt text for clarity and honesty.

Practical Prompts

Here are some brief, ready-to-use prompts you can drop into ChatGPT:

• “Write me 3 posts for #UKGiftHour: an intro, a product post, and a community shout-out. Each under 280 characters, with alt text suggestions.”
• “Make a search string for #UKGiftHour that excludes the words ‘Bot’ and ‘Bitcoin’.” (obviously those terms are examples – you can choose your own).
• “Analyse this week’s X analytics and tell me which posts did best, which hashtags worked, and what to try next week.”

Experiment with your own, as well. These are very basic and just examples, really.

Measure What Matters

Look at clicks, replies and website visits, not just follower numbers. Keep notes of what works during UK Gift Hour. Over time, you will see patterns: maybe product videos outperform photos, or polls bring more replies. Use this to shape your future posts.

Where to Next?

If you’re just starting out, go back to basics with our Beginner’s Guide: Getting Started on X with UK Gift Hour.