Hashtags are a great way to make your content reach a lot of people, even if you don’t have a huge social media following. They may seem nonsensical to the untrained eye but they can be very powerful marketing tools. It is important to understand the right way to use them. Otherwise, your content might just seem like spam.
If used the right way, they can increase your reach and make sure your content reaches the intended audience. In fact, it is the best way to increase your reach beyond your current audience. If you use the right keywords, people searching for them can easily find your brand and follow your updates.
They initially began as a way to group conversations on the chat client IRC. It wasn’t until they started being used for the same purpose on Twitter that they became the rage that they are today.
They are now the best way for people to find related content on social media. Brands today spend a lot of resources trying to create viral and trending hashtags. This is because they drastically improve engagement. Here’s how you can use them to your advantage:
Hashtag 101
Hashtags start with what was known as the Pound sign (#). They can be used on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. You can have upper and lower-case letters, but no spaces or special characters. Different platforms have different limits on hashtags. For example, an Instagram post is limited to 30 hashtags, and a story can have up to 10. Only content from public accounts will appear under hashtags.
Although, it is better to stick to only relevant hashtags. You may be within the limit, but using a lot of hashtags may make your content seem like spam. Also, try to keep them short and sweet. They need to be easy to remember and relatively short.
Trending Hashtags
Oftentimes, certain tags get wildly popular. They have thousands of posts every hour and have huge participation from social media users. They can be about world news, something interesting that happened, or popular culture. Twitter displays the top trending tags on its dashboard. If you see a trending tag that relates to your brand, be sure to engage with it, and create interesting posts using the hashtag.
These posts could be seen by thousands of visitors following the hashtag. Make sure that your post is original and creative. To reach more people, it needs to bring something new. Think of it as a conversation between friends. When you speak, you’d add something new to the conversation, right? Treat your posts the same way.
There are many hashtag analytics and monitoring sites like Ritetag, Trendsmap, and Hashtagify. They keep track of emerging trends. Follow them to keep your finger on the pulse. Use them quickly as they go out of trend very fast. Prompt use will get you more exposure.
Be Unique
To increase engagement and reach out to a wider audience, using relevant or trending hashtags is a good idea. However, if you want to promote a new campaign or increase brand awareness, you need to create unique hashtags. Generic hashtags usually do not increase engagement. However, creating unique and specific hashtags as part of your social media marketing plan will exponentially increase engagement. You need to be aware of social media trends and user preferences. Plug your hashtags in ads, posts, and stories. But refrain from using them in messages or replies.
A pro tip- always search the hashtag before you use or create it. Make sure that it cannot be interpreted in a different way than you intended. Also, check that it is not already used for some other purpose. Do not use too many of them, you don’t want to spam your followers. As for the tone of your posts, keep them informal. If your followers relate to your posts, they are more likely to engage with your accounts. Make sure that your hashtags also reflect the tone of your account and posts.
Hashtags are undauntedly potent tools for social media marketing. Their uses and success rates will differ from platform to platform. However, if you analyze them correctly, and get into the rhythm of their use, you will surely be able to use them to your advantage. Social media features keep evolving, so you need to be able to roll with the punches. Tags can connect your brand to popular or trending topics. This increases your viewership and brand awareness. If you use them correctly, they will also increase brand engagement. The best bet is to make them unique, personable, short, and sweet. #AllTheBest on your social media marketing journey!
FAQs
Hashtags do not have a direct link to an increase in followers. However, they do increase brand visibility. You have a greater possibility of reaching a like-minded audience. If your content is compelling or engaging enough, you will see an increase in followers as well. The hashtags help your content reach people who are likely to follow you.
When you use a hashtag on a social media post, the post becomes part of the hashtag on the platform. Anyone who clicks on or follows the hashtag will see your post. Users only follow or click on hashtags relevant to them. So, when you use hashtags, your posts become visible to people who share interests or are likely to be potential customers.
They are also used to group conversations around certain topics. When you use these hashtags, your posts become part of a global conversation. Millions of users can engage in this conversation. In topics of global interest, they usually do. This means that your post and account may be engaged with and seen by millions of users around the world.
To determine how to use them, you need to be clear of their purpose. To increase visibility and overall enhanced social media presence, use viral hashtags on relevant posts. In general, use brand-relevant hashtags wherever they seem appropriate. As for campaigns, promotions, and influencer collaborations, create clear and unique hashtags. Remember to keep them short and simple. They need to be easy to remember for better retention and catchiness.
Instagram is probably the top social media platform for the foreseeable future. With features like stories and reels, it is probably here to stay for a long while. For an effective Instagram marketing strategy, analyze your competitors and influencers to gauge the hashtags with the best traction. Keep an eye on your top-performing posts and hashtags with the most engagement. Vary your hashtags across posts- do not stick to using the same ones. This will make sure your content keeps reaching new people. To make your captions look cleaner, add hashtags in the first comment on your post. Instagram is primarily a photo-sharing app, so be sure to match your hashtags to the right pictures.
Also Read: Types of Social Media and How Each Can Benefit Your Business
