Once you understand how to properly use hashtags in your social media marketing, you are sure to reap the benefits of influential exposure. If you want to know what hashtags are, why they should be used in tandem with your social media marketing and what the best practices are when posting #hashtags to your content, read on:
What Are Hashtags?
A hashtag is a word or an acronym preceded by the number symbol (#) that helps categorize and search content on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.
Hashtags are used as a way for users to categorize their personal interests. For example, if you post on your Instagram account about how you just returned from a jog in the park, your friends may search the term “#running” or “#jogging” to find other people who share similar interests. Some users have hashtags that they refer back to frequently throughout their feeds.
Hashtags allow users to search and view content that have the same topic with their interests. This helps people identify with others who are going through the same thing or are interested in similar topics. It’s a great way to easily identify and reach new customers.
You can also use custom hashtags for your business. People may want to know what you’re all about, so they can find this information by clicking on your hashtag. This will greatly increase the chances of people seeing what you post, expanding your follower base and increasing brand awareness. Your hashtag may also be added to other group tags, thus increasing your exposure further than just on your profile or in one group.
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What makes a good hashtag (or set of hashtags)?
There are a few things that you should keep in mind when thinking about adding a hashtag to your business name or product. These are important because they can help you maximize your exposure and visibility.
Make the hashtag relevant to your business or product.
Choose relevant hashtags that are related to your post and brand. If you use too many irrelevant or general #hashtags in one post, people will simply scroll right past it and move on to the next one.
For example, if you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, an ideal hashtag for you would be #smallbusiness. If you’re a blogger, then the hashtag #blogging would work well. Don’t use random hashtags that don’t make sense with what you post about.
Don’t add too many hashtags
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t include too many hashtags in one post. Your goal should be to maximize exposure without annoying your audience with too many irrelevant #hashtags. You want to ensure that the hashtag is something that adds value to your brand and content.
When creating a branded hashtags, it is best to be original and not use something that’s already used by other brands or people in the market. This will help ensure no confusion or liabilities with another brand who already uses it. Make it Memorable: If the hashtag isn’t easy to remember, people won’t be able to type it out or say it easily.
Use your brand name.
Why use the brand name? This is because it’s your business! You may want to encourage customers to share their photos with your business by offering some kind of incentive.
By offering a discount or a giveaway to your followers when they tag their image with your branded hashtag, is a great way to promote your business and get the attention of new customers.
Don’t be spammy.
Be careful not to overuse hashtags. As mentioned above, the purpose of including them in your posts is to expand your exposure, not irritate your followers.
Four to six hashtags are usually enough, and they should be highly relevant with your posted content. Adding a few industry-general or popular hashtags to the mix can be beneficial, but use this with caution.
Hashtags can be a powerful marketing tool for both individuals and business people alike. Once you understand how to use them effectively, you can have a highly effective marketing plan that helps increase customer awareness while also getting new followers on social media.
Using the best hashtags in your social media marketing.
As you can see, hashtags are a great way for businesses and marketers to effectively grow their businesses, reach and customer base by expanding the reach of their content. By applying the tips above, you can accurately apply hashtags into your hashtag marketing strategy so that you can get the most out of your visibility.
Want a quick and efficient way of using hashtags in your marketing? Download our Hashtags and Captions Generator Tool.
Our Hashtags and Captions Generator tool helps you find the most popular hashtags used by industry leaders in many popular niches. It also helps you to generate catchy captions that you can use for your social media content. Simply select your niche, set the desired hashtag mixing options and then generate the final results. That’s super easy to use.