How to Leverage the Power of Hashtags: A Beginners Guide to all things Hashtag Growth!
Are you looking for a way to boost your social media presence? Hashtags are the answer!
By adding relevant keywords preceded by the hash sign, like #bossmoms, to your posts and comments, you can achieve an array of amazing results - from increasing brand awareness and engagement to expanding your reach exponentially. But it takes more than just randomly adding hashtags to get these desirable outcomes. Let's look at some of the different types of hashtags available, how to create effective brand-specific ones, and tips on using them across various platforms.
It might sound daunting at first, but trust us - once you've learned the basics of hashtag use, you'll be surprised at how much better your social media stands out with just a few simple steps. So buckle up and get ready for a crash course in hashtag use that will help increase your online presence!
What is a hashtag and how does it work?
Let's start from the beginning. What is a hashtag? A hashtag is a keyword or phrase, preceded by the hash symbol (#), written within posts or comments to make it easier for people to find and view your content.
When used correctly, hashtags can be indexed by social media networks, allowing users who are not following you (or don't even know about you!) to discover your content. Need an example? If your company crafts custom vacation packages, adding the #bucketlist hashtag to Instagram posts will let those with a passion for travel and adventure find and view your posts - no matter where they are on the web!
There are three influential groupings of hashtags that you should use on social media.
Content Hashtags:
Using hashtags that are directly related to your product, service, market, or area of expertise is known as "content hashtags" because they relate to the content that your content would be naturally associated with. They can expose your brand to potential customers on those social media platforms who were not previously familiar with it.
Trending Hashtags:
Another great way to boost your brand's visibility is to use existing hashtags that have grown popular among millions of users, also known as "trending hashtags". Before you add the '#' symbol to a trending topic, be sure to first ask yourself whether your social media posts are adding value to the existing conversation. If your post does not add any value, it is highly likely to be ignored and lost in the plethora of posts. If, however, your post is informative, funny, or viral, it will get re-shared by fellow users, ultimately increasing awareness of your brand. Generally, trending hashtags are fun and can range from holidays to random spur-of-the-moment games.
Brand-specific Hashtags:
Sometimes, the problem with using generic or popular hashtags is that your posts might be lost in the noise of hundreds of messages using the same hashtags. So, in order to separate yourself from the herd and stand out, it's highly recommended you create your own dedicated 'brand-specific hashtags'. These can be used for general branding, promotions, events, contests, or other marketing campaigns.
The key to creating an effective brand-specific hashtag is to ensure that there is no one else using the same hashtag. Here's the key - uniqueness! Your hashtags should be memorable, so try to avoid any that have already been taken.
For branding purposes, keep it simple with a short motto or tagline. When creating specific campaign hashtags, don't forget to give users a good reason to use them - discounts, giveaways, and competitions are all great incentives. And once you get your hashtag out there via social media channels and word-of-mouth from existing followers, you'll soon start seeing major viral marketing publicity come your way!
Now that we have discussed the different types of hashtags, let's talk about how to use them in an effective manner.
The 3 cardinal rules for using hashtags effectively:
If you want to grow your business using social media, listen up because I'm about to drop some knowledge on the 3 cardinal rules for using hashtags effectively. And trust us, not all hashtags are created equal. So let's dive in and make sure you're using them like a boss:
Rule #1: Keep it short and sweet
Listen, we've all got a lot going on, and nobody has time for super-long hashtags. Keep it simple and avoid cramming too many words into one hashtag. If your hashtag is longer than your actual post, then you're doing it wrong. And nobody wants to read or use a hashtag like #YouDontWantToTryThisAtHome. Keep it short, snappy, and to the point.
Rule #2: Don't overdo it
I get it, you're excited about your post and you want to get as many eyes on it as possible. But that doesn't mean you should go hashtag crazy. Nobody wants to read a caption that looks like a hashtag dictionary. So, be strategic and only use hashtags that are really relevant and significant to your post. And please, don't write your entire caption with one hashtag per word. It's just not a good look.
Rule #3: Think strategically
This one is important, folks. When it comes to content hashtags, you need to be smart and strategic. Sure, #Food is an obvious choice for a restaurant, but with over 258 million posts using it, you need to stand out from the crowd. Do your research and find more niche hashtags that are specific to your industry or niche. And don't be afraid to mix it up by using a combination of popular (1 Million +) and more niched-down (less than 50,000) hashtags. Hashtagify is a great tool to help you find the right hashtags for your post.
That's it! 3 simple steps to using hashtags effectively: Keep it short, don't overdo it, and think strategically. Now go forth and conquer the social media world! And remember, it's all about trial and error, so have fun and experiment along the way.
Oh, wait... You heard the hashtag situation varied by platform?? Well, you're right... there are little nuances across various platforms that you might want to keep in mind as you go forth and grow with hashtags!
Here are the best hashtag practices for each social media platform so you can optimize your social media strategy and get the most out of your hashtags.
Let's dive into the world of hashtags strategy differences across multiple social media platforms. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you up your hashtag game.
We get asked all the time about hashtag strategy across multiple social media platforms, and unfortunately, there's no one-and-done approach to hashtags. They need to be adjusted a little by platform recommendations. As you've already learned, hashtags are a powerful tool that can help broaden the reach of your content while simultaneously helping more people discover your profile, but only when you use them properly for that platform.
Twitter Hashtag Best Practices
Twitter is a platform that is known for its brevity, so it’s important to keep your hashtags short and sweet. Research shows that the optimal number of hashtags per tweet is two. Using more than two hashtags can actually cause a drop in engagement. When it comes to finding the best hashtags for your tweet, start with Hashtagify. It allows you to check the popularity and recent popularity while discovering if your hashtag is relevant. You can add your hashtags at the end of your tweet or incorporate them as part of the sentence.
Instagram Hashtag Best Practices
Instagram is a platform that is known for its hashtag culture. The more hashtags you use, the more engagement you see – up until a certain point. After about 10 hashtags, you risk losing out on some of that engagement. To find the best hashtags for your post, head over to the search box and check what your audience, competitors, and industry leaders are already using. Pay attention to the number of posts, and how many likes the first images received. In order to keep everything organized and neat, it’s best to put your hashtags at the end of your caption, preferably separated by either dots or asterisks. If you’re a neat freak, you can also add your hashtags in a comment to your post.
Facebook Hashtag Best Practices
Believe it or not, hashtags are not as important on Facebook as they are on other platforms. We recommend limiting the number of hashtags to a minimum. Indeed, concise captions tend to perform better on this platform. Of course, using your ‘brand-specific hashtags’ won’t hurt.
LinkedIn Hashtag Best Practices
Similar to Facebook, hashtags on LinkedIn don’t really have an effect on your post. However, using relevant hashtags can still help people find your content. So, feel free to add a few.
Pinterest Hashtag Best Practices
Pinterest is a platform that is all about discovery, and hashtags can play a big role in helping your content get discovered. Pinterest recommends that you add no more than 20 hashtags per pin. Hashtags only work within the pin's descriptions. So, make sure to use relevant hashtags in your pin descriptions to help your content get found.
Google+ Hashtag Best Practices
Google+ may not be as popular as it once was, but it’s still a great platform for sharing your content. When it comes to hashtags, Google+ allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post. But, similar to LinkedIn and Facebook, hashtags don’t have a significant impact on your post.
In conclusion, hashtags are a great way to increase your content’s visibility and engagement. However, not all social media platforms are the same. By using the best practices outlined in this post, you can optimize your hashtag strategy for each platform and get the most out of your hashtags. So, go ahead and give it a try! Happy hashtagging!
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