How To Use #hashtags To Grow Your Audience on Social Media
Hashtags are labels that group content under the same topic that can be quite useful in digital marketing strategies. Read and learn how to use hashtags!
A hashtag helps people find, join, or categorize specific topics that they find of interest. The pound sign hit a new milestone when hashtags became popular.
The first hashtag was used by Twitter user Chris Messina in August 2007 to departmentalize messages and groups on the popular website.
According to Twitter, in 2011, 10% of messages posted on Twitter contained at least one hashtag. Many today include even more than one, though it is suggested that no more than three hashtags be used per message.
More than three hashtags can cloud the original message, and many find the content hard to read when it contains too many hashtags, so it’s important to learn how to use hashtags correctly.
Even those who do not have a strong online presence know about hashtags. And those who are knowledgeable about social media use them in every post.
Can hashtags add value to your digital marketing strategy? Yes! Hashtags identify the content and helps organize it and, this way, your target audience can find your posts when they click on them. This is just one more way to elevate the visibility of your product, service, or business.
To better understand how they can be valuable to your strategy and how to use hashtags properly, keep reading!
First things first: What are hashtags?
Twitter is the birthplace of the hashtag. As mentioned in the introduction, Chris Messina first used a hashtag on Twitter around August 2007. Users started the trend of tagging important words in posts with the iconic hash or pound sign (#).
This also enabled the tweet to contain more information instead of a set number of words or symbols. The hashtag can contain hyperlinks, which take the reader directly to a destination. It may take the reader to a website, an article, or other information about the company.
So, hashtags started to work as we know them today: If, for example, we type #FinancialEducation on an Instagram photo’s caption, a user who clicks on the term will be taken to another page.
This page gathers all the other results of posts that also used the hashtag.
Got it?
Using hashtags serves as a filter so that users can find all content related to a topic of their interest. As we all know, googling information can also provide information, but you may have to review several irrelevant sites before you find the information you are looking for.
Using a hashtag is easy. In the example, all the posts with this tag will cover Financial Education.
Therefore, this feature serves to create “search groups,” so much so that you can follow only the hashtag instead of a specific page.
The great advantage for digital marketing is that you can increase your strategy’s reach and have your content seen by qualified visitors. It’s an easy and efficient way to gain prospects and increase site visits.
How to use hashtags on social media
Learning how to use hashtags is not rocket science, it’s quite simple. Just place the hash sign and add the key term after it, without spaces.
However, there are some rules to follow on each social platform. Here are some of the specifics of using hashtags for some of today’s top social media sites.
On Twitter
In addition to its traditional use (to group content according to their topics), this social network has so-called Twitter Chats, in which users create Q&A sessions with hashtags. It is an interesting way to interact with users.
The network also provides an advanced search of popular hashtags, with filters for posting date, location, and exposure hierarchy by:
- Audience engagement: #toptrends in the “Featured” tab;
- Most recent: in the “Latest” tab;
- Relevant profiles: in the “People” tab;
- Multimedia presence: in the “Photos” and “Videos” tabs;
- Content in video lesson or live stream format: in the “Broadcast” tab.
On Instagram
On Instagram, we have a hashtag suggestion both for those who insert it as well as for those who follow a hashtag.
When you add the hash sign to your post, the social network suggests several hashtag possibilities for that content based on popularity.
In addition, users also receive suggestions to follow hashtags related to the content that attracts them. This is great since it increases the likelihood of your post being in a search group, followed by potential followers.
On Facebook:
Like Twitter and Instagram, results sharing the same hashtag are groups in the same place.
There are interesting ways how to use hashtags on Facebook, such as when promoting events: You can indicate the official hashtag in the page’s description, and then add the tag to all posts related to the event.
This way, with one click, users will have access to all the posts related to the event, whether it refers to technical aspects or content informing the audience about the subject that will be addressed during the occasion.
On LinkedIn:
On LinkedIn, how to use hashtags is still not clear to many people. That means that using them is still not as popular as on other networks. But lately, it has been picking up steam, as more people are using them in their online marketing efforts.
However, you can also use them to find topics of your interest, direct your posts and find a potentially valuable audience for your strategy.
On TikTok:
Using hashtags on TikTok is amazingly easy. All you do to add a hashtag is to add the hashtag symbol and enter a phrase with no spaces.
Having a TikTok strategy means that you have a conscious way to get your information to your key audience. The first process in developing a TikTok marketing strategy is defining the goals of the hashtag campaign:
- Who is your desired audience?
- What action do you want them to take (buy, follow you, visit website)?
- Are you targeting a vast number of individuals or a more profiled audience?
After you have this information refined, you can begin your TikTok hashtag strategy.
On Pinterest:
Just a few years ago, marketers were suggesting that you NOT use hashtags on Pinterest, because the site often recognized them as spam.
But in 2007, Pinterest took the opposite route and began encouraging and teaching people how to use hashtags to promote their content.
On Pinterest, hashtags work the same as they do on other sites like Twitter, Instagram, etc. They can be used by Pinterest users in two key ways. The hashtag can be typed into the search bar with a hashtag before the keywords. In addition, a user can click on a hashtag to open all the other pins it contains.
Hashtags work very well on Pinterest. They bring the reader to exactly what they are looking for, while also bringing the reader into direct contact with the originator of the hashtag.
#Tips! Eight go-to tips for using hashtags
Hashtags have become a way of life for many of us, and they have helped internet users find the information they need in a fast and succinct way. It is a lot easier than going through pages of Google results.
Hashtags should be applied strategically if you want effective results in digital marketing. Check out a few tips tand learn how to use hashtags like a pro!
1. Use keywords
Do not use too many words, such as in full sentences, but key terms and intuitive words. The goal here is for the hashtag to be easily found by the audience.
In this sense, complex constructions restrict the possibility of a search.
For example, instead of #WhatAreTheContentMarketingTrendsFor2019, use only #ContentMarketingTrends.
2. Combine words into one hash sign
Still, based on the principle that hashtags need to be found, group all words together into a single hash sign.
When you separate them, like #Content #Marketing #Trends, each term will lead to a different search group, which will make it more difficult to direct the content to the topic of interest.
That is why the best option is combining words on a hashtag, such as: #ContentMarketingTrends.
3. Use tools to track popular hashtags
Keep an eye on popular hashtags on the networks you use. Follow them to keep with what’s new and apply them to have your posts included in the most relevant current topics.
There are several websites to do so, such as:
4. Keep user engagement in mind
Is following trending hashtags a promising idea? Yes! But it is equally important to create follower engagement.
There is no use in tagging a post with the trending hashtag if it does not relate to the content.
The essence of a hashtag is to serve as a filter for search results.
5. Do not overuse hashtags
Even though there is no limit on using hashtags per post, it does not mean you should use as many hashtags as you want.
Keep in mind that each hashtag you use means less space for the content itself. On Twitter, for example, there is a 280-character limit, including hashtags.
Also, using too many hashtags is not visually appealing, either.
We usually recommend using up to three hashtags on Twitter and Instagram, but of course, consider your strategies and your business segment when making that decision.
6. Create a hashtag for your business or event
How about creating a hashtag with your business name? That way, it will be a lot easier for your followers to find your brand’s content.
You can also use this strategy to help advertise your events online. When launching a new product, for example, you can create a unique hashtag, gathering all the most important information in one place!
7. Revise before posting
Lastly, a tip that might seem obvious, but that is essential: Review your hashtag before you post it.
A simple spelling mistake will make your marketing strategy ineffective since your post won’t be indexed in the searches of interest. Errors can make your marketing efforts look sloppy, and that is not the way to conduct a successful hashtag marketing campaign.
8. Who are you reaching on each platform?
Different platforms lure in different users. Pinterest is geared toward cooks, crafters, etc., while LinkedIn is designed for those in business who are looking to elevate their business, looking for jobs and hiring.
Before you develop your message and hashtag for each social media platform, understand the audience and craft messages that will resonate with them.
The Most-Used Hashtags in 2022:
Each social media outlet has its own most popular social media tags, but here is a look at some of the most popular hashtags thus far in 2022.
The Most-Used Hashtags in 2022:
Each social media outlet has its own most popular social media tags, but here is a look at some of the most popular hashtags thus far in 2022.
Top Hashtags in 2022
Are you ready to use hashtags to boost your business?
Well, now that you know how to use hashtags, their main applications on different social networks, and all about the best practices, it’s time to put hashtagging into action.
Try them! :)
They can be a great strategy to help you get “discovered” and interact with your audience, increase awareness and site visits, and boost engagement.
And to make sure that you succeed on social media, check out our video on how to build an online community to increase your sales.
VIDEO: How to build an online community to boost your sales | Hotmart SmatTips
