Hashtags are a critical component of social media marketing, and they allow users to organize and categorize their content, making it easier to discover. When used correctly, hashtags can increase the visibility of your posts and help you reach a broader audience. However, if used incorrectly, they can also harm your social media efforts.
Here are some tips on how to best use hashtags for social media:
1. Understand the Purpose of Hashtags
Before you start using hashtags, it’s essential to understand their purpose. Hashtags are essentially keywords or phrases that people use to categorize their content on social media. They allow users to search for specific topics or themes and discover new content related to their interests.
When you use a hashtag, your post becomes visible to anyone searching for that particular hashtag, regardless of whether they follow you or not. This can help increase the reach of your post and attract new followers to your account.
2. Research Relevant Hashtags
Researching relevant hashtags is a critical step in creating a successful social media campaign. You want to ensure that you’re using hashtags that are popular and relevant to your target audience. You can research hashtags by searching for them on social media platforms, checking out the trending section, or using hashtag research tools like Hashtagify or RiteTag.
It’s important to note that not all popular hashtags will be relevant to your brand or campaign. So, it’s crucial to focus on using hashtags that align with your brand and target audience. Additionally, you should try to use a mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach a broader audience while still appealing to your target market.
3. Don’t Overdo It
While hashtags can increase the visibility of your post, using too many hashtags can actually harm your social media efforts. Overusing hashtags can make your post look spammy, and it may lead to people unfollowing your account. So, it’s essential to use hashtags in moderation.
A good rule of thumb is to use no more than five to seven hashtags per post. This will ensure that your post looks professional and appealing while still allowing you to reach a broader audience.
4. Create Branded Hashtags
Creating a branded hashtag can help you establish your brand identity on social media. Branded hashtags are unique to your brand, and they can help you build a community around your products or services. When creating a branded hashtag, it’s essential to ensure that it’s easy to remember and spell. Additionally, you should use it consistently across all social media platforms to help people associate it with your brand.
Branded hashtags can also help you track the success of your social media campaigns. You can track the number of posts using your branded hashtag, monitor engagement levels, and see how many people are using your hashtag to share content related to your brand.
5. Use Hashtags in Stories
Hashtags can also be used in Instagram and Facebook stories. When using hashtags in stories, it’s essential to ensure that they’re visually appealing and don’t distract from the content of your story.
You can add hashtags to your stories by using the text tool and adding a hashtag sticker. It’s also essential to ensure that your story is relevant to the hashtag you’re using. If your story isn’t relevant to the hashtag, it may come across as spammy and harm your social media efforts.
6. Monitor Hashtag Performance
Monitoring the performance of your hashtags is essential to creating a successful social media campaign. By tracking the success of your hashtags, you can see which ones are performing well and adjust your social media strategy accordingly.
You can monitor hashtag performance by using social media analytics tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Buffer. These tools can provide you with information on the number of posts using your hashtags, engagement levels, and overall reach.
