Last updated on June 21st, 2023 at 04:38 pm
Today everyone knows what hashtags are and often uses them to enter specific conversations. They are now just as common as using emojis. But hashtags can do much more than joining specific discussions or categorizing content.
If used the right way, you can drastically increase your brand’s social media presence and improve social media marketing.
This blog post dives into using hashtags across various social media channels.
Let’s get started.
What Are Hashtags?
When the pound symbol precedes a word or phrase, it is considered a hashtag. For the algorithm of social media platforms, it serves to assign that the content is related to a specific topic or category.
Hashtags also make it easier for users to search for specific content or topics that interest them and thus increase the reach of the author’s post.
The History of Hashtags
In the initial days of the rise of the social media platform, as the users increased, so did the volume of the user-generated content on social media. Although, as the volume of content grew, it became more difficult for users to find relevant content.
To resolve this, a Twitter user, Chris Messina, suggested using hashtags to categorize the content. Twitter has a history of adopting its user’s suggestions. For example, calling posts tweets was also a suggestion from the Twitter community. Hashtags were no different, Twitter soon adopted hashtags, and other social media platforms followed suit.
How to Use Hashtags on Each Social Media Platform?
Let’s check out how to use hashtags on the most popular social media platforms.
Twitter is the first social media platform to implement hashtags and it has forever changed how people perceive the (#) symbol. So much so that people no longer call it a pound sign.
Hashtags on Twitter are one the best ways to increase your reach and engagement organically. You have to use the right hashtags. While using trending hashtags is the best way to get started, you must make sure they are relevant to the tweet topic or the industry you operate in.
If you use unrelated hashtags just because they are trending, you will draw the outrage of the Twitter community and damage your brand reputation. The best way to begin is by analyzing the hashtags that the social media influencers of your industry use to draw engagement.
Hashtags on Twitter are known to draw 2X more engagement compared to tweets without a hashtag. Although the more hashtags you use, the less engagement you will get. Hence, use not more than 1-2 hashtags in your tweets.
When it comes to using hashtags on Instagram, the most important thing to note is that the community doesn’t tolerate repetitive content.
So, it’s best to mix the hashtags and the content you post on the platform. To do so, create multiple collections of hashtags and organize them based on topic and popularity. Next, choose a hashtag from relevant collections based on the topic or theme of the post and share your content with the community.
As for the number of hashtags you should add, Instagram allows you to add up to 30 hashtags in each post. But start by using 3-5 hashtags in each post.
When it comes to using hashtags on Facebook, the users’ opinions are often divided. Facebook users rarely use hashtags to search for content.
However, just because the user base does not use hashtags on the platform, does not mean that it will be the same in the future. Another critical thing to note is that Facebook and Instagram are becoming more and more alike, and hashtags hold a great significance on Instagram.
While users may not be using hashtags right now, they will eventually start using them. So, it’s best to start early and have an edge against your competition.
As for the correct number of hashtags to use in each post, don’t use more than 2-3 hashtags per post.
When it comes to Pinterest, the platform has conflicting thoughts about the relevance of hashtags on the platform. Previously, Pinterest hashtags were clickable and went to a separate hashtag feed, just like any other network. As a result, distinguishing between hashtags and common phrases is becoming increasingly difficult. All we can say about the matter is that hashtags help people search for content.
However, just because Pinterest no longer utilizes hashtags doesn’t mean you should stop using keywords in general.
Remember that Pinterest is a search engine, so including relevant keywords will help your content get found by more people.
If you want your posts to be seen by your target audience, incorporate specific terms and phrases in the titles and descriptions.
Because LinkedIn, like Twitter, is mainly used for business purposes, it is not required to look for popular hashtags.
If you’re going to utilize hashtags in your LinkedIn posts, choose relevant terms for your industry. This is an excellent place to start using branded hashtags and spreading the word about your company.
It’s a good thing LinkedIn has revealed the most effective way to use hashtags on their platform, so you don’t have to guess.
Only 1-2 percent of LinkedIn users are active content contributors. As a result, LinkedIn faces less competition than other social media networks.
As for the number of hashtags to use, two popular hashtags and one niche hashtag at the end of your post are the way to go.
Hashtags Best Practices
Hashtags are one of the most effective organic ways to increase your brand’s reach to connect with larger audience size.
Let’s dive into some of the best hashtag marketing practices:
Perform Thorough Research
Before using a hashtag, you must do a complete study on the hashtag. Extracting insights and statistics and analyzing performance metrics can help you achieve your defined goals.
Identify Trending and Popular Hashtags
When it comes to increasing your brand awareness and reach organically, use trending and popular hashtags. A hashtag analytics tool can help you find and track trending and popular hashtags related to your industry.
Track Hashtag Analytics and Performance Metrics
You must consistently track hashtag analytics and performance metrics. Doing so can help you improvise your hashtag marketing strategies in real-time. It enables you to measure the impact of implemented strategies.
For doing so, you can choose an effective hashtag analytics tool to monitor the performance metrics of a hashtag in real-time. A tool can help you automate the analysis part and provide useful statistics. You can identify effective strategies as well as the ones that don’t work.
Analyze Competitors’ Hashtags
Along with tracking your brand’s hashtags, don’t forget to track your competitor’s hashtags. It can help you analyze their social media and hashtag marketing strategies.
By doing that, you can implement a similar and improved strategy to grow your brand.
Wrapping Up
With this, our journey comes to an end. You now know how relevant hashtags are on each social media platform and how to make the most out of them.
Although, finding the right social media hashtag is not easy. It’s not easy to track all trending hashtags, and you are bound to miss some. So, it’s best to use a hashtag analytics tool to find the right and most relevant hashtag to write engaging social media posts.
Additional Resources:
- Inexpensive Ways To Promote Your Small Business
- Tips For Writing High-Converting Social Media Posts
- B2B Social Media Strategies To Grow Your Business
- How To Encourage User-Generated Content On Social Media
- Why Social media Is Important to Small Businesses
