Hashtags are still a relatively new concept and can be confusing to navigate. Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place! Throughout this post, we will go over the importance of hashtags, how they can help you market your business, and why they are here to stay.
The hashtag, previously known as the pound or number symbol (#), has now invaded the English language with a completely new meaning. What started as a simple way to draw attention to topics of interest on Twitter has become a worldwide, multi-platform phenomenon.
Hashtags are easy to implement into your business marketing strategy and can be created with a bit of imagination. For instance, if you are raving about a movie by Pixar, you might want to tag Pixar's handle (@Pixar) and incorporate a hashtag such as # Animation, # Movie, or # PixarRocks into your post on Twitter. Alternatively, you can create your hashtag for specific topics.
Hashtags are so widespread that a hashtag topic can go viral, having a trending, worldwide impact in minutes. For a hashtag to be trendy, it should be short and make sense. Avoid using long, wordy hashtags such as # heyhiihopeyouhaveagreatday. Long hashtags are hard to read, and the character count makes it hard for other users to retweet or add their thoughts.
Hashtags that are short, sweet, and unique have the best track records. There are many applications that analyze the use of hashtags, tracking data such as how many times it's been utilized, where, and the popular times it's been used. Many of these tracking applications are free since hashtag creation is available to everyone.
The implementation of hashtags has increased drastically since its initial social media use on Twitter. It has grown to become a staple on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr, to name a few social media channels. Hashtags have become popular lingo on t-shirts and in real-life conversations among younger generations.
Hashtags are a great way to get the word out about your topic on any social media platform, and with the right tools in place to track its use, you can watch your hashtag go viral!
Hashtag Do's and Don'ts
Stay Relevant
When you tag a post, you give your audience a reference point or action item to find it and keep it relevant. Though you may feel inclined to hashtag something that directly relates to a sale or promotion, most of them won't interact with the post or click through to your website to learn more. By sticking to hashtags that relate to the topic of your post, you're more likely to draw a relevant audience who will take further action.
Take Advantage of Trending Hashtags
When you can, relate your product or service to a current event to use a trending hashtag and insert your business in the conversation! This increases your chances of visibility. For example, during a major sports event like the super bowl, a Nutritionist could leverage this opportunity to post something like "# Super Bowl Sunday, meal plan Monday, let's get you back on track with 15% off custom meal planning this week!" This will drive traffic based on a trending topic back to your business.
Too Wordy Never Works
Hashtags that use too many words or characters greatly decrease your odds of visibility. The best hashtags are short and sweet. This also accounts for capitalization and numbers. You want your hashtags to relate on a general level.
Don't Over Tag
Too many hashtags can cause your post to come off as a red flag and harm your post-interaction. Ideally, you want to limit hashtag use to three or fewer. Strategically placing these hashtags throughout your post makes it sound organic and inviting, rather than stiff or spammy, which can deter people from interacting.
There are many resources available for public use on the internet that allow you to generate hashtags without all the guesswork, such as hashtag generators and tracking tools to verify what is trending publicly and stay relevant to your audience.
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