Gone are the days when ‘#’ used to be the innocent hash mark or sign for pound. With the advent of social media, # or hashtag has turned into a sensation that defines the current generation. Today, whether you are on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other social media channel, a hashtag is one of the most important elements on any post.
But do you know what exactly a hashtag is and how does it work? We bet you don’t. Most first-time users don’t understand the importance of hashtag and hence, can’t utilize their potential to the fullest. But fret not, we’ll tell you all about it so that you can master the art of using social media hashtags and market your business on social media like a pro.
Hashtag – So much more than a symbol!
Like we pointed out, a hashtag is no more just a symbol on your keyboard. Before we explain what exactly a hashtag is, you must first understand that the world of social media is complex. Millions of people are posting thousands of things every minute and it is very easy to get lost in the middle of so much content. That’s why you use hashtags.
A hashtag is a keyword or a key phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#), included in a post or comment to highlight it and enable a search for it. In essence, with the use of hash marks, you index your post in the social network so that it can be discovered by anyone, even if they’re not your followers or fans.
Why should you use hashtags?
Selecting the right hashtags for your social media posts can highly broaden the reach of your content and makes it accessible to users who are interested in the particular topic. It may bring in potential followers and even customers for your business.
Types of hashtags
There are three major types of hashtags:
Content hashtags
These are basic hashtags for first-time users. Content hashtags can be related to your services, products, markets or area of expertise. These help you expose your brand to potential customers on the social media platforms.
Brand-specific hashtags
The problem of using only content hashtags or generic hashtags is that your post will eventually get lost in the noise of messages that use the same hashtags. How do you avoid that? You need to create your own brand-specific hashtag is to ensure that there is no one else using the same hashtag. While running a marketing campaign, ensure that your brand hashtag is unique and memorable.
Trending hashtags
Trending hashtags are existing hashtags being used by millions of users across social media platforms and they are a great way to boost your social media visibility. But be careful while using the trending hashtags because if they do not add value to your post, then it is better to avoid using them in your posts.
How to optimize your posts with hashtags?
There are few simple rules of using hashtags on your social media posts.
- Don’t overuse the hashtags
You may see posts with 20-30 hashtags but overusing hashtags can be counterproductive. Every platform has its limit of hashtags. Twitter has a limit of two hashtags per post ideally, Instagram has 10 hashtags per post so does Pinterest. Hashtags on Facebook and LinkedIn don’t really affect the performance of the post so either keep the hashtags to a minimum on these platforms or use brand-specific hashtags. - Brevity goes a long way
Keep your hashtags short and simple. Lengthy hashtags put off a lot of people, so keep them as brief as possible. - Don’t make everything a hashtag
Many people include hashtags in place of words in a post. Avoid making everything a hashtag. #Because #Its #Annoying #To #Read #It #Like #This #Isn’t #It? - Track the performance of your hashtags
Did you know that you can also track how well your hashtags are performing? Well, you do now. To track your hashtags, know about trending hashtags and more, you’ll need a few tools such as RiteTag, Hashtagify, Hashtracking, Tagboard, and others.
So, what are you waiting for? Go #hashtagging, people!
