How to Use Hashtags for Social Media Marketing

Once known as the pound sign, the hashtag is a powerful way to get your content noticed. When it comes to promoting your brand on social media, hashtags are essential.

Hashtags were first used on Twitter but are now commonly used on other social media platforms – especially Instagram. Understanding how and when to use hashtags allows you to increase your impact on social media and engage your audience. The best part? They’re free!

What Exactly is a Hashtag?

Basically, a hashtag is a hash (#), followed by a word or phrase. It’s like a label for the content you post on social media. Hashtags allow people to quickly find a specific type of content on social media.

When used correctly, hashtags help increase your brand engagement and drive your target audience’s attention to your post. You can make your post visible to anyone interested in that type of content when you incorporate relevant and trending hashtags in your post. The hashtag allows what you’ve written to be indexed by the social media network and can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of your post. People who don’t follow you can still find your content when you use hashtags.

Why Create a Hashtag for Your Brand?

You can’t ignore the power of a good hashtag for your business! Creating a hashtag for your business makes it easy for people to discover you. 

You can encourage your followers to use your hashtag when they share photos and videos about your products and services. When their followers tap the hashtag, they will see posts about your business, follow you on social media, and interact with you.

The hashtag you choose can be as simple as your business name. Just make sure it’s easy to remember – and search for the hashtag before using it to make sure no one else has already claimed it. If you have a common business name, you can incorporate a key phrase or your location. 

Hashtag Tips

Placing a hashtag in front of your keyword or phrase sounds simple enough, right? But using hashtags only makes an impact when done the right way. Here are some general tips to keep in mind:

• Keep hashtags memorable and short – don’t use a lot of words in one tag.
• In most cases, one or two hashtags have more impact than using several in one post.
• A specific and detailed hashtag will lead to better results than general or broad ones. General terms aren’t searched as often, and your content will likely get lost instead of discovered.
• Make your hashtags actionable. Ask questions, create a sense of urgency, elicit emotion, and use call-to-action phrases.
• If you choose a hashtag that no one is searching for, it won’t benefit your marketing. So, don’t try to be too unusual or witty.
• Hashtags not only engage your target audience, but they can also be used to research your competition. If you search using hashtags, you will discover content related to your topic.
• Use hashtags when they add value to your post and will stimulate interaction and conversation. Don’t try to force hashtags into every post if they aren’t beneficial.

How to Find Effective Hashtags

There is a fine line between hashtags that are too complicated and general or can’t be found at all. Here are some research tools to help you identify effective hashtags in your industry:

• Hashtagify.me allows you to search for popular and trendy hashtags
• RiteTag offers instant hashtag suggestions. 
• Buzzsumo is a great tool to identify influencers in your niche. You can find the top bloggers, content, and publications in your industry and see what hashtags they are using.
• Search for relevant keywords on Twitter and other platforms to see what hashtags are popular.

When to Use Hashtags

Hashtags can be used for many different things. Here are a few ideas:

• Product Launches
• Promotions
• Events
• Contests
• Targeting
• Cross-Channel Discussions
• Career Opportunities

Bottom Line

Hashtags are a valuable tool for communicating with your followers, attracting new customers, and increasing engagement. They help consumers find more information about your products and services. A hashtag increases brand awareness and social media engagement. And it gives users a new way to connect with your business on social media.

Contact us today to learn more about our social media management packages and how we can help you get noticed by your target audience!