You know those little pound signs on social media? Yep, those are hashtags. You probably use them all the time without thinking much about it. But have you ever stopped to wonder if you’re using them the right way? Turns out there is a bit of a science to hashtagging properly on social media to get your posts seen by more people and grow your platform. So buckle up, because in this post we’re spilling the tea on how to take your hashtag game to the next level. You’ll learn insider tips on choosing the best hashtags, where to place them, and how many to use for maximum impact. Get ready to become a hashtag wizard!
Hashtags 101: What Are They and How Do They Work?
Hashtags are a way to tag or categorize your social media posts. They are words or short phrases preceded by the # symbol, like #socialmedia or #digitalmarketing. Hashtags allow people to easily find posts about a specific topic, event or interest.
How Hashtags Work
Hashtags rely on crowdsourcing to function. Once a hashtag is included in a social media post, it becomes clickable. When people click on a hashtag, they see all public posts that also contain that hashtag. This allows people with similar interests to find and connect with each other.
The more a hashtag is used, the more visible it becomes. Trending hashtags are ones being used frequently at a given moment. They appear in the trending lists on sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Popular hashtags tend to gain momentum, as more people see them and add them to their posts. However, hashtag trends are often short-lived, as new ones emerge and gain popularity.
Best Practices for Hashtag Use
To get the most out of hashtags, there are a few best practices to keep in mind.
- Use hashtags relevant to your post topic and audience. Don’t just throw in popular hashtags that have nothing to do with your content.
- Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags. The popular ones will help you gain more visibility, while the niche ones will reach your target audience.
- Don’t overdo it. Using too many hashtags, typically more than two or three per post, looks spammy and won’t necessarily increase engagement.
- Create your own branded hashtag. Come up with a unique hashtag incorporating your business or brand name. Encourage customers and followers to use it when posting about you.
- Check hashtag performance and adjust as needed. See which hashtags are generating the most engagement and drop ones that aren’t working. Try new hashtags to keep things fresh.
- Use hashtag analytics tools. Tools like RiteTag, Hashtagify and Keyhole let you research the best hashtags for your needs based on your industry, location, audience and goals. They also track how your hashtags perform over time.
Hashtags remain an important part of social media strategy. When used effectively, they help increase brand awareness, drive traffic, spark conversations and build community. With experimentation and the right tools, any business or organization can master the art of hashtagging.
Choosing the Right Hashtags for Your Audience
When it comes to choosing hashtags, it’s important to consider who your target audience is and what they might search for. The hashtags you choose can make or break how many new followers or customers you gain from social media.
For businesses, think about phrases and words your ideal customers might use when searching for products or services like yours. If you sell handcrafted jewelry, hashtags like #handmadejewelry, #artisanjewelry or #smallbusinessjewelry would be good options. For bloggers, consider hashtags that match your niche, such as #lifestyleblogger, #foodblogger or #DIYblogger.
The number of hashtags you use depends on the social media platform. On Instagram, you can use up to 30 hashtags per post. Start with 10 to 15 relevant hashtags and see how your engagement changes over time. On Twitter, 1 to 2 hashtags are typically sufficient since tweets are shorter. For Facebook, 3 to 5 hashtags will do for most posts.
It’s also important to include a mix of popular, medium and longer- tail hashtags. Popular hashtags like #love or #photooftheday will give you a lot of exposure, but your post can get lost in the huge volume. Medium hashtags, those with 10K to 100K posts, help you get noticed while still being relevant. Longer-tail hashtags, those with under 10K posts, are more targeted and help you reach your niche audience.
Keep an eye on hashtag trends and see what’s popular each month. Some hashtags will always be evergreen, but staying on top of seasonal trends and themes allows you to gain new followers interested in what’s current. And avoid banned hashtags or those that promote negative behavior.
With some experimenting, you’ll find the perfect combo of hashtags to reach your target audience on social media. Keep using the ones that drive the most engagement and traffic, and your following is sure to grow over time.
Researching Popular and Trending Hashtags
To find the right hashtags for your social posts, you’ll want to do some research. Spend time looking at popular hashtags in your industry or niche to see what’s currently trending. Some tips for researching hashtags:
- Search for keywords related to your blog post topic. For example, if you’re posting about digital marketing, search for #digitalmarketing, #socialmedia, #contentcreation. See which hashtags are most popular based on the number of posts.
- Check what influencers and industry leaders in your space are using. Their hashtags are probably popular for a reason and likely to get engagement. See if there are any you can incorporate into your own posts
- Check what influencers and industry leaders in your space are using. Their hashtags are probably popular for a reason and likely to get engagement. See if there are any you can incorporate into your own posts.
- Use a hashtag research tool like RiteTag, Keyhole, or Hashtagify. These tools analyze popular and trending hashtags to show you the best options for your needs. They track metrics like impressions, reach, and engagement to determine the most effective hashtags.
- See what’s trending on Twitter. Twitter’s trending hashtags change frequently based on what people are currently talking about. Search for trending hashtags related to your industry or topics. Some of these may work well for your social posts, especially if you want to join a popular conversation.
- Search hashtag directories. Directories like TagBoard, Hashtag.org, and Hashtags.org let you browse thousands of hashtags by category and popularity to find options for your posts.
- Check social media accounts for your competitors to see what hashtags they’re using that are getting a lot of likes and comments. You may be able to tap into some of the same audiences by using similar hashtags.
- Explore your social media platform’s own hashtag search. Most platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have a search function where you can find popular and trending hashtags. Search for keywords related to your content to discover the top options.
With some digging, you’ll find the perfect hashtags to make your social posts pop. Mix up the hashtags you use and rotate in new options to keep things fresh. Keep researching new tags to stay on the cutting edge of what’s popular and trending. The right hashtags can make a big difference in the reach and engagement of your posts.
Using Branded Hashtags to Build Community
Hashtags are one of the most useful tools for connecting with your target audience on social media. Creating your own branded hashtags allows you to build an engaged community of followers and boost brand awareness.
When developing a branded hashtag, keep it short and memorable. Something like #CompanyName or #ProductName works well and is easy for people to search for and use. Be sure the hashtag is unique to your brand and not already claimed by another company. Check that it’s available on all the social networks you use before promoting it.
Once you have your hashtag, start using it in your own posts across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Place it at the end of captions, photos, blog posts, and anywhere else it’s relevant. Also, encourage your followers and customers to use the hashtag when posting about your brand. Offer incentives like discounts, giveaways, and shoutouts for people who tag their posts.
Monitoring your branded hashtag is key. Search for the hashtag regularly and engage with people who use it by liking and commenting on their posts. This shows you appreciate them and are active in the community. It also allows you to address any negative feedback in a timely manner. People will be more inclined to continue using a hashtag when they feel heard and valued.
Branded hashtags are an easy way to see what people really think about your company and strengthen your connection to followers. When used effectively across networks, a memorable hashtag can become a powerful tool for building brand loyalty and boosting community engagement.
Mixing Niche and Broad Hashtags for Maximum Reach
To get the most out of hashtags on social media, it’s important to use a strategic mix of both niche and broad hashtags. Niche hashtags are specific to your industry, product, service or brand. They help target your ideal customers and clients. Broad hashtags cast a wider net and expose you to more general audiences that may still be interested in your content.
Using only niche hashtags can limit your reach to those already familiar with your brand. On the other hand, relying solely on broad hashtags makes it difficult to connect with your target audiences.
The key is balancing the two.
A good rule of thumb is to use 2-3 niche hashtags for every 1 broad hashtag. So if you have 10 hashtags on a post, aim for around 6-7 niche tags and 3-4 broad tags. You want the majority of hashtags to be niche so you attract the right followers, but the broad tags help expand beyond your bubble.
For example, if you own an organic skincare company, niche hashtags would be:
#organicskincare
#naturalskincareproducts
#veganbeautyproducts
Broad hashtags to incorporate could be:
#skincare
#beauty
#healthandwellness
Using a combination of #organicskincare, #naturalskincareproducts, #skincare and #beauty exposes you to both audiences interested in organic skincare as well as general skincare and beauty enthusiasts.
The key is to find the right balance for your brand and goals. Test different combinations of niche and broad hashtags to see which get the most engagement and new followers. Make adjustments over time based on performance.
Tools to Help Find the Best Hashtags
Finding the right hashtags to use on social media can be challenging. Luckily, there are some useful tools available to help determine which hashtags will resonate most with your target audience.
Hashtagify is a free tool that provides hashtag suggestions based on a keyword or phrase. You simply enter a topic related to your post and Hashtagify provides a list of relevant hashtags along with their popularity and engagement stats. This makes it easy to find a good mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach both new and existing followers.
RiteTag is another option that analyzes your post to provide customized hashtag recommendations. It considers factors like post content, target audience, and platform to suggest hashtags tailored for your specific post. RiteTag also provides usage stats so you know how often a hashtag is used and how likely people are to engage with it. Using a tool like RiteTag helps ensure you’re using the most relevant hashtags for maximum impact.
For those looking to keep things simple, the native hashtag suggestion tools on platforms like Instagram and Twitter can work great. Instagram, for example, provides hashtag suggestions as you type based on popular and trending hashtags. While these suggestions may be overly broad, they can spark inspiration and lead you to more targeted niche hashtags. Twitter also provides hashtag suggestions in a similar fashion.
Using some combination of these tools, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect hashtags to gain more likes, comments, and new followers on social media. With regular use of these tools, you’ll get better at determining which hashtags resonate best with your unique audience and brand. The key is to not just blindly use the most popular hashtags, but find the right mix of popular and niche hashtags to maximize your reach.
Hashtags are constantly changing, so continue exploring tools and resources to stay on the leading edge of this marketing tactic. With time and practice, you’ll become a hashtag pro and attract more social media success.
Creating Hashtags for Your Brand or Campaign
The key to success with hashtags is choosing ones that resonate with your target audience and brand. When creating hashtags for a brand or campaign, focus on making them short, memorable and relevant.
For brands, create hashtags using your company name or product in a short, catchy way. For example, a clothing company called “Adventure Threads” could use #Adventure Threads or #GoOnAnAdventure. Keep brand hashtags consistent across platforms so followers recognize them. Using a branded hashtag in social media posts, ads and on your website helps to increase brand visibility and allows people to discover more of your content.
For campaigns, base hashtags on a specific theme, event or initiative you want to promote. For instance, a back to school campaign could use #BackToSchool or #Schoollsin. Come up with a short list of options and test them by searching to see which ones are already popular and which remain relatively unused. The most unique hashtags will help your campaign stand out.
Some tips for creating impactful hashtags:
Keep them short – Aim for less than 15 characters including letters, numbers and underscores. Shorter is easier to read and remember.
Make them memorable – Use alliteration, rhyme, pun or play on words. Memorable hashtags are more likely to spread.
Keep them relevant – Hashtags should directly relate to the content of your post and your brand or campaign. Don’t just throw in random trending hashtags.
Check popularity – Do a search to see how often your hashtag options are already being used. You want ones that are in the sweet spot of being used but not oversaturated.
Encourage engagement – Come up with hashtags that motivate followers to share their own stories, photos or experiences related to your brand or campaign. Engaging hashtags can go viral.
Be consistent – Use the same hashtag or set of hashtags in all of your posts related to that brand, product or campaign. This helps to strengthen their connection in people’s minds.
With some planning and creativity, you can craft impactful hashtags to effectively build brand awareness and promote your campaigns on social media. Consistently using memorable yet targeted hashtags helps followers discover your content and join the conversation.
When to Use Hashtags – Best Practices
When it comes to using hashtags on social media, timing is everything. Posting at the optimal times when your target audience is most active and engaged can make a big difference in how your hashtags perform. Here are some best practices for when to use hashtags:
Peak Times
Check when your target audience is most active on each social network. For example, the peak times on Twitter are 12-3 pm and 5-6 pm. On Instagram, the best times are 8-9 am, 12-1 pm, and 7-8 pm. Post your updates with.hashtags during these peak hours to maximize visibility.
Day of the Week
Some days tend to see higher social media traffic and engagement than others. For most networks, those days are Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Use hashtags on posts published on these days to connect with more users.
Current Events
Tie your hashtags to trending topics, holidays, events or news stories to tap into higher interest and reach more people. But be genuine and avoid seeming like you’re exploiting the topic just for publicity. Only join the conversation if it’s relevant to your brand and audience.
Repost at Multiple Times
Don’t just post once and forget it. For the best results, re-share your update with the same hashtags at different times to capture different segments of your audience. You may reach some followers the first time, then a whole new group the second time. But don’t repost too frequently, or you risk annoying your followers.
In summary, the secret sauce to hashtag success is using them strategically and consistently at the best possible times for maximum visibility and engagement. But don’t overdo it – find the right balance for your brand. With regular use of hashtags at peak times, you’ll build awareness, boost follower growth, and start trending in no time!
#HashtagFAQs: Answering All Your Burning Questions
No social media strategy is complete without hashtags. They help increase visibility, expand your reach, and engage new audiences. However, hashtags can be confusing. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions to help you master the art of the hashtag.
How many hashtags should I use?
There is no definitive answer, but as a general rule of thumb, aim for 3 to 5 hashtags per social media post. Too many hashtags (over 10) tend to look spammy and decrease engagement. The key is choosing hashtags that are relevant to your content and industry. Focus on a combination of popular hashtags along with some more specific niche hashtags.
Should I use branded hashtags?
Branded hashtags, like #JustDolt for Nike or #TasteTheFeeling for Coca-Cola, can be very effective for building brand awareness and loyalty. However, they require consistency and time to gain traction. If you do create a branded hashtag, use it frequently across all your social media channels and marketing campaigns. Be sure to also engage with anyone who uses your hashtag by liking their posts or comments.
How do I find the best hashtags?
The key is doing your research. Some tips for finding good hashtags include:
- Search for industry leaders and see what hashtags they are using.
- Check out what is trending in your industry and area of interest. Sites like Hashtagify, RiteTag, and Hashatit can show you popular and trending hashtags.
- Explore your audience’s interests and behaviors on social media. See what types of content and hashtags they are engaging with.
- Do a search for your keyword or topic on the social media platform and see what auto-populates or what has a high volume of posts.
- Combine popular hashtags with more targeted niche hashtags for the best results.
How often should I change the hashtags I use?
It is a good idea to rotate your hashtags frequently to keep things fresh and reach new audiences. Aim for changing about 25-50% of your hashtags every 3 to 5 posts. While some evergreen hashtags will remain, switching up some of the more niche hashtags will prevent your posts from becoming stale. Keep track of how your hashtags are performing so you know which ones to reuse and which to replace.
Conclusion
When used strategically, mixing niche and broad hashtags will maximize your reach and help you connect with both your target audiences as well as new potential customers. So keep promoting your hashtag, engaging with posts, and providing incentives for people to get involved. In no time, you’ll have an active social community rallied around your brand.
With the right hashtag strategy, you’ll be well on your way to social media success and a wider, more engaged following. Keep experimenting with different hashtags to see what resonates most with your audience. And remember, when used properly, hashtags are a key ingredient in the secret sauce of social media marketing.