How Important are Hashtags?

You see hashtags everywhere, they aren’t a new trend for social media, but if you don’t use them, it’s time to understand what they’re all about. 

The pound sign (#) is more than just a way to access voicemail. Yes, they are useful with our phones but have a whole other use when it comes to social media. Hashtags are used on several social media platforms but are most commonly seen on Twitter and Instagram. 

When you include a hashtag in your social media posts, it helps categorize your content for followers and can help build brand awareness for yourself or your business. Hashtags engage your customers in conversation about trending topics. When you participate in trending topics, you’re gaining great visibility. 

If you’re a user on social media, hashtags allow you to find posts that in in-line with your particular interests, and allow interaction with other users that share the same interests. If you’re a business owner, those conversations are your opportunity to be seen, engage in these same conversations, and create a voice for your company. Understanding a hashtag strategy can up your social media presence greatly. 

The use of general and non-specific hashtags on Twitter can increase your follower count. The use of words like #fun is more likely to reach more people than very specific ones will. Hashtags on Twitter encourage users to be a part of the conversation with others, even if they aren’t following each other. While using general Twitter hashtags can help boost your presence, very specific ones like #bestrestaurantintown can hurt your presence. Hashtags are used to make finding things easier for users so they can engage more with others. Long hashtags, or a post that has more hashtags than it does content, could make your business appear desperate.

Hashtags on Instagram are also useful in engaging others from a specific community. Hashtags can help users find your profile, which then increases your visibility for more followers. When working with Instagram, check out the hashtags that your audience is currently using and connect your business’s hashtags with those. General hashtags on photos are less likely to bring engagement, and your photo will not stand out as much as you’d like. 

Hashtags are useful in building business through engagement, but they don’t work on all platforms. Facebook and LinkedIn do not make use of hashtags. If you’ve included a hashtag on either of these platforms, you’ll find that they aren’t clickable, because neither platform supports hashtags. In other words; using hashtags on Facebook and LinkedIn negates the entire purpose of using a hashtag in the first place, and could end up irritating users. 

Hashtags may have been around for a while, but they may still be new to you in business. Now is the perfect time to look into how to make them work for you. Business may be #booming. 

The social media landscape is always changing. As a digital marketing agency, we are experts in social media marketing and can help you stay ahead of trends and get on them early to capitalize. Social media marketing is one of the many services we provide as a full-service digital marketing agency. We offer all things digital marketing. Call today!