Today, we’re going to point out some self-evident truths when it comes to hashtags and why you should start. First and foremost, with the information overload of every social media platform, anything you want your audience to know about or your audience wants to know about can be quickly lost, unless you’ve added hashtags.
We’ve all experienced that post we were watching or wanted to share but something interrupted us, a phone call, an advertisement, an email, and afterward couldn’t even find the post that we had just been viewing. This is where hashtags come in handy. It’s the google search bar or the ctrl + f hotkey in your platform of choice.
As marketing specialists, we want to emphasize the dos and don’ts of effective hashtags.
Do
Use hashtags.
The statistics vary but one thing is certain, you will have more engagement. Just as I mentioned above, people might completely find your post interesting but with the waves of new content by the minute, it’s very possible your post will be lost. When people use the search for a particular hashtag that is relevant to your content, they’ll be more likely to find it. Yay!
Research popular hashtags.
Research relevant hashtags that are popular and specific to your content. These hashtags will help with engagement. You can even craft your posts around those popular hashtags. Be cautious when doing so and be sure that the topic at hand and the hashtags you use are really what you think they mean. There are a proliferating number of acronyms and sayings that would lead you to believe they’re referring to one thing when they entirely pertain to another.
Ensure relevance.
It’s a great idea to think that including some popular hashtags that are receiving tons of attention would help generate attention to your posts, but the truth is if your content isn’t relevant to what somebody has been searching for it will 9 times out of 10 be overlooked. Again, make sure the hashtags are relevant to your post, product, or company when including them.
Trending hashtags.
There isn’t any reason why you can’t piggyback on what others are doing. Be aware of the hashtags that are trending as they are relevant to the people that you are trying to reach, and utilize them when possible. We all know that Halloween has ended, and everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving. Consider the impact of utilizing what matters to your community when including that next hashtag.
Brand your hashtag or hashtag your brand.
As you or your company become the expert in your field people will buy into what you're selling. That’s why it helps to craft hashtags that are specific to you or your brand alone. If you are the go-to in humor, then your audience simply needs to type in the hashtag that is specific to you to get the latest punch line. The time is always now when it comes to establishing your voice and creating hashtags that will identify you from the masses.
Don’t
Solely use popular hashtags.
Popular tags aren’t specific enough to effectively capture a long-term audience. People are looking for specific information that pertains to their interest which oftentimes has nothing to do with a popular hashtag. You want your brand or company to be much more than a flash in the pan. Avoid relying solely on what’s popular today or even 30 minutes ago as trends change with the wind.
Always use the same hashtags.
Hey, we have specific lists of hashtags that can always be applied to our Brand, but we aren’t posting the same thing each day. We are diverse and work with clients just as diverse why would we use the same hashtag for our judicial clients as we use for our health care clients. The same goes for you, as your posts dance around subjects it’s alright to diversify your portfolio of hashtags it will help you to connect with an audience you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach and there may even be extraordinary dividends by engaging with that underexposed audience.
Date yourself.
If the only hashtags you are using pertain to holidays your audience would only notice your content once in a blue moon. Although, you might receive a couple of likes by sharing a post about an amazing, deep-fried turkey or an irresistible candied yam recipe for Thanksgiving. Ensure that you’ll get the most out of your hashtags by tagging more than just the holiday.
Make your hashtags too long.
Hashtags are a lot like URL's the shorter the sweeter. Your goal should be to write hashtags that are relevant, specific, and identifiable. #Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is unique but to be honest, even I had to copy and paste to make sure I got that spelling correct. Therefore something like #fomo (feelings of missing out) is so effective. This would be a hashtag that isn’t too long but could be relevant to your topic and your audience.
Fear using hashtags.
The goal is to create the most exposure for you, your brand, or your company and to develop an audience who will stick with you because they identify with you. Let’s put hashtags to good use and make the most of what is another effective tool. Do use hashtags and don’t give up.
If you haven’t been using hashtags. Take it from Selph Marketing, start today.