How to Effectively Use Hashtags on Social Media

 Wouldn’t it be great if you could filter searches around a certain topic?

If you agree, you are at the right place. Yes, there is a solution for that – The hashtag!

With the spread of social networks, the presence of hashtags has been increasing constantly. Many of us have already seen them and have even used them. However, most of the time, we do not understand its main function. We just stuff them under our posts as a norm, with almost no knowledge of social media marketing.

So, to better understand what they are for and how to use them correctly, we have this post for you!

#What

Hashtags are keywords that people use to mark the topic of the content they are sharing on social media.

Each hashtag is transformed into a hyperlink that directs the search of people who also marked their content with a specific hashtag. When you select a word for content, it is automatically added to the search group for that topic.

Suppose you are interested in knowing about social media marketing. You can facilitate your research through the hashtag with the name of the topic or anything related to it on social networks. This way, you will discover what people are saying about that topic.

#For What Reason

Hashtags serve an essential purpose: they help organize, search, and discover the flood of content on social media platforms. There are many reasons to incorporate the use of hashtags into your social media marketing strategy. Here are some of them:

• Promote brand awareness.
• Enhance the reach and visibility of your content. Hashtag = increased organic reach. 
• Classify and group content. 
• Identify potential clients. 
• Monitor publications and conversations about your brand (social listening).
• Identify possible reasons for the crisis. 
• Spread campaigns or promotions. 

Now that you know the potential of using hashtags, you can define clear objectives and plan which and how you will use hashtags in your social media marketing plan.

Apart from hashtags, many other marketing tactics can help you boost your social media. Read some future trends here.

#How To Do Hashtag

It is important to talk about some tips that can help you a lot to make your hashtags successful:

• Don’t put all the content in one hashtag. If you want to know what people are thinking about a movie, use the hashtag with the name of the movie and not #whatpeoplearethinkingaboutthemovie. Well, that will greatly limit the search, reducing the volume of content found.
• Don’t use a hashtag for every word. This tip is opposite to the previous one. If you add the hashtags #what #people #are #thinking #about #the #movie, you will add the content to various search groups, not necessarily what you initially planned.
• Use a hashtag that is consistent with the topic of the content. Using a hashtag just because it is trending but without saying something relevant to the topic will make the hashtag ineffective for the spread of the content.
• Check the grammar. A simple spelling error, or even a typing error, can make the hashtag a failure. Well, it is not very likely that several people will make the same mistake when creating a hashtag.

# Hashtags on Different Social Networks

Despite having been created on Twitter, today it is already used on other social networks. You must research each of the social networks very well to understand how people behave and how they use hashtags to generate the greatest possible engagement.

Several social networks use hashtags, but the behavior of users is very different and unique in each of them.

Beyond the difference in hashtags used, each of the social networks has its particularities and specifications. So, it may be a keyword that is successful on Twitter, but this does not mean that it will be equally successful on Facebook.

Learn more about hashtags on the following social networks:

#X

On the microblogging service X (formerly Twitter), less is more. The company’s own guidelines state that you should use a maximum of 2 hashtags per tweet – but more is, of course, possible. In addition, interaction is higher when the hashtag is at the end of the tweet and not just in the middle.

If a hashtag is used particularly often on X, it will also be shown under the so-called “trending topics.” So if you post about topics that are currently on everyone’s lips, it is advisable to use the same hashtag. 

#Instagram

Instagram isn’t so strict about the number. So is no limit? No, not quite. You can add a maximum of 30 hashtags per post. However, opinions tend to be around 10 hashtags per post – that is, 10 hash symbols and 10 words. 

#TikTok

Hashtags are also very important on TikToks because, among other things, they determine who your video is shown to – i.e., whose “for you page” you end up on. For example, if someone often watches and interacts with TikToks about traveling for a long time, you are more likely to reach that person with the hashtag “#TravelTok.”

TikTok, like Instagram, has some established hashtags for specific topics, so be sure to do some research in your niche before choosing hashtags.

#Faceboook

Facebook behaves similarly to Twitter. But somehow not – 1-2 hashtags per post are recommended.

The problem is that most profiles are private. The options are limited because not all posts are visible to everyone. So, you can’t find a lot of things using a hashtag search. Hashtags are also not as common practice on Facebook as on other social networks. 

#LinkedIn

Your posts on LinkedIn also benefit from suitable hashtags. The functions are the same as in other social networks: By tagging your content with hashtags, you increase your reach and are found by other users for whom your topics are important.

Do You Still Need Inspiration To Choose Your Hashtags?

Look for references! You can always research the competition and evaluate the strategy of other accounts, even outside your market, in search of good practices. 

And don’t forget your target audience. Analyze their publications, the hashtags they use, and the use they give them. This way, you will not only be able to discover well-performing hashtags but also more effective ones when it comes to connecting. 

If you need any more help with social media marketing, Allure Digital is available at your service! Contact us here.