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Pro Tips For Social Media Hashtags
Look, social media hashtags can be a confusing tool for people who want to utilise them to grow their brand. I mean, do hashtags really work? Can hashtags help you grow your brand? Why do people use hashtags? Well, today we will try to answer all the above and explain to you the best approach for you to do your hashtag, but before we dive in, let us understand what hashtags are.
1. What Are Hashtags and Why is it Important?
Hashtags were first used on X in 2007 as a method of indexing keywords to help facilitate good search results. Since then, it is being used on most social media platforms as a tool to group the contents on the platform. It is now an important tool to provide content that is well organised and could be used as a discussion and viral content.
Now, most of us here have probably been exposed to hashtags and know a little about them, but the age-old question marketers always ask is “do hashtags really work?”. Well, it depends on the way we use the social media platform and hashtags. Different social media platforms have different algorithms for hashtags. In this article, we will learn the best way to use hashtags on different social media.
2. Don’t Spam Hashtags on Meta
While X has been using it since 2007, Meta support on hashtags was only available starting 2013. Before that, hashtags did not exist on Meta, and even now hashtags are not that crucial on Meta in conveying messages or indexing content.
X and Instagram offer hashtag search capabilities on their platforms. Meta, while inclusive of the feature, does not rely on it as much for their searches and recommendations. Instead, searches are made and sorted by keywords identified in posts and images. Certain hashtags can still be searched on the platform to find posts with the hashtag in their feed. The only way for you to find the hashtags is by clicking on the hashtag itself, then it will find related hashtags.
Due to Meta’s policy on individual privacy, it is more difficult for brands to track how users interact with a brand-specific hashtag. This makes it difficult to quantify user engagement with a brand. Instead, digital marketers on Meta are recommended to use hashtags to build a brand’s identity on a personal level, and to use them sparingly (only 3 to 5 hashtags per post).
3. Spam Hashtags on Instagram
In case you didn’t know, Instagram and Meta both belong to the same company, Meta. While Meta doesn’t much care for hashtags, Instagram, on the other hand, loves it. Being a photo-sharing platform, Instagram relies on hashtags for others to be exposed to posts with similar interests. This allows anyone who would like to increase their exposure on Instagram to increase their reach and engagement, assuming you’re using them correctly. The Instagram hashtag process is similar to X, hashtags are used to sort and label related topics, and users can easily search a hashtag topic to view relevant posts and even follow the hashtag to stay updated. The limit for hashtags on Instagram is up to 30 hashtags. Some experts believe having the full number of hashtags could be beneficial for your brand building on Instagram.
There are others that think hashtags should be kept at a minimum of 5 to be more straightforward for audiences. Having more hashtags will also help with the engagement but keep in mind that having too many hashtags may make it seem like you’re trying too hard. This all boils down to preference.
4. Instagram Hashtags Definitely Work
It’s a common way for a brand to use relevant hashtags to increase its reach into a target market. One of the ways that you can build your brand is by checking other Instagram Influencer’s hashtags. An alternative way to find the best hashtags is by using online tools like hashtagify or hashtags.org. These online tools will help you find hashtags that are relevant to your brand.
Our suggestion is to try compiling as many hashtags as possible before narrowing down to the hashtags that suit you best. Stay updated with the latest trend on hashtags and consider using them for your Instagram marketing strategy.
5. Hashtags in Instagram Stories
Instagrammers can post photos, videos or creative works which vanish after 24 hours in Instagram Stories. It is a great way to connect to your audiences and grow engagement in your own creative ways. By placing hashtags in your Instagram Stories, they will have more potential to reach more audiences with the same interests. This is because the hashtags are searchable at the search tab, which will help Instagrammers with similar interests to notice you.
Moreover, geotagging your Instagram Stories can help others to have an insight into what is happening around your tagged location. It is a great way to connect with people nearby you as well when they discover and come across your Instagram stories. Embrace trends by researching the most popular hashtags that you can place in your Instagram Stories, and make sure that your hashtags are all underlined before posting.
6. X
X started what we would like to call GoH – Game of Hashtags (Sorry, we just had to). Hashtags are essential for them to categorise content on their platform. The reason behind the use of hashtags is because the timeline on X moves extremely fast and they need a way to group it so that posts are easily searched and that’s where hashtags come in. Users will often follow and discover new brands via hashtags.
Try to limit your hashtags to 2 or 3 which should be sufficient to index the content. Just be mindful that the content needs to be closely related to the hashtags having an unrelated hashtag will hurt your engagement. X currently has a 240 character limit, though its new CEO Elon Musk has shared plans to raise the limit to as many as 1000 characters. Until then, it is still necessary to plan your post carefully. Again, be careful to avoid overloading your post with too many hashtags, because adding more than two hashtags has actually been shown to decrease engagement.
7. X Hashtags Analytic Tools
With millions of hashtags on X, your hashtags usage needs to be monitored to attract maximum engagement. By investing in a robust X hashtags analytic tool, you are able to have a clear understanding of the performance data of each and every hashtag you embedded in your X posts. The analytic tool assists you in translating the hashtags engagement into actions to be taken in order to make your X post stand out.
Eliminate hashtags that are not working to ensure a particular marketing campaign is performing as it should be. It will be convenient for you when it comes to identifying brand advocates, as well as your online brand reputation. You can track and trace negative reviews with your hashtag, from there you are able to start a conversation with the commenters.
Alternatively, you can also search X for trending hashtags or variations of the hashtags you want to use with a high use rate. This way, you improve the chances of your posts appearing on popular searches.
8. Pinterest
Pinterest does not actively encourage hashtags, and including hashtags in posts could even negatively effect your post’s visibility.
Due to spammers abusing the use of hashtags to gain distribution, Pinterest updated their official policy in February 2022 to state that hashtags do not contribute to Pin optimisation. As such, Pinterest users are discouraged from using hashtags in their pins.
Instead, PInterest users are encouraged to learn about keyword optimisation to include keywords that will help their Pins appear in search results. This can mean adding 3 or 4 keywords in the opening line of your Pin, or to even flood it with keywords in place of the use of hashtags.
9. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a corporate social platform where business professionals can share related content. Think of them as work-related Meta. Unlike Meta, they do consider hashtags in their search algorithm. LinkedIn has come out with an article stating that adding hashtags helps surface your article to members who may find it relevant. Hashtags act as keywords that help people understand what type of article you’ve written. Hashtags work better when sharing articles compared to a normal post. Keep your hashtags relevant to the article content on LinkedIn and chances are you will make it to the top with your brand.
Your take!
Using hashtags in your social media posts can significantly increase awareness and engagement. Hashtags are also a very effective way to build your brand via promotional material, announcing new products, or just generating interest for your business. It can also help you find the right audience. Be sure to utilise the power of hashtags so you get the most out of your efforts.
There will always be new ways to strategize your digital branding, we’ll try our best to keep you updated on the trends. If you like this article, you will love our other articles, check us out at KodeDigital.Expert. If you haven’t already, follow us on our social media and stay tuned to tips and tricks on all things digital.
Kode Digital is more than just a creative digital agency, we are also a Meta Business Partner. As a Meta Business Partner, Kode Digital has access to exclusive tools and resources that can help our clients get the most out of Meta’s platforms. Our team stays up-to-date on the latest marketing trends and best practices, including popular marketing formats like Blog Content. Our goal is to elevate your brand and help to grow your business.
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