Friday, June 29, 2018

The Importance of Hashtags & When to Use Them


Hashtags. They're more than just a nuisance. In fact, they play a crucial role in developing interest and gaining exposure for your social media accounts.

What are hashtags?

Hashtags are keywords that relate to your content, preceded with a hash symbol (#). Hashtags enable users to categorize their posts and facilitate a search for it.

Image via Shutterstock

Why are hashtags important?

Utilizing hashtags can assist in increasing your social media presence, reach audiences who are interested in your niche, and create a more recognizable brand image. Ultimately, hashtags help by leveraging your exposure among users and categorizing your content.

Fun fact: In a 2014 study by Simply Measured, they found that Instagram posts with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than a post with no hashtags

When and how should I use hashtags?

Although hashtags seem like the answer to all of your problems, proceed with caution. With great power comes great responsibility. Sound familiar? #Spiderman.

Choosing the right hashtag can actually be pretty difficult. If done incorrectly, hashtags defeat the purpose of you using them in the first place.

Hashtags should be used strategically. 

Keep your hashtags short. No one likes seeing #ExtremelyAndUnnecessarilyLongHashtags.

Use hashtags that relate to your content and company. Think of a hashtag that YOU would search for.

Don't overuse hashtags. Stick to an average of two hashtags per post.

Ultimately, how you use hashtags can determine your amount of exposure to your target audience. Research shows that hashtags are effective when used correctly. In other words, don't be a hashtag monster. Use them strategically! 

No comments:

Post a Comment