Hashtags, typically the one most important word in social media marketing today. The # symbol is possibly the most iconic and recognized in the 20th century. But do you know how to use it?
Is it really that important?
The rule of thumb is that hashtags are important. People across the world use them every second. There are billions of hashtags going around. One thing for sure, hashtags can get you more followers. They boost your engagement rates. So are they as powerful as they claim? If you do not know the secrets, you will not know. It is not just # followed by a word or a phrase.
Avoid too many hashtags
In a single post, keep it simple and sweet. A lot of users like to insert 6 to 7 hashtags in a single post. This will decrease engagement as the readers tend to get confused. You might want to hashtag a few similar phrases instead of telling an entire store.
A word or a phrase?
Typically, a phrase will be better as it gives more meat to your hashtag. Instead of #music, use #listeningtoedsheeran. This will avoid having too many results when someone searches for ‘music’ without the hashtag.
Identify the not overly popular hashtags
You do not want your hashtag to be in the millions. Avoid the ones that are overly popular like #lunch. Instead, find hashtags that are lesser in popularity but not entirely unknown. Those with 250k to 500k posts will be ideal. Otherwise, your post will just get lost in the millions.
Be a follower
If you are going to post a hashtag, make sure you are part of the movement. What you can do is to go to the popular posts of a certain hashtag you are posting and ‘Like’ them. You can do this for a couple of posts each day and your followers can see that you are part of them.
Don’t repeat
Some of the hashtags are popular. Some are just about you. Even if that is so, there is no reason to keep using the same hashtags over and over again. If you are going to grow your brand, then start a new hashtag as and when possible. No doubt you need your customers to keep engaging with you. So, use the same hashtags but move on from there.
