The Benefits of Using Hashtags in 2021

One thing is for certain, hashtags are showing up everywhere – from our social media news feeds to being a guest at a wedding or an event. But do we actually know why they’re being used, or better yet, how do we use them effectively as a part of our social media strategy? Learning how to strategically use hashtags can give you a significant advantage by expanding your social media reach to attract new followers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A HASHTAG?

If you’re not already using hashtags chances are you may not be quite sure what they are, how to use them, or even where to use them. So understanding that a hashtag is a word or a phrase related to a certain topic or a theme that is preceded by the hash (#) sign is the first step in knowing how this little symbol can have so much impact on your business marketing.  

A hashtag may seem unimportant to some, but it can have a powerful impact on your social media presence. They are a way to connect social media content to a specific topic, event, theme, or conversation. A hashtag groups postings from several people into a group and readers can see social media postings related to a topic from different sources. So what is important in the construction of hashtags? 

A FEW HASHTAG BASICS

The only way to be effective using hashtags is to follow a few simple how-to’s:

• This almost goes without saying and is often overlooked or has happened by accident, but make sure your social accounts are public and not private. Only public accounts receive the benefit of a hashtag as it makes your content discoverable.
• Hashtags need to have relevant keywords relating to the content of your post. An example would be if you are promoting a fitness motivation campaign of Maintain Don’t Gain that offers workouts and healthy tips to avoid unwanted weight gains over the holidays, then an effective hashtag on posts could be #maintaindontgain #MaintainDontGain #HolidayMaintainDontGain or even #FitnessMotivation
• Simple is better so to avoid lengthy hashtags or putting too many words together.  
• Remember that hashtag won’t work if you use spaces, punctuation, or any other symbols.
• Hashtags are typically found at the end of your social posts, but you can always scatter one or two throughout your article when it’s relevant.  
• Don’t overuse hashtags. Too many hashtags make your content look cluttered, not easy to read, and will not give you the results you’d hoped for. 

BENEFITS OF USING HASHTAGS

Hashtags are a fantastic way to get connected with your followers and engage your target audience to become part of your community. Using hashtags on your posts will help you create engaging content, increase brand visibility, attract customers through increased likes or shares (depending on what platform), and can even result in new followers if done consistently!

Hashtags can also help your target audience find you. By using a few popular hashtags on your posts it will help users find your brand on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Users can also follow hashtags as well as other users. Think of it like this, if you are a wine shop and use #winedownwednesday or #winetasting on your Facebook post, then anyone that follows that hashtag will then see your recent post in their feed which helps you to gain new followers. 

USING HASHTAGS ON EVERY PLATFORM

Learning how to use hashtags for relevance and brand building can take some trial and error as each platform is a little different. Here are a few recommended basics to keep in mind:

FACEBOOK: Use 1 to 2 hashtags per post. Can be included in any part of your post or in the comments. Hashtags are searchable using the search bar.

TWITTER: Use 1 to 2 hashtags for optimal use. Can be used anywhere in your Tweet. Use them at the beginning for more emphasis. Can also use hashtags when Retweeting.  

INSTAGRAM: Use up to 10 hashtags and should be used at the end of your post or reel.

YOUTUBE: Using up to 3 hashtags is optimal. Use in the video title or in the video description.

LINKEDIN: Use 1 or 2 hashtags to improve your content or article. Since LinkedIn is a more professional platform, make sure hashtags also remain professional.

A hashtag is a powerful tool for making content more discoverable and engaging on social media. Used properly, hashtags can create a tremendous impact on how people see your brand while also providing an opportunity to keep posts fresh and relevant.

To discover more marketing tips and help with content, hashtags, and social media, reach out to the Cazarin team today. We are ready to help!

Let us know if we can help you in any way by emailing marketing@cazarin.com.