How to best use hashtags

Most of the people are aware of what hashtags are. But not everyone knows how to use it. When we use hashtags, it makes easy for users to find related content. Basically, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the hash sign (#) used on Social Media websites to identify the content. Hashtags help to increase the visibility of your content. But when you use them inappropriately, they can negatively impact your business. The hashtags are the most popular way of categorizing your content on social media like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest etc. Through this, you can also connect and engage with other social media users based on a common interest. So the proper use of hashtags is very important. In this blog, I will cover various things related to hashtags like why use hashtags? how to use them? how do they work? etc. which will help you in your business.

1. Why use hashtags? Why hashtags are important?

Hashtags, when used properly, becomes a very important part of Digital marketing. You can follow specific hashtag to get updated with the current trend. Hashtags are very important because

• Your competitors are using hashtags to grow their business.
• To make your business visible.
• To promote your business on social media.

1. Where did hashtags come from?

Hashtags are first used by the former Google employee Chris Messina who worked in developer relations and a designer on a Google+. He’s been recorded as the first person who tweeted using a hashtag in 2007.

1. How do hashtags work?

According to a report, almost 75% of people on social media are using hashtags. But only a few people understand how to use them properly. Use hashtags on social media are as simple as putting a ‘#’ sign before a word or a phrase without spaces or punctuation. You can also use numbers in your hashtags.

Be specific when choosing a hashtag:

If you are more specific with your hashtags, you can target more audience. More audience means more user engagement. If your business provides Animation services then ‘#Animation Services’ is the most specific hashtag you can use on social media.

1. Hashtags rules:

• Don’t use too many words in a single hashtag.
• Tweets with hashtags had 2 times more engagement than tweets without hashtags.
• Use related hashtags in your content.
• Take time to discover more trending hashtags and use them.

III. Do not use the hashtag of your brand?

You don’t need to use your brand name as a hashtag but you need to specify what your brand is famous for. I.e. you have to include hashtags about the product or services your brand is providing.

1. How not to use hashtags?

• If you want to create your own hashtag, you must keep it short and sweet. If you create a hashtag that is too long, it can target to the specific people and very few people use it. Hashtags are used because it makes things easier to find and engage with but long and complicated hashtags can do exactly reverse.

• Don’t use more hashtags than content. For Instagram people might think more hashtags means more user engagement and more likes. So they are trying to upload a photo with many hashtags. You don’t need to use many hashtags on a single post. Just make it simple and use 3 to 4 related hashtags. Even if you get followers through so many hashtags, it is not worthy. They are the wrong kind of followers who are not interested in your business but only interested in being followed back.

• Hashtags make your content discoverable to the wide range of audience. You can’t hashtag every single word or phrase in your content.

1. How to execute research of a hashtag?

Due to the increasing use of hashtags, there is a number of tools available which can assist you to get the perfect hashtag for your content.

These tools are:

• me: it is the free tool which helps you to get the perfect hashtag.
• RiteTag: It is the powerful tool you can use to get hashtags for Facebook and Twitter.
• Sprout Social: Sprout Social is the hashtag analysis tool that will give you the most trending and relevant hashtags.

You can also check out similar accounts and can see what hashtags they are using for their business. This is an easy way to find hashtags.

Use hashtags on your social media accounts is the best way to search and differentiate yourself from your competitor. If you want to increase your online exposure then you must use hashtags. So are you interested in putting these techniques of using hashtags to work for your business? Are you satisfied with this blog? Comment below. Feel free to share your views on this blog and do follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for daily updates. Contact us for more details.