When you’re marketing on social media, you want to make sure that your posts and advertisements are being seen by your audience. And one way to make sure that happens is to add hashtags to your post!
If you’re looking to take your social media marketing to the next level, then learning how to use hashtags effectively is a must. Hashtags can help you reach a wider audience, connect with like-minded people, and boost your engagement levels.
However, using hashtags successfully isn’t always easy. Each social media platform has its own hashtag etiquette, and if you don’t follow the rules, you could end up alienating your audience or advertising to people who won’t care about your posts. Whether you’re posting a video for exposure and follows or showing off your latest products in paid social media advertising, you want to make sure that your posts are getting the most views as possible and expanding your audience!
Hashtags first became popular on Twitter in 2007, when user Chris Messina suggested using the pound sign to group related tweets together. The idea quickly caught on, and by 2009, hashtag usage had exploded on the platform.
These days, hashtags are used on a variety of social media platforms, from Twitter and Instagram, to Facebook and LinkedIn. While their usage may look different on each platform, they still serve the same purpose: to help users find content that’s relevant to their interests.
Now that you know a little bit about the history of hashtags and what they’re used for, it’s time to learn how to use them on social media. They typically work in a similar fashion on every platform, but their different algorithms pick up on hashtags in different ways.
Here’s a quick guide to hashtag usage on the most popular social media platforms:
On Twitter, hashtags are used to categorize tweets and make them easier to find. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other tweets that have used that same hashtag.
Twitter users can also create their own hashtag campaigns to promote a certain product, event, or cause. For example, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was created to raise awareness about police brutality and systemic racism.
To use hashtags on Twitter, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your tweet. You can use multiple hashtags in a single tweet, but be careful not to overdo it. Using too many hashtags can make your tweet look spammy and will turn off potential followers.
Hashtags on Instagram work similarly to hashtags on Twitter. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other posts that have used that hashtag. And like Twitter, Instagram users can create their own hashtag campaigns to promote a certain product, event, or cause.
However, there are a few key differences between hashtag usage on Instagram and Twitter. For one, Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, while Twitter has a character limit, so you’re very limited to how many hashtags you can use.
Instagram also gives you the option to follow specific hashtag feeds. When you follow a hashtag, you’ll see that hashtag’s most recent posts in your feed, even if you don’t follow the account that posted it.
To use hashtags on Instagram, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your caption. You can also add hashtags to the comments section of a post. You can learn more about how to craft a great, just long enough Instagram caption here.
Hashtags on Facebook work a little differently than they do on other social media platforms. For one, they’re not used as widely on this platform as it’s not as prevalent to get a post in front of your audience, but it can still be very helpful. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see a feed of public posts that have used that hashtag, as well as any posts from your friends that have used that hashtag.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific groups or interests. For example, if you’re looking for a book club to join, you can search for the hashtag #bookclub and find a list of relevant groups and pages.
To use hashtags on Facebook, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your post. You can also add hashtags to the comments section of a post.
Hashtags on LinkedIn are used to categorize and find content related to your industry or interests. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see a feed of recent posts that have used that hashtag.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific groups or companies. For example, if you’re looking for a job in the marketing industry, you can search for the hashtag #marketingjobs and find a list of relevant groups and companies.
To use hashtags on LinkedIn, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your post. You can also add hashtags to the comments section of a post.
Hashtags on Pinterest are used to categorize pins and make them easier to find. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other pins that have used that hashtag. Here hashtags will bring certain posts to your feed as it recognizes your interests.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific topics or interests. For example, if you’re looking for recipes, you can search for the hashtag #recipes and find a list of relevant pins.
To use hashtags on Pinterest, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your pin. You can also add hashtags to the comments section of a pin, even if it’s not your own post, so that it’s easily found by others with similar interests.
YouTube
Hashtags on YouTube are used to categorize videos and make them easier to find. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other videos that have used that hashtag.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific topics or interests. For example, if you’re looking for makeup tutorials, you can search for the hashtag #makeuptutorials and find a list of relevant videos.
To use hashtags on YouTube, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your video title. You can also add hashtags to the description section of your video.
Snapchat
Hashtags on Snapchat are used to categorize snaps and make them easier to find. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other snaps that have used that hashtag.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific topics or interests. For example, if you’re looking for snaps from your favorite city, you can search for the hashtag #cityname and find a list of relevant snaps.
To use hashtags on Snapchat, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your snap.
TikTok
TikTok is a great place to post your content, especially for small businesses looking to expand their audience world-wide. Hashtags on TikTok are used to categorize videos and make them easier to find. When you click on a hashtag, you’ll see all the other videos that have used that hashtag.
You can also use hashtags to search for specific topics or interests. For example, if you’re looking for dance videos, you can search for the hashtag #dance and find a list of relevant videos.
To use hashtags on TikTok, simply add a hashtag (with no spaces) to the end of your video. You can also add hashtags to the comments section of your video.
Hashtags are important because they help you reach a wider audience and connect with like-minded people. Hashtags make it easy for people to find your content, and they also make your content more discoverable by people who are not already following you.
When used correctly, hashtags can be a powerful marketing tool. They can help you grow your social media following, increase engagement, and even generate leads.
Now that you know what hashtags are and why they’re so important, let’s take a look at how you can use them effectively.
Here are some tips for using hashtags more effectively:
Use hashtags that are relevant to your industry, niche, or business. For example, if you’re a travel blogger, you might use the hashtag #travelblogger.
Popular hashtags are those that have a large number of posts using them. These hashtags can help you reach a wider audience.
Niche-specific hashtags are those that are specific to a certain industry or niche. For example, if you’re a fashion blogger, you might use the hashtag #fashionblogger.
Branded hashtags are those that are specific to your brand. For example, if you’re a clothing brand, you might use the hashtag #mybrand.
General hashtags are those that can be used for any topic or industry. For example, if you’re posting about a new product, you might use the hashtag #newproduct. It might seem like they’d just get lost in the masses of posts with the same hashtag, but they don’t as long as you pair them with other hashtags as well
Do some research
Before you start using hashtags, do some research to see which ones are popular and relevant to your business. Research can be done on your own, or you can consult with a marketing company, such as C&I Studios, which has the expertise in social media marketing. We know the trends in hashtags and can give you new ideas on how to switch them up if you find that your hashtags are becoming stale.
C&I Studios offers an array of marketing services, including social media marketing help!
Test, test, test
Once you start using hashtags, be sure to track your results so that you can see what’s working and what’s not.
In the End…
Hashtags are a valuable tool for social media marketing. When used correctly, they can help you reach a wider audience, increase engagement, and even generate leads. Be sure to use relevant, popular, and branded hashtags to get the most out of your hashtag marketing campaign.
Do you still have questions about hashtags or social media marketing in general? Contact us and let us help you take your social media game to the next level.
For further reading, learn 10 Tips for Every Content Creator in order to really make your content pop!