When you’re marketing your business on social media, the use of hashtags could make the difference between your post being seen by the masses or only a small circle of friends and followers. Use hashtags to increase your marketing reach, grow your audience and make it easier for them to find you and your message.
Hashtags have been around since 2007 and have changed the way we market ourselves and our products on social media. A hashtag is simply a keyword with a “#” sign in front of it. The keyword, or keyword phrase, is spelled out without any spaces (ex. #homebuying, #worldcup, #adoptapet). You can even use numbers in your hashtags. These hashtags are added to social media posts, placed at the beginning, end or in the middle of the post.
The same hashtag will tie public conversations, from different users, into a single stream whether it’s used on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Pinterest or others. Once people click on the hashtag, they’re brought to a page displaying all posts which share the same hashtag. As the hashtag gains momentum, it becomes a “trending” hashtag. A trending tag might be related to a current affair, like the #Oscars, or a simple word like #love. Millions of people could be using and following the same hashtag. Hashtags help you get more back from social media by increasing the chances of your content being discovered by those most interested in your topic.
Imagine someone is looking to buy their first home so they search #homebuyers on Twitter. The search reveals articles and videos about buying a home, homes for sale, as well as tips you had never thought to consider (ex. how to keep your pipes from freezing). As a real estate agent who doesn’t use hashtags, your post wouldn’t be found by this potential client. By including popular hashtags, such as #homebuyers #realestate #homebuying, you greatly increase your chances of getting noticed on social media because your message is now searchable. First-time buyers, who don’t even follow you, might turn into future clients because you used pertinent hashtags on your social media posts.
By creating a hashtag that includes your name, business or product, you are creating a great opportunity to build up a community of followers and differentiate yourself from others in the industry. For example, you may want to create and consistently use a personalized business hashtag (ex. #RealtorGinnySather). By using a personalized hashtag, you’ll stand out, make it easier for others to find you, as well as boost user engagement and the ability to generate clients. TIP: perform a hashtag search before using it because it may be tied to someone else.
When posting on social media, there are different “rules” about how many hashtags you should use on each social media site. Twitter, for example, allows you to use as many hashtags as you want but recommends no more than 2 per tweet. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags but recommends 5-6 to avoid appearing spammy. LinkedIn has no limits on the number of hashtags but recommends a maximum of 5. Take time to learn the number of hashtags that work best on the social media sites you frequent and you’ll have a greater chance of increasing your following.
If you’re new to hashtags, you might consider some outside help. You could hire a part-time social media marketer, utilize hashtag generator tools, research hashtags you want to use, or use sites which help identify the popularity of hashtags. Whichever option(s) you choose, consistency is going to be key. You’ll want to post multiple times per day on most social media sites but make sure your content is high quality, meaningful and relevant.
To get more out of your social media marketing, start using popular hashtags then consider making one to reflect your business name. Hashtags can help increase the visibility of your content, garner more likes, shares, and followers, boost your brand and ultimately generate more clients.