Effective use of #Hashtags for successful social media marketing

#Hashtags are omnipresent on social media. It is highly unlikely for someone to be a part of social media and not come across hashtags. These #Hashtags were first used widely on Twitter; however, today, they are common on other social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest.

These hashtags give you a powerful way of engaging with the audience and enhancing the impact of your social media campaign. In addition, mastering this tool comes with no additional cost apart from the research time.

So, what are these #Hashtags, and what do we do with them?

The sign ‘#’ works like a label on social media to find posts or details with a particular theme or topic. It is made by placing the symbol "#" in front of a word or words without any spaces.

Hashtags help social media index your posts and group them with the correct themes as per relevance.

You can include these hashtags at the beginning, middle or end of a social media post. Your audience can then engage with these posts using the same hashtag in their stories or comments.

(Source - Naylor)

What is the purpose of these hashtags?

In today's world, where everything is shared on social media, content is scattered on multiple platforms and brands are competing to grab the audience's attention in a short time span, hashtags help a brand cut through the clutter and stand out. As a result, they help the business reach the right audience with similar interests.

Why use these hashtags?

• Any post you share on social media will reach your current audience. But to reach a wider audience and potential clients, hashtags are a highly effective method. It is extremely easy to find relevant topics with the use of hashtags.

• Hashtags help grab attention based on a person's interest, induce desire within them and compel them to act, leading to an improved conversion rate.

• Hashtags are not stagnant; they are ever-evolving. With changing trends and preferences, hashtags also change. This helps the audience connect with brand-new information.

• Hashtags make your content unique and easy to find. They keep relevance alive and offer new details to your audience.

How to identify an effective hashtag from a bunch of good hashtags?

An industry-specific hashtag will help you reach your target audience and relate to the industry. It will help your audience identify your products, services and communication.

Don't be afraid to experiment with hashtags and check which ones offer better engagement. Ensure not to change hashtags weekly or often; give time to each hashtag and observe how the communication flows.

(Source - Shopify)

Tips for using hashtags

• Don't use too many hashtags. Many make the mistake of using hashtags every couple of words. Remember, three hashtags are more than enough.

• Don't compress many words into one hashtag; it can lose meaning. Keep the hashtags memorable and short.

• Keep the hashtags relevant. Obscure or complicated hashtags can make your content seem dated. Relevance is beneficial for your marketing.

• Include specific hashtags that are useful and result-oriented. Broad terms or irrelevant concepts will get lost in the sea of social media. Hence, find your niche and optimize it.

• Don't force hashtags in every post. If it's irrelevant, including a post or two without any hashtag won't damage your business.

• Don't limit the use of hashtags to promote your business. Go beyond and use them to research your competitors.

(Source - Billy Social)

Whether you're new to social media or a seasoned marketer, optimize hashtags to promote your business. Further, interact with and expand your target audience by identifying a niche and including it in hashtags. Update your knowledge and keep up with the trends to stay relevant for your target audience.