Social media is an essential marketing tool for businesses. It can help you increase the visibility of your product or service and connect you with current and future customers.
As social media platforms have changed drastically over the years, so have the strategies needed for businesses to succeed. However, there is one strategy that’s been around for a while and is still an effective way to get your content in front of the right audience: #hashtags.
In this blog, we focus on the importance of hashtags and some best practices for usage on social media. Regardless of how active your business is on social media, incorporating hashtags into your strategy can have a big impact on the success of your efforts.
You’re in a store and you see a group of people looking at a product you manufacture. You start to hear them talk about your product. One of the group members brings up a good question about the product that the group can’t seem to find the answer to. Another group member points out a similar product and encourages the group to use that product because it has more information on the box than yours.
Wouldn't you feel inclined to jump into the conversation to answer the question and point out why they should buy your product instead of a similar product? Social media gives you the power to join in on relevant conversations and communicate with your target audience as they journey through the buying cycle.
Using hashtags helps your business get involved in the right conversations and get in front of the right people. There are many different ways to approach a hashtag strategy, depending on your business goals on social media. Hashtags can be used for a variety of purposes, including to:
There are many different ways to approach your hashtag strategy. Here are some of the best ways you can utilize hashtags:
1) Categorize your content. Hashtags help you categorize your content by topic and signal to the algorithm the type of content you post. This can help keep your content organized and ensure your posts are showing up in the right places.
2) Grab the attention of those interested in specific topics. By using pertinent hashtags in your industry, you’re also able to capture the attention of your target audience. People can follow certain hashtags on social media based on what they’re interested in, so using relevant hashtags can get you in front of the right people.
3) Increase awareness of your products, services, or solutions. With a simple hashtag utilized in your content, you can drive viewer engagement to your content outside of your current bubble of followers. While engagement with your followers is important, a successful social media strategy should also focus on growing your following and reaching people outside your current audience.
4) Harness the power of popular topics on social media. Dialogue on social media is constantly evolving and changes by the minute. Keep tabs on popular conversations happening across different social media platforms and incorporate those topics into your own content. Look at current trending hashtags relevant to your industry and find a way to be a part of those conversations.
5) Reach local audiences (especially helpful for small businesses). Social media gives you the opportunity to connect with your local community, which can be a huge benefit for small, local businesses. Research hashtags commonly used in your area of business and include those hashtags in your own content to help your business reach a local audience.
6) Create unique digital marketing campaigns. Hashtags can be a powerful tactic you can utilize for specific digital marketing campaigns. Consider creating your own branded hashtag and use it in a marketing campaign to help increase awareness and engagement. The ALS Association’s popular #IceBucketChallenge is a great example of a successful digital marketing campaign using a branded hashtag.
7) Encourage user-generated content. Another impactful way to utilize a branded hashtag is to inspire user-generated content. For example, Apple has encouraged people to use the hashtag #ShotOnIphone with photos they took on their iPhones. This provides Apple with lots of content from their customers that they can use in their own social media strategy.
As you start incorporating hashtags into your social media content, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. Here are some important dos and don’ts:
DO:
DON'T:
To help with your hashtag research, here are some helpful tools we recommend (some are free and some have paid plans):
Remember, social media is only as effective as your efforts. Take the time to do it well and do it right, and you'll reap the benefits in no time.