HASHTAGS: Why Do They #Matter?

We’ve all seen the use of hashtags around social media, but do you really understand how to use them? Used correctly, hashtags are a powerful tool that can help people interested in your topic to find your business and expand your influence and reach. Let’s start with the basics…

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is “a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#)” that is “used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it” (dictionary.com). You create the hashtag symbol using the pound sign.

How to make a hashtag?

There are a few rules that apply to forming a hashtag on your social media posts. The hashtag is spelled out with no spaces between the words, like #howtohashtag. Hashtags can include all letters and numbers, but no punctuation or symbols. It can be placed anywhere in your social media post or caption.

How does it work?

A hashtag allows your post to be seen by people who do not follow your specific page. Using a trending hashtag means your content can be seen by a much broader audience than it would without a hashtag. It also works with the algorithm to indicate that your post is relevant to a certain topic.

Here are a few tips to get started:

1. As fun as hashtags are, don’t get carried away by using a hashtag for every word. This makes your captions overwhelming and hard to read. Keep hashtags short and sweet, rather than trying to hashtag an entire thought.

2. While the number of hashtags depends on the platform you are using, Instagram recently advised that creators should use between 3 to 5 hashtags per post, even though they allow up to 30. Platforms like Twitter use more hashtags than Facebook, for example, so the number will vary between platforms. But in general, 3 to 5 is a good rule of thumb.

3. Choose hashtags that people are searching for. A marketing expert, like Ezer Digital Consulting, can help you find trending hashtags that add value and drive customers to your business.

Overall, hashtags are an important part of a company’s social media marketing. They are a powerful tool to increase likes, followers, and overall engagement that most businesses fail to utilize to their full potential. They are simply one more way to develop and improve your digital brand. To read more about how Ezer understands the importance of your digital brand, click here. Contact us to talk more about the diverse services that Ezer Digital Consulting offers in digital consulting, content marketing, social media management, and more!