In recent years, the topic of hashtags and their relevancy has been debated. As a marketer, it is important to know whether these tags are hurting or helping the content we are producing. Should we still use hashtags? The short answer is yes; hashtags are still a great way for businesses to get their social media ads seen by audiences. To properly use hashtags, your strategy must change based on the platform on which you are posting. With the many differences between social media apps, such as guidelines, posting styles, and even content types, why would your hashtag strategy not change as well?
Instagram:
Being one of the most popular social media platforms, it is important for you to keep utilising hashtags in
your posting approach on Instagram. This social site has a unique feature that lets you search trending hashtags to find relevant posts that would appeal directly to the user. Avoid using incredibly specific hashtags; otherwise, your content may not be found by potential customers. Additionally, stray away from
using the most popular hashtags because your advertisement could be lost due to the high volume of posts that already include that tag. Tip: A good strategy to employ on this platform is to mix a currently trending hashtag with your own personal hashtag. That way, you get audience exposure while also keeping your brand identity.
Facebook:
With billions of current users and new accounts being created daily, Facebook is arguably the most popular social media platform. Using hashtags reaches a wide group of people, and because Facebook is so vast, it helps marketers better target their intended audience. By simply posting, your content may not be discovered by potential customers. Hashtags bring more visibility to profiles and show your promotional ads to a larger audience through suggested posts. For Facebook, a good strategy for marketers is to work hashtags into sentences rather than placing them at the bottom of a post. This makes your content flow better and ensures the tags you are using are relevant to your post.
TikTok:
Quickly becoming a notable social channel, TikTok continues to grow and has proved to be a great place for companies to connect with audiences and sell their products. Adding hashtags to your TikTok videos is the best way to get your content seen by users who aren’t following you. In contrast to other platforms, very specific hashtags are a quick way to start new campaigns or trends due to the high volume of media being created on this outlet daily. By creating your own hashtag, it can lead to user-generated content that links your brand directly to that hashtag. To appeal to a wide audience, add more popular, relevant hashtags to your post in addition to your brand’s personal hashtags. A great feature that TikTok has is their creator tools. In this, you can see how much traffic to your page was the result of the hashtags on your posts.
X (Twitter):
X (formerly known as Twitter) is the birthplace of hashtags, so it makes sense that plenty of accounts are still using them in their posts. One of the main features of this app is the trending topics section, where users can search through popular threads that are categorised by hashtags. To get more viewership on your social media advertisements, find trends that are applicable to your brand and use the hashtags relevant to that topic in your posts. This results in your advertisement showing up on the trending page, allowing your page to be seen by more viewers and potential customers. Because there is a word limit on tweets, you only need to use one to three hashtags for effective visibility.
LinkedIn:
With its professional and business-focused design, LinkedIn separates itself from other social media
platforms. Despite its more formal tone, hashtags should appear in your posts because they make it easier for users to find and engage with your content. For this platform, it would be wise to stick to using 1-4 hashtags in occasional posts. Not every advertisement on this platform needs to contain a tag, but including one every few posts can keep your content discoverable. You can use LinkedIn analytics to track and measure your hashtag performance. This tool helps you find out what specific methods are working and what part of your hashtag approach needs to be restructured to result in a higher audience and
potential customer reach.
Hashtags continues to be a valuable marketing tool. They grow brands by aiding them in broadcasting their
products or services to new audiences. With the many differences between social platforms, your hashtag strategy should vary based on the outlet in which you decide to post.
If you are looking for more help when it comes to social media, our team would be happy to assist! Here at Think Creative Agency, our qualified team of experts can help you restructure your hashtag strategy so your audience can better engage with your content. Contact us today for more information about how we can help you!