Should we still be using hashtags?” is a phrase you might have heard in a meeting or two in recent times. Sometimes, it can be hard to make the case. With so much misinformation around them, coupled with the fact that it can be tricky to see their exact impact, there are only so many ways to say “you just should” – so why should you use hashtags?
What is a hashtag?
Let’s get back to basics first. Hashtags make searching for similar content more user-friendly and are an effective way to provide context to your post. They also help deliver content to users with a specific interest in a topic.
The evolution of the hashtag
While most of us would immediately recognise the hashtag symbol (#) (or simply as the ‘hash’ key on a traditional landline phone), its official name is an ‘octothorpe’, which, admittedly, is a little less catchy.
Although the symbol itself has existed for much longer, it wasn’t until product designer Chris Messina, repurposed it as the ‘hashtag’ in 2007 that its new potential was considered.
Debuted on X/Twitter in 2009, the idea behind the hashtag was that it was a common connection between the social platforms and could be used on all of them to help users find the content that matters to them. Since then, hashtags have become an important part of our online (and even sometimes offline) social lexicon and, as Messina intended, have been adopted across the board by all major social platforms.
Advantages of using hashtags
After a quick refresher, let’s get into it! Why are hashtags still relevant? How can they help you promote your brand?
Hashtags allow you to participate in trending topics and become known to a larger audience, which can increase your visibility and engagement.
You can track hashtag performance and engage with users who are using them. This helps your brand stay relevant and up-to-date with trends.
It makes your brand easier to find, categorising your content so that people who have a particular interest in a topic can easily find your post and/or brand. When they search for the hashtag/s you have included in your post, they will be directed to your image, increasing engagement and brand awareness.
They add value to your post. If your post shares your new dessert recipe by including specific hashtags, like #recipe #cake, your post will be differentiated from other non-related food posts.
Creating a branded hashtag can increase visibility, clicks, mentions and overall reach and hashtags help you stay connected with your target audience, increasing brand customer loyalty.
While it can be less relevant on single-word posts, using capital letters to break up multiword hashtags is essential in ensuring that your chosen tags are accessible to screen reader users—this is often referred to as camel casing. #CamelCasing
Research carried out by HubSpot highlights the benefits of using hashtags.
“15% of consumers prefer to search on social media rather than search engines, while 31% use [hashtags] to find answers to their questions” – HubSpot
Advantages of using hashtags
After a quick refresher, let’s get into it! Why are hashtags still relevant? How can they help you promote your brand?
● Hashtags allow you to participate in trending topics and become known to a larger audience, which can increase your visibility and engagement.
● You can track hashtag performance and engage with users who are using them. This helps your brand stay relevant and up-to-date with trends.
● It makes your brand easier to find, categorising your content so that people who have a particular interest in a topic can easily find your post and/or brand. When they search for the hashtag/s you have included in your post, they will be directed to your image, increasing engagement and brand awareness.
● They add value to your post. If your post shares your new dessert recipe by including specific hashtags, like #recipe #cake, your post will be differentiated from other non-related food posts.
● Creating a branded hashtag can increase visibility, clicks, mentions and overall reach and hashtags help you stay connected with your target audience, increasing brand customer loyalty.
● While it can be less relevant on single-word posts, using capital letters to break up multiword hashtags is essential in ensuring that your chosen tags are accessible to screen reader users—this is often referred to as camel casing. #CamelCasing
Research carried out by HubSpot highlights the benefits of using hashtags.
” 15% of consumers prefer to search on social media rather than search engines, while 31% use [hashtags] to find answers to their questions “- HubSpot
Advantages of using hashtags
Regardless of the social media channel you use, hashtags can be a powerful tool, and using relevant hashtags is a must. However, you might be recognised as spam if you use too many irrelevant hashtags.
Here are some of our best tips for each channel:
● Instagram’s creator community recommends mixing well-known and niche hashtags to widen your reach and keep the number between three and five.
● Using the right hashtags can make your content perform better and be recognisable so mixing general and specific hashtags for the related topic can increase the success of your post. Specific hashtags help narrow your audience and lead to a more valuable, focused following. General (most popular) hashtags for the related topic will increase overall post popularity.
● You can either post the hashtags in the caption or first comment. There doesn’t seem to be a significant difference; it’s up to personal preference.
● Instagram posts that use eleven or more tend to receive the highest interactions.
TikTok
● Using hashtags on TikTok is a must. Users can easily search for trending topics on the platform and be directed to all relevant videos. This allows them to participate in the trends and join the wider conversation.
● Greater visibility on TikTok can result in higher engagement rates; for example, users might react to your content by liking or commenting on the post or starting to follow you.
● According to research by Sprout Social, using only three to five hashtags in videos and stories and keeping up to date with trending hashtags can significantly improve your page on the platform. Depending on your audience will influence how many hashtags you can use.
● Searching for category-specific hashtags on TikTok will show you the best-performing (most viral) videos, so you can use these to get inspiration and post your own content.
Meta (Facebook)
● Hashtags are less relevant on this platform. The Digital Marketing Institute recommends using no more than two hashtags, as any more than this may be perceived as unprofessional or spammy.
● Hashtags are a great way to increase your network and engage with users interested in the related industry or job. Aim to use two to three hashtags in your posts; don’t use them in the comments because they will not appear.
● This is a good platform to use your branded hashtag if you have one, and get all your colleagues to do the same!
● To track LinkedIn performance, you can use hashtag analytics to see your posts’ performance and make necessary changes.
X (Twitter)
● Using hashtags in X makes it easy to keep up with the latest news and content. Like the other platforms, researching the most relevant hashtags and using them will improve the performance of each tweet on this platform.
● Slice Communications indicates that tweets using one to two hashtags give significant advantages, significantly increasing engagement and likelihood of retweets, while using more than two hashtags can sometimes negatively impact performance.
How to find trending hashtags
Each social network has an ‘explore page’ with the latest trending content. Looking through these, you will recognise the hashtags most used for your related topic. By keeping up with trending hashtags, you can ensure you will always be part of the conversation.
Look at who is using the same hashtags. If it is your target audience, you know your content or message is reaching the correct audience.
Measuring performance
Hashtag analytics tools can measure hashtag performance in a similar fashion to an SEO keyword search. Experimenting with hashtags can lead to different content ideas and improve your content’s reach.
Thanks for joining us on this hashtag crash course – we can’t wait to see how you use it to upgrade your social strategy! For more useful info, tips, and chats in the world of digital marketing, check out our blog.
