Are hashtags still relevant? In a nutshell, yes. Hashtags are still relevant and may increase your social media engagement and help with your digital marketing initiatives when used appropriately and with intention. Understanding how to utilize hashtags to reach a larger audience can help your organization connect with your customers.
What are Hashtags?
A hashtag is a word or phrase that is preceded by the # sign. They are used to not only categorize social media material and make it more discoverable to consumers, but also to enhance interaction, get more followers, and broaden your reach and brand exposure.
When you search for a hashtag, you’ll usually get a live collection of posts with the same hashtag. Using hashtags increases the visibility of your social media postings in that conversation, which may lead to more interaction through likes, shares, comments, and new followers. For example, if your company is #Dentistry, all you have to do is include it in the caption of your post, and the algorithm will group your material with other posts that are comparable.
How Can You Use Hashtags?
Almost every social media channel now employs the hashtag system, and each social media channel leads to a separate landing page (no cross-platform hyperlinking, unfortunately). You should utilize them everywhere, especially on Instagram, where their use is exceptionally effective. People explore hashtag categories on Instagram all the time seeking for fresh and fascinating photographs on a specific topic, and because it’s simple to browse hundreds of thumbnails at a time, it’s a nice way for bored Instagrammers to pass the time (which means more potential business for you). Those that utilize hashtags on social media engage with 2-3 times more users simply by using a simple hashtag.
Twitter was the first to adopt hashtags; but, are they still as popular ten years later? It appears that hashtags are being used less often in posts. But why is that? Simply because of the technology and the algorithms’ secrets. Indeed, their computers will now automatically recognize the most frequently tweeted terms or names.
It is advised that those who use Twitter use 1 to 2 hashtags every post. It makes no difference where you put it. Furthermore, the increase to 280 characters is not a justification to include a slew of hashtags.
Things have changed, and Instagram is the only medium that still fully supports hashtags. They are used by other platforms, but Instagram thrives on them. We’ve been here before, but it’s essential to remember that hashtags, whatever you think of them, are still alive and well on Instagram.
Instagram has long enabled users to insert a plethora of hashtags, which isn’t a big deal. To get the most of Instagram and hashtags, you’ll need to go outside the box a little. This is especially true if your company is in a highly competitive field. In other words, if you work in the car parts sector, don’t use the hashtag #autoparts. You should take a closer look.
Facebook and LinkedIn
We will not deny that hashtags are not very useful on Facebook or LinkedIn because these are not social media platforms where you need to search for specific content. If you wish to follow a certain hashtag on LinkedIn, keep in mind that it is feasible. We also advocate utilizing no more than two hashtags while posting on this social network.
TikTok
TikTok is the spot to utilize hashtags because it is built on this tool. You are free to use as many hashtags as you wish. We also propose that you look at the hashtags used in popular videos and try to include them into your material in order to attract new consumers.
SEO is used in practically all social media tactics, and TikTok is no exception. To obtain your keywords on this platform, go immediately to the discovery page and then to the hashtags area, where you will enter your company’s term. Make a list of the most popular ones and begin incorporating them into your captions.
Benefits of Hashtags
The following are some of the advantages of using #’s on your social media platforms:
- It’s free advertising
- It assists you in monitoring your reputation by observing what people are saying about your company
- Stand out from the crowd
- Create a community
- Increase brand awareness
- Increased participation
- Helps digital marketing strategy
Bottom Line
Hashtags have gone out of favor in a few ways, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them. With a targeting tool and some well-planned hashtag campaigns, you may notice an increase in business almost instantly simply by putting a pound symbol in front of a few sentences. Because hashtags are the entryway to all of your niche’s material on each platform, being a member of these clubs on each of them is critical to getting discovered by new clients.
The best way to use hashtags is to avoid spamming your posts with a slew of trendy hashtags; doing so is frowned upon by platforms who don’t want to see this sort of dishonest marketing within their domains. Instead, we revert to the fundamentals of SEO, where the most essential thing is to hunt for keywords with the highest probability of competition so that you might be noticed.
If you are seeking a digital marketing agency that controls much more than your website, go no further than Slopes Marketing. We can amp up your social media game and make sure you are using relevant hashtags! Contact us today to get started.