When it comes to social media, hashtags are a pretty big deal. If you’re not using them correctly you’re missing out on a simple but effective marketing tool. Not only do hashtags instantly increase your posts reach, but they can be the link that attract new business ultimately increasing your profits! So if you’re curious to know how you can utilize these handy little symbols # read on…

The Power Of Hashtags – Why Do They matter?

The majority of people who have a basic awareness of technology will know what a hashtag is. The fact they are so widely recognised automatically means you need to be using them. Hashtags have become the new way to search for relevant content, especially on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Hashtags are also another useful tool you can use to analyse and see what’s trending or popular at any one time. Putting an editorial calendar together with this information will be invaluable.

The power of hashtags is no better demonstrated than in breaking news stories. During the Arab Spring protests of 2010 – social networking sites were key in allowing communication between demonstrators. As well as this, they provided a source of information for news agencies unable to access the territories experiencing upheaval. The hashtag for the Arab spring gained a global audience.

Hashtags in Business

So the hashtag is clearly an effective and powerful tool but how can you utilise this for business?

Consistent & Relevant

It may sound basic but consistency is key – you need to hashtag every post without fail and ensure all tags are relevant. Hashtags omit spaces so if you’re compressing multiple words together the phrase also needs to be easy to read. For example, #ilovesausagedogs isn’t easy to decipher immediately, but #sausagedog is still relevant and much shorter.

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Using consistent hashtags relating to your industry will allow potential clients and others interested to scroll through tonnes of content about the same topic. This could result in multiple posts or articles of yours popping up on people’s feeds multiple times. Once they know what you can provide them with and where your area of expertise lies – they’ll come back for more.

Analyse The Data

Keeping an awareness of trending or popular terms is also key to ensuring your post reaches as many people as possible. Several websites list the most popular standard terms for a business so it won’t take long to find a relevant list either. It’s also important to analyse your hashtags – which ones prove popular and which do not? Change your tags in response to this until you find the combination that works for you!

This will also help people find your services and products. When your hashtags relate to a particular niche, it will be much easier for people to find you. Make them as specific as you like. The more you start to use certain ones, the better chance you have at growing a following for them! But be patient… it might take a while for people to catch on.

Call To Action

Finally, add on a link to your website/business at the end of each post so that your hashtag traffic can instantly reach your site. This is a crucial opportunity many businesses fail to maximise. You should really be doing it anyway as social media is one of the most important places to drive traffic and share content. But pairing a solid CTA with a link and relevant hashtags will put you at an advantage over other small businesses. 

Hashtags in action…

There’s no better example of the power of hashtags for a business than the fitness queen Kayla Itsines. Kayla has managed to create and dominate the tag #BBG for bikini body guide as well as #bbgcommunity. Instagram is her main platform and Kayla has a great product. This contributes to her success but the hashtag has been a huge part of that. Her 7 million Instagram followers speak for themselves.

What Makes A Good Hashtag?

We may promote the use of these little icons, but how can you make sure you’re doing it correctly? There are a few things you can do that will blow your business campaigns out of the park and leave you with a growing audience.

1. Evoke An Emotion

This is a top tip for any content you put out really. The more personable and emotive you can be with it – the more your audience will relate. Using a hashtag to draw emotion from readers will leave a lasting impression and gather an audience that believes in your message. Pulling at the heartstrings or promoting a new campaign that focuses on certain groups or missions will encourage people to share your content – driving engagement.

2. Make It Topical

If you’re supporting a local charity or have written a blog about a recent award win – make sure your hashtags align with this. In the current climate, there is so much going on that grouping content with hashtags makes it far easier to share and find relevant posts.

If there’s something going on in the world that you can use to promote your brand – take advantage of the opportunity. Although, tread carefully where more controversial or political topics are concerned.  If you do want to go there – make sure your content is unbiased and respectful. It might be worth using more generalised topics, perhaps new developments in your industry.

3. #Events

If you’re hosting a networking event, charity fundraiser or visiting a business show – make sure you post about it. Create your own hashtag to promote your brand and make everyone aware of what’s coming up. Your audience will be able to see all the linked content in one place and have a proper insight behind the scenes, during set-up and day of the event.

Encourage visitors to use this hashtag too and build up a rich bank of posts that link back to your business and display the amazing work everyone’s been doing on the day. It’s a bit of free promotion and is sure to drive engagement through the roof!

4. Double-Check For Hidden Meanings

Because there are no spaces in a hashtag, you need to be careful putting certain words next to each other. Even capitalising can help separate in some instances, but just have a flick through your list before pushing any of them out there for too long. If your hashtag accidentally creates a swear word or other offensive term when you glance at it – you might need to think of another way to promote it. Shorter phrases are less at risk of this but it’s always worth having a check.

Now you know a little more about the power of hashtags, it’s time you put them to good use. Twitter is a great place to start as your audience will expect hashtags in posts. It’s a great way to build that following and show people what you’re all about.

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