What are #hashtags?

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the pound symbol (#), written within a post or comment to highlight it and facilitate a search for it. Essentially, by including a hashtag in your post; it can be indexed on social networks so that it can be discoverable to everyone.

Hashtags are used on social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. Chris Messina started social media hashtags to group his related tweets on Twitter back in 2007. 

Three different types of #hashtags

Using hashtags can be tremendously beneficial to your digital marketing efforts and creates more exposure for your brand online. The social media keywords and topics you choose will depend on your marketing strategy. But before you dig into the hashtag research you’ll need to understand the different types.

Here are three different types of hashtags to consider:

Content hashtags

If you are new to hashtags, consider using content hashtags which directly relate to your product, service, market or area of expertise. These words directly relate to the content that your business would be naturally associated with. As you can imagine, they will greatly expose your brand to potential customers on those social media platforms who weren’t previously familiar with your brand. For example, at Creativo we primarily use content hashtags related to marketing – such as #SEO, #websites, #strategy or #branding.

Trending hashtags

Another great way to boost your brands visibility is using trending hashtags. Trending hashtags are popular tags that are being used by millions of people on a daily basis. With digital media marketing, value is essential and popular hashtags can generate massive awareness for your brand if users find your content helpful or interesting. If your post does not add value, it is highly likely to be ignored and lost in the plethora of posts. However, if your post is informative, or funny, it is likely to get shared by fellow users ultimately increasing awareness for your brand.

Branded hashtags

The problem with using generic or popular hashtags is that your posts might be lost in the noise of hundreds of posts using the same hashtags. So, it’s important to create your own dedicated ‘brand-specific hashtags’. These can be used for general branding, promotions, events, giveaway or other campaigns. This is a great opportunity to get creative and create something unique and memorable.

When creating campaign-specific hashtags, be sure to give your audience a compelling incentive to use them. For example, you could ask followers to post with a campaign-specific hashtag for a chance to get discounts or win prizes. In return, your brand will become much more visible and stand out amongst potential competitors.

Here are 6 things to consider to create a killer #hashtag list and increase your brands online visibility

Creating a killer hashtag list requires research and understanding of your target audience, your content, and your brand. Here are some steps you can take to create a great hashtag list:

1. Define your audience

Who are you trying to reach with your content? What are their interests and habits? Knowing your audience will help you choose hashtags that they are more likely to search for and engage with.

2. Research relevant hashtags

Look for hashtags that are already popular in your niche. You can use FREE hashtag generators as a start, to find relevant hashtags for your specific topic. But, be sure to sift through the auto generated lists and remove anything that isn’t relevant.

3. Mix it up

Like we explained above, use a combination of popular and niche hashtags. This will help your content reach a larger audience while still targeting your specific niche.

4. Keep it relevant

Make sure your hashtags are relevant to your content. Avoid using hashtags that have nothing to do with your post, as this can come across as spammy.

5. Create a branded hashtag

Create a hashtag that is unique to your brand or campaign. This will help you track engagement and user-generated content related to your brand.

6. Test and analyze

Test different hashtag combinations and track their performance using analytics tools. Analyze which hashtags are driving the most engagement and adjust your hashtag strategy accordingly.

Remember, a killer hashtag list is not just about using popular hashtags but using the right hashtags to reach the right audience. With the right research and strategy, you can create a hashtag list that drives engagement and helps you grow your brand.

Social media content planners help organize your captions, @mentions, #hashtags and more…

There are several benefits to using a social media content planning tool. We developed our very own that we use on an agency level to help us develop and keep track of our clients marketing strategies.

A social media content planner allows you to plan and schedule your content in advance, which is a huge time saver. You can plan your post content with graphics, captions, call-t0-action links, mentions and hashtags. This helps you visually see what is happening in your strategy and be able to adjust it as you go.

Benefits of planning your content in advance:

• Helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule. Consistency is essential for building a strong online presence and keeping your followers engaged.
• You can organize your content by topic, campaign, or platform. This makes it easier to track your progress and ensure you’re meeting your goals.
• Allows you to spend more time creating high-quality content, rather than rushing to post something on the fly. This can help improve the overall quality of your content and increase engagement with your audience.

Overall, using a social media content planning tool can help you save time, maintain consistency, and improve the quality of your content. It can also help you make more informed decisions about your social media strategy based on data and analytics.

You can find out more about our Ultimate Social Media Content Planner, availble on Etsy.