“I like hashtags because they look like waffles.”
– Paula Wethington
The simple hashtag or pound symbol has been a part of the social media lexicon for long enough that we all know what it is. But not everyone understands why exactly it gets used and that using them correctly can skyrocket your brand’s social media awareness and engagement.
Put simply a hashtag ‘#’ is a way to connect user-generated content on different social media platforms to a specific topic, idea, or conversation. It allows social media platforms to group and categorize content with the same hashtag, making it easier to discover posts around those specific topics.
So how exactly are hashtags powerful?
For businesses wanting to be discovered by new audiences, hashtags are a way to move beyond the followers you have and be discovered by new audiences following or interacting with that #hashtag. They take your post from invisible to being publicly seen, helping increase engagement with new followers, likes, saves, shares, and comments.
You would no doubt at some point have seen a hashtag surrounding an important social issue such as #BlackLivesMatter or #MeToo being used on social media. These and other types of activism hashtags are a way for people and brands alike to show their stance or support for different issues or causes, using hashtags as a way to highlight issues or as a call to action.
These hashtags are important because they clearly show where a brand stands on social issues, with audiences taking note of which brands show support and which ones don’t.
Brands can also use branded hashtags in marketing campaigns, to help promote and build brand awareness. Using a unique and memorable branded hashtag or term around your brand’s identity is a valuable way to increase awareness and engagement. Branded hashtags are a way for followers to search or show support for your brand.
Hashtags are a simple way to give context to a post without writing long explanations in your captions. Using hashtags in this way allows you to give extra meaning, letting followers know your opinion or impression of a particular post.
Making the most of your Hashtag strategy
Simply adding any hashtag that comes to mind to your posts won’t lead to much success. Instead, focus on understanding which hashtags will help connect your brand with new followers.
To start generating impressions, begin by thinking of the main topics and keywords, relevant to the niche you are targeting i.e. Marketing.
Next, think of potential hashtags to use under that keyword i.e. #digitalmarketing. Finally, combine those hashtags with post-specific tags to help social platforms know you want to be associated with those niche hashtags.
Hashtags are an incredibly useful way for brands of any size to increase their following and get involved in new conversations, they can be used as an effective communication tool to show support, and drive action. If you haven’t already started it’s time to get #tagging
Is your business using social media’s full potential?
At Brieffin we use our expertise to unlock everything social media has to offer your business or personal brand. We use our experience in content creation, strategy and planning, and social media management to help build consistency and deliver marketing success. Let’s talk.
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