We have all seen them on social media, the infamous hashtags! Sooo, what are they? Why do people use them? How do you use them?
Hashtags are used as a filing system on social media platforms. If content relates to a certain topic and that topic is indicated using a hashtag, then when viewers are searching for that type of content, your post is more likely to be viewed. For example, if you post about this amazing new cupcake recipe you tried and use the hashtag “#cupcakerecipe”, then when someone else searches for a new cupcake recipe, your post could be discovered.
People use hashtags for several reasons, but the biggest one is so that their content has a higher chance of being viewed organically(aka without having to pay for ads). This is a great way to increase your content’s visibility and engagement.
Using hashtags varies based on the platform. On some platforms, they are incredibly useful, on others they aren’t as significant. Here are some general rules when using hashtags on various platforms:
- Twitter
- Use 1 to 2 hashtags, and encourage retweets. This can increase engagement. Using more than 2, though, can result in less engagement.
- Facebook
- Use 1 to 2 hashtags as it can help to give you better organic reach. Try not to use too many because it can make you seem unprofessional and frustrate readers.
- LinkedIn
- Use 1 to 3 hashtags to help your content reach viewers outside of your network. Again, try not to use too many because it can have an adverse effect.
- Instagram
- Instagram loves hashtags! You can use as many as 30 hashtags on Instagram content to drive engagement. Chances are you won’t need that many, but it is one of the platforms where the more hashtags the merrier.
- TikTok
- This is another hashtag-friendly platform. With TikTok you are limited to 100 characters for your captions, so using as many as you can within that limit is beneficial. TikTok uses hashtags to categorize its content, and they are clickable! So if someone wants to see more #MuldrowMinute videos all they have to do is click the hashtag to see more videos related to the one they are viewing.
Now that you have an idea of how many to use on each platform, how do you use them? That part is easy! You can use them in the verbiage of your caption, “So ready for #TacoTuesday at the cafeteria!” or you can just stick them at the very end of your caption, “I cannot wait for those tacos from the cafeteria at lunch today! #TacoTuesday #Lunchtime”.
If the thought of using hashtags for your social media has you #overwhelmed, don’t worry! The social media masters at Muldrow Marketing are here to help. Our team is ready to help you elevate your brand by elevating your presence; contact us today.
