By: Alana Stillitano
We all know what it is like to be scrolling through our social media feeds to find a series of hashtags after certain posts. This might bring some questions to mind:
- What are they being used for?
- Are they important for your business?
- And do they really work?
Throughout this post, we are going to walk through what hashtags are and how best to use them for your business.
A “hashtag” is when the pound sign is placed before a word or phrase that helps to organize specific content on a certain topic. They can make a post more visible to those looking for a certain subject. For example, someone interested in media relations on Instagram might not know which profiles to follow, but if they were to search #mediarelations, posts about this subject would be shared.
There are many ways that a hashtag or hashtag campaign can be used. Take a look at some examples below:
- A competition or event. If your business were putting on a 5k or fun run, you might ask that people share photos and information about the event and use the hashtag #funrun2020. This way, anyone interested in seeing information about the event, regardless of who they follow can take a look.
- Connecting to the community. Many businesses have a couple hashtags that are specific to their location. A business that focuses on eye care might employ a hashtag that shows what they do and where: #eyecarerichmond or #eyecarebecauseicareRVA.
- Brand visibility. Using a hashtag as a business can help expand your audience. As more users begin to follow your page and hashtags, you gain more visibility. It also helps users associate your business with your hashtag – establishing the dominance of your brand. A new local boutique might use a hashtag that represents the style they offer in-store: #StyleForAll. The more they utilize the hashtag appropriately, the more customers will associate #StyleForAll with that business.
When adding hashtags to posts, there are a few things to keep in mind. Every time you use a hashtag, it is important to make sure it is appropriate, relevant, and directly relates to what you are posting. Take the time to research the hashtag you are interested in using. Has any other business used this hashtag? What does the audience look like? Does it give the right impression of your business?
Hashtags can be a great tool to gain new followers and customers as they search for the goods/services you provide. However, you want to make sure that your posts are being found by the correct audience and over-hashtagging can lead to disengagement.
Within our own firm, we will be using the hashtag #reignite in some of our social media posts as we enter 2021. We will be focusing on ideas, concepts and other tactics to help you reignite your own communications efforts and provide tips for you to consider.
Are you trying to grow your social media and incorporate strong, effective hashtags? Give our team a call at (804)510-0039 to see how we can help.
