If you’re on social media, chances are you’ve seen how a pound sign can switch a word or phrase into a light blue clickable link. That structure is known as a hashtag, and hashtags have become an integral part of social media algorithms.
Gone (at least in the mainstream) are the days where hashtagging was mainly people tagging their coffee photo with #peace #love #happyday. Hashtags have now become a tool for marketing and sales. Similar to keywords, these tags can push your content towards your niche market. And with hashtags now optimized on nearly all platforms, they’re a solid strategy for social media marketing. So how do we use them?
Standards for Hashtags
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags on the caption of a single post and 10 in the caption of a story, but experts recommend only picking the best 3-5 tags for posting.
Facebook creates a URL link for hashtags that opens into a page where tagged posts are in more of a forum style, unlike the layout of Instagram. The pros say that Facebook posts actually receive more engagement when you limit the number of hashtags down to 1 or 2!
LinkedIn, a platform which can be affectionately described as “Facebook wearing a shirt and tie” recommends only 3 hashtags on a post! They also open up a forum page when you search a hashtag. Since LinkedIn is centered on creating serious connections, you can utilize a hashtag to start a dialogue, such as #LetsChatSales.
Tiktok, a newcomer in the field of social media marketing, also seems to share the 3-5 golden rule of the other platforms. Given that the app only allows captions of 100 characters, the limits make sense. A unique feature of the platform is the #FYP hashtag, which will send your content into the randomized assortment of the “For You Page”. The app’s intuitive algorithm learns the niche interests of its users and pushes content of that nature into their feed. So consistency would be key with your Tiktoks – your audience will find you in time.
Now that we’ve established the major platforms, let’s go over some Do’s and Don’ts. Trust me, I’ve made these mistakes too, and I’m sharing these recommendations with you as my team and I learn more about the inner workings of the digital sphere.
Amanda Schneck’s Hashtag Do’s
DO write down at least 10 hashtags to use with your brand, then narrow down and/or group them in sets of 3-5 for maximized efficiency on posts.
DO search hashtags on social media platforms to ensure that the tag actually has activity.
On Facebook for example, you’ll see results like the following:
DO remain consistent with your tags. It may take time, but you will grow your audience!
Amanda Schneck’s Hashtag Don’ts
DON’T intersperse your hashtags through the caption, it decreases legibility. Stick to adding them at the end.
DON’T misspell your hashtags by mistake! Always double-check.
DON’T use hashtags in a comment if you are plugging your brand. By all means promote yourself, but hashtags from comments are filtered out of the algorithm.
I hope that you learned a lot today! My team at Pearl Marketing has been developing our own social media brand strategy over the past few weeks. We enjoy sharing our knowledge with you, and if you’d like to continue learning, please check out the social media course on Pearl Marketing Academy.
