As a business owner, you spend a lot of time and money on digital marketing. You post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram There's so much of your content out there that you want to be found, you need it to be found. The time and money need to be worth it, but how do you make that happen? By using hashtags.
Hashtags, when used effectively, are the best organic way to make your content found. There aren't a lot of rules surrounding them, but there are a few key guidelines to use them in the best way possible.
Limit the Number of Hashtags
Don't simply put the hashtag symbol in front of a lot of words in the post. Research shows that 1-2 hashtags is the perfect amount and will drive up your reach. Once you get to three hashtags, your engagement will actually drop by 17%. Your post will get too cluttered and people don't appreciate the obvious message that you are using hashtags just to use them.
Choose Your Hashtags Wisely
Choosing hashtags wisely is one of the keys to making your posts effective. You want to use a hashtag that is already in use and relevant to your content. Make sure you use it in the right context so that you don't use it incorrectly. For example, DiGiorno Pizzas once saw the hashtag #WhyIStayed and tweeted out "Why I Stayed: You Had Pizza." It turned out that the campaign was being used by survivors of domestic abuse to explain why they had stayed with abusive partners. So, be sure to check what the meaning behind the hashtag is, maybe even using #tagdef first to find out the definition.
There are several tools online such as Hashtagify.me and RiteTag that can help you choose the right hashtag. If your business is local, use Trendsmap to figure out hashtag trends in your geographic area. These tools will help you figure out hashtags that are already in use so you can utilize your social media effectively.
Know Your Platform
Each social media platform responds to hashtags differently, so keep this in mind when you post to each one. Twitter was the originator of hashtags, so guidelines that I have discussed above fully apply. On Facebook you should be a little more cautious with the amount of hashtags you use. A lot of research shows that hashtags bring your engagement down, but you still want your content to be found. So, choose the right hashtags and do not overuse them.
Pinterest uses hashtags the same way that Twitter does and it is highest revenue-generating social site so utilize it as much as you can! LinkedIn does not use hashtags at all so it looks very unprofessional to include them in any posts. Finally, Instagram is unique in that the more hashtags you use the higher the engagement you'll get. The posts with the highest number of interactions sometimes have 11 hashtags or more.
Mulligan Management Group Can Help With Your Hashtags!
Mulligan Management Group, LLC is an expert on making your digital marketing strategy as effective as possible. Give us a call today at 330-472-7673 to see how we can help!
