Hashtags are a kind of metadata tags used on Social media platforms, which let users to apply a user generated tag to the content. When it comes to social media marketing, brands heavily rely on Hashtag marketing. To increase their reach among an increasingly global market, more brands use social media analytics tools to use Hashtag marketing strategy. Here we have listed a few effective Hashtag strategies.
From the social media trends to reality TVs, hashtags are everywhere these days. The main purpose of a hashtag is to make it easier for others to find the content on a particular topic on social networks. People always use them on their Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Some people even use it on WhatsApp too, where it has zero value. But why startup hashtags are important? Let's see what they are, why hashtags for business growth are important for your business and some strategies to use them.
So, here is a complete guide on the hashtag marketing and how trending hashtags can be used for marketing purposes.
What are hashtags?
Importance of Hashtags
How To Do Effective Hashtag Marketing
Hashtags Strategies
Hashtag marketing tactics
Tips for hashtagging
Conclusion
What is Hashtag Marketing?
Very popular on almost all the social media nowadays, hashtags are used to provide the keyword of interest and facilitate to search for it easily. You can directly search for any hashtag just by clicking on it on almost all the social media platforms. The pound sign (#) creates any keyword into a searchable link.
Technically, the hashtag is a type of metadata used on social media networks that convert any keyword into a searchable link making it easy for others to search other data or post having the same tag. It also makes it easy for others to find your post.
Importance of Hashtags
Using hashtags improve your social media presence as when you use a trending hashtag, people will see your post too. Moreover, it increases your online viewability as social media marketing hashtags make it easy for the bots to categorize you.
Promotion
Hashtags promote your content for free. If you use a good hashtag, people will find you with no efforts. Instagram’s algorithm even shows new content to the users in their explorers’ feed. However, it is not necessary that they do it just based on hashtags only, but using a good and relevant hashtag might increase your chances.
Searchable
As already mentioned, hashtags make it easier for the algorithm to categorize your post. So, when people search for a particular hashtag, they will see your content too.
Run Campaign
With hashtags, you can start some campaign related to your product. Not just promotional campaigns, they are helpful in starting nonprofit campaigns too. For instance, #DoUsAFlavor (Lays’) and #ShareACoke (Coca-Cola) were promotional campaigns whereas #MeToo and #IceBucketChallenge are great examples of nonprofit campaigns.
Target Potential User
When you use hashtags, only the interested people will come searching for your post. It will help you in identifying and connecting with your potential customers.
How To Do Effective Hashtag Marketing
a. Find or Create Attractive Hashtags
- Online tools
You can use free tools like Hashtagify.me or Hashatit.com to analyze the performance of any hashtag keyword. It will help you find the best hashtag keyword for your post. You can also use tools like Instagram hashtags generator to generate hashtags that save the time you will have to spend thinking about them. - Analyze the hashtags of the competitors
Analyze the hashtag your competitors use. However, just by seeing them having great results because of their hashtag, you should not copy them. Get inspiration and create one that's your own.
b. Use Seasonal Hashtags:
You can create and use seasonal hashtags like #monsoonsales,#summertech etc. Not just seasons, try using festival hashtags too.In fact, hashtags related to festivals are much more important as everyone becomes excited about every upcoming festival.
c. Keep Looking For Latest Trends:
Keep a close look at the trending topics and news. Try creating the related posts and using the trending hashtags on social media. For example if you want to promote something on facebook you will have to know that what are the trending hashtags on facebook so that you can choose the best hashtags.
d. Make Your Own Branded Hashtags:
Create a hashtag of your brand.Use it in your posts and tweets. People will start using your hashtag when they will use your product.
e. Promote
After creating your own hashtag and using them in your post, you need to know how to promote them, you can ask influencers to promote them. If you cannot afford them, go for micro-influencers instead. Hashtags can be used for promotions on various social medias.
- Using Hashtags on Facebook
On Facebook you can promote your posts by adding relevant, trendy and attractive hashtags at the end of your post. - Using Hashtags on Instagram
The hashtags have a great importance on Instagram. Instagram gives you an option to follow hashtags, so if you do a research then you can find the best hashtag that is relevant to your post and is popular too. Using proper hashtags you can reach to any number of people on Instagram. Don't forget, the quality of the content is the first priority.
- Hashtag Chats on Twitter
Hashtag chat is a feature of Twitter that lets you use hashtags in conversations and let anyone join it. You can start some conversation and let everyone join the discussion. It increases the reach of your brand.
Twitter is the best platform for hashtags, all the trends that are created on twitter are just because of hashtags.On twitter good hashtags spread like fire, Twitter hashtag analytics will teach you how to create and promote good and creative hashtags.
f. Content Hashtags
Last and most obvious, do not forget the hashtags related to the content of your post. However, you should use unique hashtags, but using the normal and ordinary hashtag let others easily find you if you are not a big entity.
If someone uses a hashtag that is very popular but not relevant to the content it may increase the reach but at first but after a time because of google algorithm's new updates the ranking and the reach or ranking of your website or specifically that page will decrease for not using genuine keywords.
These were some strategies you can use to find the best hashtag for your post. Furthermore, you can also take the help of some websites and apps to find the best hashtag for your post.
Hashtags Strategies to Improve Visibility
Some strategies which you should use to see good results by using hashtags in your post, are:
Hashtag Keyword Analysis
You can use free tools like Hashtagify.me or Hashatit.com to analyze the performance of any hashtag keyword. It will help you find the best hashtag keyword for your post.
Analyze the competitors
Analyze the hashtags your competitor uses. Check the performance of the content on that hashtag if they are relevant. You can use those hashtags unless its their own brand hashtag.
Brand Hashtags
Create a hashtag of your brand. Use it in your posts and tweets. People will start using your hashtag when they will use your product.
Promote Brand Hashtags
After creating your own hashtag and using them in your post, you can ask influencers to promote them. If you cannot afford them, go for micro-influencers instead.
Use seasonal hashtags
You can create and use seasonal hashtags like #monsoon sales, #summertech, etc. Not just seasons, try using festival hashtags too. In fact, hashtags related to festivals provide much more visibility as everyone becomes excited about every upcoming festival.
Trends
Keep a close look at the trending topics and news. Try creating some related posts and using the trending hashtags on it.
Hashtag Chats on Twitter
Hashtag chat is a great feature of Twitter that lets you use hashtags in conversations and let anyone join it. You can start some conversation and let everyone join the discussion. It increases the reach of your brand.
Content Hashtags
Last and most obvious, do not forget the hashtags related to the content of your post. Using the normal and ordinary hashtag let others easily find you if you are not a big entity.
These were some strategies you can use to find the best hashtag for your post. Furthermore, you can also take the help of some websites and apps to find the best hashtag for your post.
Hashtag Marketing Tactics
- For SEO title we go search keywords to make our article on top likewise do the same research in terms of hashtags, before using the hashtags in the campaign. This will let you know which words are trending and help you create hashtags based on it.
- Holidays are everyone's favorite and social media celebrate it more uniquely using hashtags. Hence, create such hashtags for holidays and special days. This will be very effective during the holiday season.
- Promotion of hashtags using giveaways:- Giveaways are chances to win free gifts for people and they follow and post for such giveaways. Hence, use it to promote the specialized hashtags which you have solely created for your brand.
- Ask people to use the hashtags with their pictures or tweets or posts. This engages people and your hashtags are actually being promoted.
- Partner with influencers of which are related to your industry. Influencers actually rule social media and getting to promote their brand by such influencers surely will generate some buzz.
Tips for hashtagging
- Make it short
- Make it unique
- Include Call to action (CTA) phrase
- Proofread it before posting
- Make it clear and easy to understand
Conclusion
People don’t even know the real power of hashtags. They use it in their normal post. However, as an entrepreneur, after reading this post, you know the value of hashtags. Try using the same hashtags when you post something on multiple platforms. However, do not just copy and paste your old posts’ hashtag in your new post. The algorithm of that platform will block you from doing it, anyway. Make it look original. It will take a lot of efforts to do it but it will definitely pay off.
Try using #StartupTalky in your Facebook post and join our group too.
Author: Vidhi Punamiya
Source : https://startuptalky.com/hashtag-marketing-guide/
Date : 2020-08-30T11:30:00.000Z