The Do's and Don'ts of Using Hashtags to Grow Your Business
Are you using hashtags to grow your business?
If not, you are missing out on great ways to connect with new clients and growing your audience! Today we are sharing the do's and don'ts of using hashtags on each social media platform so you can continue to grow your audience.
Hashtags: A History
Hashtags were created way back in 2007 when Chris Messina tweeted a question asking if people would use the pound symbol (#) to help categorize their conversations around particular topics.
We doubt Chris knew at the time just how much this simple question would change everything.
Hashtags have changed not only the way people communicate online and in the real world (remember when #blessed was a thing?); they have also changed the way businesses, organizations, and brands market online. And, to make things even more complicated, every social media platform uses hashtags in slightly different ways.
Here's the break down of the dos and don'ts for each platform as a quick and handy cheat sheet.
Twitter: Where it all began
Twitter was the first platform to introduce hashtags into their code and systems back in 2007. But that was over 13 years ago, and things have changed. Here are some best practices for creating and using hashtags for your marketing campaigns.
Do:
Keep it simple. Make your hashtag easy to remember and spell.
Make it easy for others to use it. Hashtags are a useful way to let people feel like they are a part of the community. Retweet someone if they use their hashtag and don't be shy about responding when they do.
Research your hashtag before you start to use it. Make sure that a hashtag makes sense for your brand and message, and look up other posts that use this hashtag to make sure the hashtag means what you really think it means. You can use tools like Hashtagify for your research or use the Twitter search bar.
Don't:
Overdo it. Limit to two hashtags per post, according to the latest from Twitter! So #Avoid #Doing #This and #donttrytocramawholesentenceintoahashtagitshardtoreadandeasytomessup.
Use CAPSLOCK. It can feel like shouting, plus it adds an extra step for your audience who wants to type this hashtag a lot. Remember to keep it simple.
Forget to educate people. Explain what the hashtag is and what context it should be used in. Otherwise, people don't know what the heck you're tagging about.
SproutSocial shared a great article on how to use Twitter Hashtags if you want a deeper dive into this specific platform.
When it comes to hashtags and Facebook, you may encounter many different schools of thought. Facebook hasn't actually updated their Hashtag guidelines since 2016, and most marketers have given up on using them on Facebook as they don't seem to be effective. But you can use these dos and don'ts to try out hashtags in your Facebook posts yourself, and see if they work for you:
Do:
Use hashtags intentionally. Don't get crazy; give them a purpose, like how Warby Parker uses hashtags to be searchable and engage with other trending topics!
Use only one to two per post. The best performing Facebook posts are 40-80 characters long, so you've got limited space for hashtags! Work the hashtag in with the rest of your sentences as much as possible.
Keep it simple and short. #dontgetcrazywithitnoonelikesthat
Don't
Overdo it. Keep them simple and use when they are most logical.
Use hashtags that have nothing to do with your post or brand.
Use a hashtag if it doesn't make sense for your brand. Sometimes the best strategy is to forgo the hashtags altogether.
Instagram:
Instagram is the queen of hashtags. They allow your content to be found and help you connect not only with potential clients but your peers as well. For example, hashtags are a great way to discover and be discovered on the Explore page of the platform, and how you utilize hashtags has a major influence on how you show up on the explore page.
Some people like to work hashtags into their Instagram captions; others add hashtags as a comment on their own posts, to help them reach certain audiences. Experiment with both approaches to see what gets you better results.
Here are a few do's and don'ts for your next post on the #gram.
Do:
Mix it up! Play around with specific or "niche" tags (i.e. #nonprofitstartupsdc vs. #nonprofits). Use a specific tag on one post and a more general tag on your next post, and see which one gets better results. Testing is the key to see which hashtags are the most effective for you and help you reach the right audience.
Less is more. You can include up to 30 hashtags, but depending on what you're sharing it may appear obnoxious or distracting. Most brands stick to 2-5 hashtags in their captions, but you may find another number of works best for you.
Learn who else might be using your hashtags. Do a little recon and see what other content is competing for your audience's attention; you can search by heading to the Explore page (look for the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of your screen) and searching for the word or phrase in the search bar and under "Tags."
Don't:
Use arbitrary hashtags. Avoid sounding like a spam bot.
Use so many hashtags in the caption of your photo that it's difficult to read. Remember to look at your post as though you were the person scrolling and discovering you!
Forget to use any hashtags. These are incredibly helpful for building your audience; posts with at least one hashtag perform 12.6% better than one without.
LinkedIn:
Hashtags were introduced to LinkedIn back in 2018, and, while they look the same as hashtags on any other platform, they are very different when it comes to discovering, sharing, and following content. You can use hashtags in your posts, but also in article promotions and in association with your Company Page.
Do:
Always be professional. LinkedIn is first and foremost a professional networking site, unlike most other social platforms. So make sure that all your hashtags represent your most professional self as it lines up with your brand.
Use 3-5 hashtags at a time. Less is more with LinkedIn, but 3-5 is a perfect amount to get your content seen without being obnoxious.
Add hashtags to your Company Page. These make you easy to find in your specific industry and help connect to others who are interested in your business.
Don't:
Use sarcastic, crude, or irrelevant hashtags. This may seem like common sense, but we always think a reminder is helpful. Like we said above, keep it professional!
Use "text talk." Write your posts and your hashtags as though you were communicating at work to a colleague.
Use spam hashtags to try and boost your post. LinkedIn analyzes all of the words in your post to make sure it delivers your content to the right audience; stuffing random hashtags in your post is never a good idea because the algorithm will see right through it.
Pinterest:
Last, but not least, let's talk about hashtags on Pinterest.
The reality is that Pinterest is a different platform from most, as it is more like a visual search engine than a social platform. Most people come to Pinterest to generate ideas, inspiration, and keep track of interesting products, resources, and articles. And while hashtags are helpful, there hasn't been a lot of data that proves that they greatly impact the performance of your pins. But hashtags won't hurt, either! Just use these guidelines:
Do:
Include hashtags in the description of your pin.
Check to make sure the hashtags you use actually relate to what you're pinning. Search for these hashtags on Pinterest first and see what other content comes up.
Keep your hashtag count between 2-5 per pin. You can include up to 20, but honestly, that's overkill.
Don't:
Use a hashtag in your bio. They are not clickable so they don't help drive any traffic to your profile or pins.
Go back and update old pins. They are shared chronologically and updating old pins is more likely to be a waste of time and energy.
Strong too many words together for one hashtag. It's not great for search! Keep it #simple.
Hashtags Are Our Friends
Hashtags are a great asset to your social media strategy when used properly. Take the time to stay up to date on the latest hashtag trends and don't be afraid to create your own. Now get to hashtagging!
Looking for more info about hashtags? Give these Slices a read: