# used to stand for the pound or pound sign. But then Twitter appeared and turned it into a hashtag – a concept without which it is now impossible to imagine social networks. Hashtags surround us everywhere. We see them in Twitter trends and captions to viral videos on TikTok, on advertising banners and flyers near the metro. For large corporations, hashtag selection is an important part of brand identity, and Instagram blogger’s hashtags have long become a different strategy for promotion on social networks. This article will tell you what a hashtag is and how you can use it to attract your target audience and increase brand awareness. This is especially important if you are going to open your own business or create a website.
Hashtag: what is it, and why is it needed?
A hashtag is any keyword or phrase preceded by a # symbol. As a result, your post becomes available to people with the same interests, even if they are not subscribed to your updates. Users often use hashtags for Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and other social networks – however, some platforms like news sites also support them. For example, imagine that you are an Apple fan and plan to buy an iPhone 13. Add a hashtag to your query “# iPhone13,” and you will find all the publications related to this model – news, reviews, promotions, analyses of advantages and disadvantages. Search results, in this case, will consist of posts of all users who wrote “# iPhone13 “.
The specific content depends on the social network: for example, on Twitter, you can read news and short reviews, on Instagram – reviews under user photos, and on Youtube and TikTok – videos with unpacking and analysis of the smartphone.
How to use hashtags for promotion?
A hashtag is a powerful tool that should not be underestimated. With its help, not only individual companies become famous, but also huge world movements such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. By learning how to use them correctly, you can increase traffic and conversions organically, without the cost of paid advertising.
Let’s say your company has a public on social networks. Using hashtags will make posts available to anyone interested in what you write about – even if they are not your subscribers. Correctly selected hashtags can attract thousands of new visitors, some of whom can become your potential customers.
How to choose the right hashtag
Place a # in front of the appropriate word or phrase to create a hashtag. It doesn’t matter if the hashtags are at the beginning, middle, or end of the post – the main thing is that they are relevant and simple. Remember how annoying a wall of twenty hashtags on Instagram or long unreadable messages like #superdiscountinourInstagramClothes are annoying. To avoid this, follow two simple rules:
- Don’t use more than 2-3 hashtags on Twitter and five on Instagram.
- Always use simple, unique, and relevant words.
Types of hashtags and examples of their use in social networks
Having figured out what a hashtag is, let’s take a closer look at its varieties.
Content Hashtags E If you’re new to hashtags, start with the company’s name, product, or service. Thus, your brand will become known to potential customers who have not previously encountered it.
For instance:
Coffee Ninjas – coffee shop in Krasnodar
“# Krasnodar is beautiful even on Monday morning. Trust us – we know for sure. After all, we got up before everyone else to brew you delicious # coffee and prepare a hearty # breakfast. Come!
In the tweet above, the Krasnodar coffee house uses hashtags related to services ( # coffee and # breakfast ) and a hashtag with a geographic location ( # Krasnodar ). This makes the tweet more likely to be seen by shoppers living in Krasnodar looking for a coffee shop with breakfast and good coffee. You can attach a link or QR code to the menu for greater efficiency to increase conversion.
Trend hashtags
Another great way to spread the word about a company is to use hashtags, which have already become popular among millions of users and made it into the list of trending hashtags. But before using such a hashtag, ask yourself if your post will be able to “merge” into the existing discussion on the topic. If a post is not relevant in any way, it will most likely be ignored and lost in the stream of posts. However, if the post is informative, funny, or has “viral potential,” users will share, and the reach will grow.
For instance:
Dog shelter “Friend.”
We also decided to celebrate the # Halloween and turned our puppies into characters # IgryPrestolov. Photo in the carousel. By the way – Jon Snow, Arya Stark, and Daenerys are still looking for a home!
The shelter uses popular Instagram hashtags to draw public attention to the puppies in this example. They justified using popular hashtags with a costume photoshoot with dogs, so the shelter has a good chance of attracting a new audience.
Brand hashtags
By selecting hashtags, you will quickly notice a problem when using popular or common words – namely, that your post gets lost among hundreds of other posts with the same hashtag.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to start creating your own branded hashtags. They can promote the brand through promotional campaigns, events, contests, and other marketing activities. For example, on its 100th anniversary, Oreo used the #oreomoment hashtag so shoppers could share memories of their favorite product.
The hashtag has become so popular that it has collected responses from hundreds of users. Soon, the hashtag, which was originally used as a brand hashtag, was included in the list of trending hashtags, as a huge number of people (and companies) used #oreomoment in their posts.
An effective brand hashtag is one associated only with your company. Make it unique and memorable. Use a short phrase or slogan in branding (for example, Nike uses the famous #justdoit ).
Creating hashtags associated with a specific marketing campaign give users a compelling incentive to use them. For example, you might offer a discount or the opportunity to win a prize for using a branded hashtag. This is how the company can benefit from viral marketing.
