Depending on your level of social media savvy, there are a few questions you might have asked about Hashtags. Everything from ‘what is a hashtag’ to ‘why do some people comment with them vs. adding them into their post?’

For some business owners already handling so much for their business, the additional work of creating a hashtag strategy might seem over the top, but hashtags are vital to success on social media.

What is a hashtag?

Because I want everyone to be on the same page here, a hashtag is:

Definitions from Oxford Languages

hash·tag

/ˈhaSHtaɡ/

noun

a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media websites and applications, especially Twitter, to identify digital content on a specific topic.
"spammers often broadcast tweets with popular hashtags even if the tweet has nothing to do with them"

verb

add a hashtag to (digital content) to identify it as concerning a specific topic.
"the athlete hashtagged his post #luckyman"

Hashtags have become an effective way to communicate as well as discover content via social media. Even though hashtags are most popular on Instagram and Twitter, they can now be found on most platforms. So no matter what social media platforms your small business decides to use, knowing how and why to use hashtags will help boost your social media marketing overall.

“Think of hashtags as a way to connect social media content to a specific topic, event, theme or conversation. They also make it easier to discover posts around those specific topics, because hashtags aggregate all social media content with that same hashtag.”

— Hootsuite

The best way to understand and think of hashtags is to think of them as a way to connect social media content to a specific topic/event/theme/conversation. It makes it easier to research and find specific topics.

The basics about Hashtags

They always start with # but won’t work if you put spaces, punctuation or symbols.
Your accounts need to be public. Otherwise, the hashtag content will only be seen by your current followers.
Don’t put too many words together as it gets too complicated and hard to read. The best hashtags are short and easy to remember.
Use capital letters at the start of each word to make it easier to read. For example #KASocialMedia and not #kasocialmedia - this is essential for accessibility so that hashtags can be read aloud.
Use relevant and specific hashtags. If it is too complicated, it will be hard for users to find and read.
Limit the number of hashtags you use per post. More isn’t always better depending on what platform you are on! You don’t want to seen as a spammer or have your message ignored.

3 reasons you should use hashtags

Increased engagement with your followers

Including hashtags in your posts means there’s an opportunity for someone who isn’t currently following you to find you and your content.

That means taking part in a more extensive conversation on a specific social media platform around that particular topic. Being part of that bigger conversation can lead to better engagement, increasing your business or brand’s social media engagement via likes, shares, comments and new followers.

An opportunity to build your brand

Creating a branded hashtag can be an effective way to promote your business and drive the conversation around your brand. It’s a way for your current followers to find your specific content and for new followers to discover you.

For example, #KASocialMedia #KASocialMediaTips or our wedding was #HappilyEverMansfields

Because these are specific to my brand, anyone searching these hashtags can see the full conversation around my brand online. Or, all the content from my wedding for that last example.

Help your target audience find you

By using specific branded hashtags on Instagram and LinkedIn, you are giving users a direct way to find you. When someone is recommending your business, when they’re giving you a shout-out, or maybe when they’ve downloaded and loved a freebie you put out there.

Using a few popular hashtags can also be another way to help new potential followers to find you and your brand.

For example, suppose you use #NovaScotia or #Halifax on your Instagram posts. In that case, someone who follows that hashtag has the opportunity to see your recent post in their feed and potentially become a new follower.

Hashtag Strategy

You want to make sure that you are using hashtags that can help your business be discovered and that represent your audience’s interests. You don’t want to use hashtags like #followme, which give no context to your post and can look spammy—even if they are very widely used and recommended.

The key is to blend hashtags for the best strategy. A number of branded hashtags, a number of hashtags that give context to your post, some for location and then some that are popular or trending.

Lucky for you, I have a Hashtag Cheat Sheet for free download here if you need a place to get you started.

Trending hashtags are things that people have started using that caught on in a viral way on social media. Popular trends are things like #ThrowBackThursday or #MotivationMonday.

Some of the most popular Instagram hashtags of all time include:

#love (1.7B posts)
#instagood (1.1B posts)
#photooftheday (763M posts)
#beautiful (639M posts)
#happy (564M posts)
#picoftheday (551M posts)
#photography (537M posts)
#nature (494M posts)
#instagram (439M posts)
#food (376M posts)

If you’re don’t have a strategy that includes hashtags, it’s time to start using them! They could be the key to getting your business noticed online.

Not sure how to use hashtags or how your business could benefit from them. Book your 1-on-1 brainstorming session. Now booking for June-August 2021.

Hashtags 101