Are #Hashtags a quick afterthought when you post to social media?

Do you use strategic or haphazard #Hashtags?

Did You Know?

Using #Hashtags on Instagram remains an effective element to bring attention and engagement to your posts, and plays a strategic part in growing your Brand.

Including targeted and relevant #Hashtags on stories and posts lets your business become discoverable by new audience segments which translate to:

• More followers.
• More engagement.
• More customers.

What’s the Function of Instagram #Hashtags?

#Hashtags categorize and organize videos and photos.

When a #Hashtag is added to a public post - that post is visible on the corresponding #Hashtag page. Each #Hashtag becomes a directory of all videos and photos tagged with that specific #Hashtag.

Different #Hashtags for Different Audiences

Branded #Hashtags

• Are unique to your company.
• Denotes Brand identity.
• Can be your business name, tagline or name of a product or ad campaign.
• Are strategic to connect themes, content, products, services, campaigns.

Community #Hashtags

Connects people with similar interests to interact with a specific subject.

• Improves post searchability.
• Increases followers.
• Helps with community growth.

Business community #Hashtags can be for:

• Products/services.
• Special events.
• Holidays and seasonal.
• Industry related.
• Geo location.
• Daily/weekly events, motivators, tips, etc. 

Campaign #Hashtags

Are normally used short-term to gather attention, create engagement and drive traffic for specific products or topics. 

Used for:

• Partnerships.
• Special events.
• Product launches.

How to Optimize Your Best #Hashtags

• Use unique tags for your niche.
• Determine which #Hashtags your competitors, industry leaders, and audience are using.
• Check past #Hashtag performance in your Instagram analytics.
• Aim for Instagram top #Hashtag posts position, which is determined by engagement volume, and how rapidly that engagement rolls in.
• Add #Hashtags to your Instagram stories.
• Include your Branded #Hashtag in your Instagram profile.
• Post #Hashtags as a first comment.
• Invite people to follow your branded #Hashtag, as well as your profile.

How to Find the Best #Hashtags for Your Business

One option is to use an online #Hashtag generator. These generators can give you related #Hashtags, performance, and popularity information. Here are a few to start with.

Display Purposes

A bit of guidance on this very informative #Hashtag tool . . .

This is how the screen appears when you arrive at the site:

Enter a #hashtag into the black search bar.
Once entered, the data auto-populates. For this example, I entered the tag; #windsorct

Notice, to the Right, you have option to select either ‘Auto’ or ‘Manual’.
Auto automatically populates the results with #Hashtags selected by the generator.
Manual lets you choose checkboxes alongside each tag you want to use.

Results for #windsorct:

Scroll below the results and Click ‘See stats’:

The amount of information this tool serves up on each #Hashtag is extensive, and includes:

Number of posts using the #Hashtag.
Top cities and countries where the #Hashtag is used most.
Top 10 related #Hashtags
Age demographic for the #Hashtag.
Languages.
Gender.
Actual top posts that used this #Hashtag.
Link to view actual photos and videos with this #Hashtag.

Food for Thought 

Here’s an example of another #Hashtag search for
#windsorcoffee  #windsorplumbing  #windsorevent

Note there were no results:

Your business may want to experiment using local #Hashtags with few or no results. If someone is looking for coffee, plumbers or events in Windsor – and you’re using that #Hashtag in your post - they can quite easily connect with your business.

This is just an example, and can be applied to any business, product, profession, or service. 

More #Hashtag tools include:

KeyWord Tool

All Hashtag

#HashMe (iOS app)

Ingramer (Android and iOS app)

Hastagify

Sistrix

You may want to explore refining your business #Hashtags to extend your Brand reach. The right #Hashtags can put your business in front of your target audience, even if they’ve never connected with you before on Instagram.

See our social media marketing packages.

More to Explore:

Is Your Business Missing Out on Social Media?

3 Instagram Story Types that Work for Businesses

 

 

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