How to Use Hashtags to Gain Traction Online

Hashtags are one of those features on social media that people tend to overlook. But when you understand how it works, you’ll be surprised at how much impact it can have on your social media presence. What was once a simple pound sign (#) used on Twitter has become a staple across larger platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook.

The question now is, how do you use hashtags to become more discoverable online? This article will discuss how hashtags work so you can utilize them more effectively and engage more with your target audience.

Why should you consider using hashtags?

Competition in the social media space is ever-soaring, and for brands to compete and maintain relevance, they must implement strategies that put them at the forefront. One example is to add hashtags to your posts, allowing you to put your content out there for people to discover.

You can also use hashtags to open discussions about specific topics to engage with your followers. Here are a couple of reasons why you should start incorporating hashtags into your social media posts:

• Help users find your content – Social media platforms often bombard users with the information they don’t necessarily want to consume. By adding hashtags to your posts, users can filter content relevant to their needs/interests. This strategy can prove advantageous when promoting your products to the right people, leading to higher conversion rates.
  
• Engage more with your audience – Brand engagement goes a long way in helping you establish meaningful connections with your target audience. People value unique experiences from brands, and using hashtags can encourage likes, comments, and shares of your posts. The more engaged you are with your audience, the more likely you’ll retain them.
  
• Increases brand exposure – No matter how big your following is, it’s always a good idea to boost brand exposure as much as possible. Most brands use hashtags to start viral challenges online, and if you happen to set a new trend, you’ll be surprised at how much exposure you’ll acquire from users across all platforms.
  
• Grow your following – Small businesses can take advantage of hashtags to build a larger following on social media. When paired with an effective content marketing strategy, you can make your page stand out from the rest and gain more followers along the way.

How do you use hashtags to gain visibility online?

When you use hashtags correctly, you can expect to gain significant visibility on social media platforms. Boosting your brand’s exposure is always good, especially if you’re a small business looking to establish your business. Here’s how to use hashtags to help put your brand on the map:

1. Make sure your hashtags are relevant

The primary purpose of hashtags is to filter the content your audience searches for. When using hashtags, you want to stick to relevant keywords within your niche to make your content easy to find. For example, if you sell beauty products, you can use hashtags like #skincare or #skincareproducts. Or, if you sell clothing items, you can resort to hashtags such as #OOTD (outfit of the day), #lookbook, and #fashion.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to hashtags. You just have to find phrases that work, especially if it’s your first time implementing them. Take inspiration from influencers and competitors to see which hashtags work for them, and incorporate them into your content marketing strategy to reap the rewards.

2. Keep an eye on trending hashtags

Nearly every social media platform provides insights on the trending hashtags on their websites. On Twitter, you can see popular hashtags through the ‘Trends’ section on the ‘Explore’ tab. Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page shows trending content you can tap into and see which hashtags content creators use to gain visibility.

While that doesn’t mean you should hop into every trend you come across, it’s worth checking out trending hashtags to see if they’re relevant to the type of content you want to post. Also, make sure to consider the content associated with the hashtag and determine if it matches your brand’s image. The last thing you want is for users to associate your brand with negative campaigns or inappropriate posts.

3. Create unique hashtags

Want to make your brand stand out from the competition? One way to achieve this is by creating unique hashtags for your business. Brand-generated hashtags are great conversation starters and help keep your followers engaged for longer. When creating your own hashtags, you should keep them short and sweet to avoid confusing your audience on the topic you want to discuss.

While most people will try to incorporate their brand’s name into their hashtags, the smarter approach would be to include words and phrases related to your products/services. For example, if you’re a skincare brand and want to encourage your followers to share their barefaced selfies, you can create a hashtag like #confidentlybeautiful or #nomakeupneeded.

Such hashtags inspire your followers to take action and interact with the content you intend to post, thus maximizing engagement and enabling healthy discussions regarding your brand.

4. Incorporate humor into your hashtags

Want to attract immediate attention from your social media followers? If yes, then why not tickle their funny bones with humor-laden posts? Witty, cleverly constructed hashtags are a great way to showcase your brand’s personality, making it appear more interesting in the eyes of your target audience.

By inserting a good joke and using funny hashtags, your content immediately stands out in a sea of boring, repetitive posts. Whether it’s telling uncomfortable truths or just poking fun at a lagging competitor, adding humor to your hashtags will leave your brand open for discussion and be a hot topic overnight.

5. Use a hashtag generator tool

If you’re really serious about stepping up your hashtag game, then you might want to look into a hashtag generator tool. Such software helps you track hashtag performance and identify hashtags that are relevant to the content you want to post.

Say you want to run a marketing campaign on social media, and you want to generate as much brand awareness as possible. By using a hashtag generator tool, you can obtain hashtag suggestions that help enhance your post’s visibility.

You can get away with using free hashtag generator tools online to get a solid idea of which hashtags to use for your content. Paid versions are also available and pack plenty of features like in-depth analytics and SEO integration.

Wrapping up

Adding hashtags to your content can make a world of difference in terms of online visibility and brand engagement. When you use the right hashtags in your posts, you encourage discussions from your followers and make your content more discoverable. Consider the tips mentioned in this article to leverage hashtags to your advantage.

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