How to Leverage Hashtags on Different Social Platforms

Shared from easil.com

What are Hashtags?

Hashtags are any words or phrase with a # symbol in front of it. They became popular on Twitter as a means to organize discussions around specific topics. By adding a hash or a pound symbol in front of a word, they transform into searchable links.

Tagging social media content with hashtags allows other users to discover a collection of related content when they click on the hashtag. They are incredibly handy for searching through conversations, posts, events, and locations. All you need to do is add the # sign before the words you wish to highlight.

Hashtags can be tailored specifically for each business, making them unique and personal. The most effective hashtags are the ones that relate closely to your industry, the products you offer, and the audience you want to reach. A great way to discover relevant hashtags is by checking out what similar businesses in your industry are using.

Dos and Don’ts

Let’s go over some of the general Dos and Don’ts when it comes to using hashtags across various platforms. 

Don’ts:

• Spaces – Don’t leave spaces between words or “hashtag” each separate word

• Punctuation and other special characters don’t work in hashtags.

• Special characters like commas and exclamation marks are counted as a space and will break up the hashtag.

  
  

Dos:

• Characters – You can use the following in social media hashtags:

  • Letters

  • Numbers

  • Underscores (_)

  • Emojis (on Instagram only)

  
  

Other aspects to consider when creating hashtags

• Always verify how hashtags are being used before incorporating them into your posts. While some hashtags may appear straightforward, they could be linked to entirely different topics. To steer clear of any confusion or controversy, take a moment to ensure the content associated with the hashtags you're interested in aligns with your intended message.

• Using capital letters in your hashtags isn't crucial, but capitalizing the first letter of each word can enhance readability. It also helps prevent any confusion when people are trying to understand your hashtags.

• The purpose of a hashtag should be clear at first glance, so avoid using acronyms or unconventional spellings that might confuse your audience. By keeping your hashtags simple, you make it more convenient for your customers to engage with them and share their experiences.

• Using too many hashtags can come off as spammy or unprofessional, depending on the platform. You can make your content look less like spam by either leaving a gap between your caption and the hashtags or by integrating them directly into your caption.

Now that we have a better understanding of how to use hashtags, let's explore how they function differently across various social media platforms. Each platform has its own quirks that influence engagement, reach, and post visibility. Additionally, the ideal number of hashtags and their impact on algorithms can also vary. By tailoring your captions to suit each platform, you can take your social media marketing to new heights.

Instagram: 

• Ideal number of hashtags: 1-30

• Hashtags are essential for getting discovered. With over a billion active users on Instagram every month, the platform's search function depends on users, locations, or hashtags.

• Choose hashtags that are relevant to your topic or industry.

• Go for for hashtags with 10,000 to 300,000 posts instead of super popular ones.

X/Twitter: 

• Ideal number of hashtags: 1-2

• Stick to easy-to-remember hashtags.

• Pick hashtags that relate to your business

• Leverage event and conference hashtags to engage in discussions.

Facebook:

• Ideal number of hashtags: 1

• Stick to trending topics, events, and community conversations

• Overusing hashtags can hurt your engagement.

Pinterest:

• Ideal number of hashtags: 3-4+ (no more than 20)

• Hashtags help your content get found and shared more easily.

• Pinterest loves new pins, so use relevant hashtags to boost visibility.

• Place your top 4 hashtags at the end of the description for better preview display.

Linked In:

• Ideal number of hashtags: 2-3

• Include hashtags to status updates and published articles.

• Use hashtags to reach a wider audience beyond your immediate connections.

TikTok:

• Ideal number of hashtags: 3-5

• Use hashtags to categorize your content as it will feature alongside other relevant videos.

• Hashtags influence how the TikTok algorithm distributes your content to users on the "For You' page.

• Use a mix of trending and niche hashtags to boost your visibility.

Hopefully this overview on utilizing hashtags will elevate your digital marketing game! The nuances in using them across different platforms might appear overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it, the basics are pretty much the same. Hashtags are a great tool for gaining visibility and engaging with other accounts and conversations, so use them to your advantage!