Hashtags Help People Find Your Content On Social Media.
Yup, it’s that simple. Hashtags are social media’s way of organizing content so that people can find it more easily! If you want to take it right back to basics, a hashtag is a word (or phrase) preceded by the pound symbol. Like this 👉🏻 #HashtagBasics The hashtag can categorize your content or let your audience know what its theme is. They can even give your reader an instruction like the often used #LinkInBio hashtag.
“Including hashtags in your posts means taking part in a conversation happening on that social media platform. And most importantly, it makes your posts visible in that conversation. This can lead to greater engagement, boosting your brand’s social media engagement through likes, shares, comments, and new followers.” - Hootsuite
When it comes to getting your content in front of the right people (ie. your ideal clients and customers) it’s important to know that not all hashtags are created equal. Some will stay small and be specific to an industry or location while others will get picked up widely and can quickly be used millions (or hundreds of millions) of times. Both niche and popular hashtags have their place in your hashtag strategy but choosing the best hashtags for your business is kind of a big deal!
So, how do you choose the right hashtags?
Finding the best hashtags for your business is possible with a little research and a willingness to experiment!
Deciding On The Best Hashtags For Your Business.
Deciding which hashtags to use is like deciding which conversations you want to be part of! It’s called social media right? Hashtags are definitely part of being social!
Creating Well-Rounded Hashtag Sets
Whether you are just starting to figure out a hashtag strategy or are looking to revamp your system, I suggest grouping potential hashtags into the following four categories:
Location: This group includes hashtags for your location and your target audience’s location(s)
Audience: Find out what hashtags your ideal clients are using and engaging with.
Industry: What hashtags are key players in your industry using?
Theme: What is your post about? Find hashtags that reflect the theme/topic of your post.
Invest some time into this initial search. Cast a wide net and compile a juicy list of options. (We’ll get to the niching down in a minute.)
Tips For Finding Fresh Hashtag Options.
Finding hashtags that fit your brand takes a little social media detective work but don’t worry, it’s fun! Here are some tips to get you started.
Grab your phone, log into Instagram and hit that search button. (You know, the one that looks like a 🔍 magnifying glass!) Type in a word related to the work you do, the product you make or the place you live.
Click on a hashtag and see what posts pop up. Do you want your content to show up there? Does it fit and feel right? If no, keep scrolling! If yes, add it to the appropriate category list.
While you’re looking up that hashtag, also look at what other hashtags are being used on those top posts. Those will be your next place to investigate!
Make time to do this every month. Social media is always evolving — so should your hashtag strategy! Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Hashtag Tip! Create a document or spreadsheet to track your hashtags and create sets to copy and paste for easy posting on social media.
One of my biggest suggestions is to use a document like a google spreadsheet to document categories of hashtags. Your categories can cover the different topics you post about, different themes, and different niches. Ideally, you’ll create a few “sets” of hashtags that can you can add to your posts. Each set will have a mix of target + industry + location hashtags. Pile all these hashtags into a document, a spreadsheet or a note on your phone so that it’s easy to copy and paste when you create!
Ditch Oversaturated Hashtags And Think Small.
Now that you have loads of hashtags that feel good and have sorted them into categories, it’s time to get strategic! When it comes to the hashtags you include with your content having a good mix of the big popular tags and the smaller more niche tags is important.
At first glance, it might seem like a good idea to go big and use hashtags with millions of uses. That’s where all the cool kids are, right? The reality is that hashtags with millions and millions of posts aren’t helping your business — they aren’t strategic. They’re not connecting you with your actual audience and they’re not helping you get seen by new people. They’re helping your content get lost in a sea of other posts.
The real power of hashtags lies in getting specific and tapping into your niche. That’s where the magic happens!
Tips For Niching Down Your Hashtags
When you are choosing your hashtags make sure to focus on your ideal clients and customers. Think intentionally about who you want to see your posts and let that guide your choices. By using more niche hashtags, you can get your content in front of the right people, your posts will have a longer shelf life and you are much more likely to build the engagement and connections your business needs to thrive on social! Here are some tips to help you swap out overused hashtags and tap into your niche.
Avoid hashtags with multiple millions of uses. Don’t get lost in a sea of posts!
Add your location to a tag to make it more targeted. For example, instead of #Photographer try #OntarioPhotographer or — even more specific — #OntarioWeddingPhotographer
Add a descriptive word to your tag to niche down. Instead of just #Yoga try #YogaTeacher or #YogaPlay
Remember, when it comes to a solid hashtag strategy, niche is where it’s at! Making sure that as many as two-thirds of your hashtags are targeted and niche can actually mean more engagement and more eyes on that content!
Niching Down Your Hashtags Gives Your Business A Leg Up!
Using hashtags is your ticket into conversations with your ideal clients and customers on social media. Have fun with them but remember that being specific is a winning strategy. Niching down your hashtag sets by including location, theme and descriptive words will increase your chances of getting your content seen by the right people. That’s good news for your business!