If you’re browsing social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you will commonly see a piece of text or an image preceded with #words #that #have #the #hashtag #symbol #in #front #of #them. Hashtags aren’t always necessarily included within a sentence and are sometimes just shown next to stand alone words.
What are hashtags used for?
Hashtags are used in social media marketing to help identify a keyword or topic. They help your social content become more discoverable during searches for that word or topic. However, you should be mindful of how you use your hashtags. Don’t be mistaken in thinking you can hashtag absolutely everything. It is important to identify key trends and have an understanding of which tags are most suitable and relevant to your business.
Are hashtags acceptable on all social media channels?
Hashtags firstly became popular on Twitter and then across other social media channels. There is a time and a place for hashtags as an etiquette seems to have developed when it comes to using them.
Instagram is probably one of the most popular channels on which hashtags are commonly used to help content be discovered and categorised. It is an image dominated channel where users post an image with a short caption that includes plenty of hashtags. Facebook on the other hand they are used more sparingly. Facebook is traditionally used to post lengthy messages that might be accompanied with an image and the odd hashtag. Although Facebook implemented the hashtag search feature in 2013 after noticing the rise of hashtags on other platforms, users tend to refrain from “cluttering” their posts with the #symbol. Try not to post more than 7/8 hashtags with your posts as this might be considered as spamming.
Should I crosspost on social media?
Crossposting involves linking up your social media channels so one post is automatically posted across all your channels. We recommend tailoring your post to each social media channel.
Remember:
- Twitter keep characters to a minimum
- Facebook you can write a lengthier post with a couple of hashtags
- Instagram you can include several hashtags
Hashtags can be a powerful tool for discoverability and helping you gain visibility and association with a particular topic or trend. Just remember, when it comes to using hashtags, less is sometimes more.
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