Several constituents state your success on social media. Those are the number of followers, likes, sometimes dislikes, and… of course, engagement. Suppose you see a post with 10K likes but only one hundred comments, while your new picture has 3K likes and 1K comments. Such an engaged audience like that theoretical one is what big accounts may envy!
A strong community around you can carry your project through the harshest times. And engaged audiences are vital for businesses, enterprises, startups, and other projects. But how do you get that engagement? Here is an answer for you: hashtag research and wise usage. And it is more than spamming words with a number sign #.
First, Why Are Hashtags So Significant?
They Narrow a User’s Search Down
Social media has an immense informational flow. The pictures, videos, and posts appear one after another in a user’s feed at the speed of light. A regular person can see hundreds of daily posts without even trying! Most users don’t have much time or patience to look through all those pieces of content. And that is where hashtags come in handy. They help users focus on the most interesting topic for their informational needs.
Hashtags Compel Actions
The second reason hashtags are so powerful is that they stimulate certain actions. The most common of them are likes, comments, and follows. A user sees an attractive post with a catchy hashtag and decides to engage with it. That’s how the community strengthens itself!
Hashtags Make Content Discoverable
Imagine you have just created a post about a new product your company offers. It is high time to spread the word and reach as many potential customers as possible! How do you do that? The answer is quite simple: by using hashtags! They will help users find your content among all the rest on social media.
The Tips Unfold: Your Checklist for Attracting Stable Followers
Make Your Unique Content Findable with Narrowly-Focused Tags
Using common hashtags like #love, #fashion, and #happiness gives your account minimum results. Millions of daily posts use them and create an immeasurable pile of content where your picture or thought will get lost. Hence, pro users mix popular hashtags with more narrowly-focused ones. For instance, compare:
- #traveling #interestingplaces #aesthetics
- #traveling_Poland #abandonesplaces #castles
The first one is so general that its informative component is weak. The second one talks about specific things that interest people with distinctive preferences. You might need different apps to understand what your audience prefers more concretely. So, it is never odd to analyze a social analytics tool comparison to pick a tool that meets your demands for hashtag research.
Make Some Social Media Hashtags Evolve
You can alter an existing popular hashtag to make it talk about YOUR page. For instance, take a look at these two tags:
- #instafoodporn
- #bestofvscofood
The first one is widely-used but quite general. The second tells users that the content they will see is the best from VSCO in the food category. It also mentions the platform necessary to engage the target audience.
Try a Little Bit of Spamming
Imagine you have just created a new post about traveling and want as many people as possible to see it. You add general hashtags like #traveling and #vacation and then look through related tags to find something more specific. So, add a few more content-related hashtags like #traveling_Europe, and #vacation_2022. And you may also spam them under the post after creating a blank space with dots or other symbols to hide the tags beneath. It’s not the wisest idea to do that too often as users might get annoyed, but it is a way to improve your engagement rate in the short term.
Delegate Your Hashtag Research to SMM Tools
Many social media management tools offer hashtag research features. All you need to do is type in a keyword related to your content, and the app will generate a list of tags for you to use. This way, you will save a lot of time that you can use to create more high-quality content or engage with your target audience.
Use Them in Your Bio Section!
You can also use hashtags in your bio section to ensure that people interested in the topics you write about can easily find your profile. Add a few relevant tags after your name, and you’re good to go!
Stories Can Have Hashtags too!
Posting daily is challenging, but stories are not so aesthetically and conceptually demanding. Those 15-second posts and videos are a perfect way to engage your followers on days when you don’t have anything deep to share. And you can use hashtags in them too! For instance, you can add a few relevant tags to your story and save this story in the highlights.
Use Purposed Social Media Hashtags
Four types of social media hashtags can help interested people find your informational offers. And here are the types:
- Brand hashtags. That is for companies that have already earned a Name. Pepsi, McDonald’s, and other business giants offer people to state their identity with those hashtags. For instance, you can see a person’s personality who posts a picture with a #PradaBag hashtag.
- Category (niche) h. Those are not about your social media activity but boost the focus on what you generally do. For example, #marathon, #style, #fashion, #decor — those are niche ones. We recommend mixing them with more specific tags for better reach.
- Event h. That hashtag type points to the event you connect your post with. Suppose you create custom decor with a brutalist and metal vibe, and your new creation has a Game of Thrones aesthetics but with your vision. And there is a Game of Throne event — link your new post to the exciting event and get the reach!
- Campaign h. Those are like event ones but have a stronger connection to your social media page. For example, you are a YouTuber who organizes a giveaway. So, you can use both general and campaign hashtags for better reach and engagement.
An Extra Tip: Always Monitor Your Success!
Posting under popular hashtags is not enough to get noticed. You also need to track your progress and analyze your results. That data will show you which hashtags help or create odd informational noise! Do not neglect this brief reminder, as it is vital to monitor your progress.
Final Words
The social media hashtag component is one of the many keys that open your profile to the masses. Hence, hashtags are a great way to attract ENGAGED followers, not indifferent onlookers. Knowing how to use it to avoid informational noise and get closer to your target audience would be best. Take this checklist for you, use it, and appear in the trends soon!
