Are you using too many hashtags in your social media management strategy? Or perhaps are you using too few? Are you using them for the right reasons? How can you optimize your company’s visibility on the Web by using this little hash sign followed by a keyword, which has got social media management specialists talking? Here’s a little overview to help you make sense of it all.
Hashtags were introduced on Twitter back in 2007, and are now used on other social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
While their main function consists in grouping messages on similar subjects together in order for users to be able to search for a specific subject more easily, hashtags are also very useful if you want to extend the reach of your Web marketing campaign. Here are the few benefits of using Hashtags on Social Media:
Greater Visibility
Hashtags allow you to increase your brand’s visibility on the Web. Indeed, associating the content you publish to a specific hashtag will allow your messages to be seen by a greater number of people. This might help you get more fans who will in return search for this specific hashtag in order to find your latest publications.
Less is More
Be careful, because overuse of hashtags might have the opposite effect and repel your current and future followers, as stated by recent studies published on the Socialbakers website. Indeed, using 1 or 2 hashtags in a post generates an average of 593 interactions. However, using 3 to 5 hashtags lowers this average to 416, while using 6 to 10 hashtags lowers this average to 307. Using more than 10 hashtags can really hinder your efforts to get more visibility, as it lowers the average interactions to 188!
As you can see, there is a direct relationship between the number of hashtags you use and the number of interactions you will get on content you share, your pictures, or your tweets.
Generate Strong Interest Towards Your Brand or Your Product
Another benefit of using hashtags is that it can help you generate interest or create a buzz around your brand. For example, let’s say you start using a specific hashtag you create for a contest or a draw – #Brightpink. Regardless of the subject of the posts or the tweets it is used in, people who use it automatically get an entry. Not only this cost friendly strategy can help you get yourself known on the Web and increase your brand visibility, but this can also generate a strong interest towards your products or services.
Humour
Humour is certainly a great way to reach your target audience. A lot of companies use funny hashtags to sell their products. Just think about Charmin and their #tweetfromtheseat hashtags! Who never tweeted live from the toilet bowl? There you go. By using humour, you can increase your visibility, since all the content you share will be automatically linked to your funny hashtag. Now that is one great strategy!
Want to know more about how to use hashtags properly to get the Web visibility your company deserves? Our social media agency’s main area of expertise consists in building creative marketing campaigns to help you achieve all your business goals. Contact us today for more information on the subject.
