Hashtags – we’ve all seen them or used them in our social media posts. However many of us use hashtags at the bottom of our social media posts without really understanding why.
Using hashtags in the correct way can attract more views to your posts and drive more traffic to your website, increasing the visibility of your brand and improving your SEO rankings on Google.
What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is a word or a phrase prefixed by the number sign (sometimes called the pound sign). e.g. #waggydog
Hashtags are commonly used on social media networks including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Their main purpose is to match particular topics and discussions with the interests of people using social media. They categorise content and make it easier to find. People can follow hashtags and anyone who clicks on a hashtag will see a page listing all of the posts tagged with that hashtag.
Which Hashtags Should I Use?
There are several different types of hashtag. Some hashtags use basic keywords to describe your products and services, for example, #veterinarian or #animalhealth.
Other hashtags identify communities of people with like-minded interests such as #dogsofinstagram or #catsofperth.
You can also use hashtags for seasonal events and holidays such as #nationalcatday or #summerdays.
If you search for a hashtag on Instagram, you’ll see how many posts use that hashtag along with a list of other popular hashtags with similar words.
Also have a look at the hashtags being used by your competitors and your audience to find existing communities with like-minded interests.
How Many Hashtags Should I Use?
You can use up to 30 hashtags on a post but this may come across as being spammy.
As a general rule, 5 or 6 hashtags will suffice.
In summary, fresh content such as blogs, infographics, photos and videos are essential for driving traffic to your website. When you provide links to your website after sharing short information on the hashtag, it will encourage people to click through for more information.
You never know – you may create your own brand hashtag that ends up going viral!
