A Beginners Guide on How to Use Social Media Hashtags for Marketing a Small Business

Social media plays a big role in marketing a small business in today's digitals world. Social media websites like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook allow businesses of all sizes to reach out to new and existing customers. And one of the most important tools for a good social media marketing strategy is the hashtag.

Hashtags are used to segment content and make it simpler for people to find. They can be used to promote special offers, campaigns, or events. And they're a great way to get your small business noticed on social media sites.

But with so many businesses using hashtags, how do you make sure yours stand out? Here are some tips on how to use social media hashtags for marketing a small business:

What Are Hashtags?

The hashtag was originally a simple pound sign or hash mark, which grew popular on most social media platforms and made this common symbol it's own.

A hashtag sometimes called a Twitter or Instagram hashtag or dollar sign symbol, is a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#). A hashtag is written out without spaces.

Hashtags are commonly used on social media sites to find more about a topic that piques one's interest.

What Was The First Hashtag?

Hashtags were first used on Twitter, which is still the most popular site for using hashtags.

Here's the first Twitter hashtag ever:

Hashtags have grown in popularity over time, and they may now be found on most major social media channels.

At some point, you might have decided just to avoid them.

After all, as far as you're concerned, hashtags and those who employ them are from another dimension. A world that is optional for you to join.

This is not the case at all. If you want to market your company on social media, you must pay close attention to social media hashtags.

You'll know how significant this post is after you've finished reading it. Then you'll want to perfect your skill with them.

How Do Social Media Hashtags Work?

To begin with, you must appreciate the value of hashtags. They aren't simply a fad. Social media users have a number of practical applications.

Hashtags are used to categorize posts or tweets about a certain subject or category.

For example, any post using the hashtag #sportsapparel will appear in social media search results for the term #sportsapparel.

Sports clothing design and shopping are some of the most popular topics on Instagram. This allows users to discover and join discussions about sports apparel.

Hashtags also have many practical uses for marketing.

• You may categorize your social media postings by topic, aim, or social media marketing campaign.
• You may develop your own branded hashtag to help you keep track of how well you're known on social media.
• This way, you'll see how many people are using your hashtag.
• You may increase brand recognition and attract new consumers!

A perfect example of a branded hashtag in action is #fingerlickingood.

The company KFC raised massive awareness of their brand on social media by using the hashtag #fingerlickingood.

Of course, they do.

KFC capitalized on this, and now #fingerlickingood is synonymous with KFC's food.

Whenever someone clicks that hashtag, they'll be bombarded with posts filled with images and videos of delicious KFC meals.

Finally, consider this: thousands of photos are uploaded every minute on social media.

As a result, your posts will only be seen by your followers. This is where social media hashtags are useful.

The most amazing thing about it is that it's all completely free!

There are no fees associated with hashtags, but there is a learning curve, and it may take some time to master the trends and how hashtags operate on each platform.

With the strategies given below, you can gain access to potentially thousands of people outside of your current social media followers:

6 Strategies For Utilizing Social Media Hashtags

#1 Boost Social Media Outreach

• Organic reach: Hashtags are searchable on social media. As a result, employing them in your posts helps to make your company more discoverable.
• Here's another advantage of using hashtags for organic search: Some sites, such as Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, now allow profile page biographies to appear in hashtag searches!
• Linking opportunities: Hashtags function similarly to hyperlinks on most websites: they're clickable and lead the user to another page.
• When someone clicks on a hashtag, they are sent to a "newsfeed" page for that particular term. For example, check the destination page for the hashtag #onlineshopping.
• You'll see a lot of photos and videos with the hashtag #barcamp on this page. The most recent postings are at the top of the page.
• Think about the opportunities this provides.
• You may gain free exposure if someone clicks a hashtag on someone else's post. Isn't it fantastic?
• If you used the same hashtag in your article, they could see it on the hashtag's page!
• Reach Your Target Audience: Keep track of hashtags for each of the following categories: Industry-related hashtags, content-related hashtags, and popular hashtags used by your target audience.

#2 Join Conversations on Social Media

One method to use hashtags is to check the most popular ones and get involved in discussions that are going on.

You can source these hashtags by simply checking the most discussed topics on a social media network.

For instance, there's the Trends For You list or the Worldwide Trend list on Twitter.

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Consider hashtags to be social gatherings. It's your chance to shine, express yourself, and build name recognition.

But, like with any form of social gathering, you must understand the dos and don'ts as well as social norms in advance.

As a result, you'll need to study the most popular hashtag before jumping in.

Don't just jump on the bandwagon because it's popular. Keep in mind that you'll need to offer useful material along with a popular hashtag. Make things easier for yourself by starting with the best hashtags.

Begin by looking for hashtags that might be a suitable fit for your company. You may also discover hashtag suggestions by examining the social media profiles of your competitors.

You can discover your competition by looking for popular hashtags in your field on social media.

#3 Social Listening/Research/Product Development

Another advantage of using social media hashtags for business owners is that you may follow your target audience's discussions.

This is referred to as social listening in this context. Use this method to learn more about their problems.

You may then develop content, services, or goods that cater to their needs and concerns.

#4 Create Your Own Branded Hashtag

We previously said that developing your own branded hashtag with your company or product name can assist you in monitoring your social media presence.

But that's not everything that branded hashtags can accomplish.

Taking advantage of this tool, you may use your company's branded hashtag to:

• Enhance your branding.
• Track the results of each of your marketing campaigns separately: "reach," "brand awareness," and so on.
• Keep track of user-generated content; this is essentially limitless content that you may re-post in the future.

#5 Drive Event Engagement

Whether you're hosting an offline or internet event, hashtags are a fantastic way to increase interaction. Here's how:

• Every attendee can use the same event hashtag.
• They may use it in their own post or search the hashtag to discover postings made by others.
• The hashtag allows all the people at the event to contribute to discussions and start new ones focused on the event.
• You may utilize your event's hashtag by asking questions and conducting polls.
• Not only will these aid in generating more interaction, but you'll also get a wealth of information that may be useful for your marketing.
• You may visually represent your hashtags using events. A visually appealing hashtag can help you promote and organize your event and business more effectively.
• Finally, don't forget to make the most of the occasion by incorporating a visible call to action as well!

#6 Build Your Community

After reading the previous section, you can see how individuals may connect with one another and form relationships.

Social media networks are embracing this development. You may follow hashtags on Instagram just as you would your friends or a company.

People may interact, learn, and talk about ideas through Twitter Chats.

So, take advantage of these social media phenomena and start your own hashtag communities!

Different Types Of Social Media Hashtags

Now that you know how using hashtags can benefit your business, let's discuss the different types and when you should use them.

There are three types of social media hashtags:

Brand Specific Hashtags

The disadvantage of other sorts of hashtags is that they may be overwhelmed by other postings.

However, branded hashtags are a different story. You'll want to utilize these for marketing efforts, events, challenges, and so on.

When creating branded hashtags, ensure that the following requirements are met:

• Unique
• Memorable
• Utilized by nobody else

Consider making them into a tagline or motto for your general branding hashtags.

Now let's talk about marketing campaign hashtags. These can help you get a lot of attention for your company.

You'll want to provide your followers with a push-up to encourage them to use them.

For instance, you could offer a discount or the opportunity to win a prize when they include your marketing campaign hashtag in comments and posts.

Trending Hashtags

Millions of people frequently use hashtags that are trending. Isn't it fantastic?

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But wait, there's more. Consider whether your article will add value to current debates before using them in your posts.

There are various meanings for the term "value." It might indicate unique knowledge, a unique perspective, or even just a humorous picture that could be turned into a meme.

However, if your article is devoid of substance, it will be overlooked in the stream of other articles vying to get on the current hashtag trend.

On the other hand, if your content has that distinctive spark, it will go viral. Thousands of people will see a viral hashtag post and share it many times over. As a result, your company's exposure will be greatly increased!

Content Hashtags

Hashtags are most helpful in situations when someone is just getting started with hashtags.

Unlike trending hashtags, these are less susceptible to error because you won't have to conduct as much research into current events.

Brand-specific hashtags will be more powerful in the long run as your social media following grows.

That is why beginning users should use content hashtags. Content hashtags are also simpler to produce and utilize. It's also simpler to come up with and utilize content hashtags.

Simply examine keywords relevant to your company or area of expertise and use these hashtags in your postings.

People who see your message may choose to join your page in order to receive future information and postings from you.

How To Create Your Hashtag

It's simple to make a hashtag. However, it isn't easy to come up with a decent one. Here are some tips for making powerful social media hashtags.

• To assist clarify your message, use capital letters at the beginning of each word.
• Don't be a smarty-pants with your hashtag. After all, if no one is searching for your hashtag, it won't help your marketing!
• Keep your hashtag as simple as possible. Your message will be less effective if you use too many words in your hashtag.
• Don't hashtag any old phrase—your article, for example, may be about eating sweets at the theater.
• Using the hashtag #candy in your article is most likely a waste of time.
• After all, the likelihood of being seen among hundreds of thousands of other people who are using the hashtag #candy is virtually nil.
• However, if you utilize a certain hashtag in your post, such as #CandyAtTheMovies, it's considerably more likely to be noticed.

Not all hashtags are equal in terms of effectiveness. You already knew that, right? But what you didn't realize is how to utilize them effectively.

How To Use Social Media Hashtags Wisely

You now understand what hashtags are, the many sorts available, the techniques involved in their use, and how to pick excellent ones.

Now it's time to figure out how to utilize them effectively!

Here is the most essential information regarding hashtags on social media:

1. Don't overuse hashtags; don't hashtag each word in your captions unless it's absolutely necessary.
2. Instead, you should only hashtag the important words.
3. Keep in mind that the number of hashtags you may utilize in a post varies by the social media platform.
4. Don't overuse hashtags in your posts. They should only be used when they can create discussion and interaction.
5. Combine your hashtags. Using more than one kind of hashtag in a post is what this means. For example, you may combine popular/trending hashtags with content-related hashtags.
6. This is beneficial since it implies that other businesses will also be looking for them.
7. That being said, they'll be overburdened with postings. You may negate this post's content hashtag shortcomings by including a popular but less common hashtag in your message.
8. Hashtags are more likely to be picked up on than content hashtags-themed postings.
9. If you write a popular blog post about your trending hashtag, it will become more visible in the wider content keyword searches as well!
10. The idea behind this approach is really basic: combine particular, less-used hashtags with the more common ones.
11. That way, your article may get picked up in smaller niche social media groups before being noticed in the broader hashtag searches.
12. Keep an eye on your competition. They're most likely already employing hashtags in their social media marketing plan.
13. Keep an eye on how much they engage your mutual audience. Also, look at how many or few hashtags they utilize.

How To Find New Social Media Hashtags

It may be difficult to come up with hashtag combinations that are not too broad but also aren't overly complicated.

The best place to begin is by keeping an eye on the hashtags used by your niche's top influencers.

Influencers are people who have a lot of clout in your online industry: YouTubers, bloggers, and celebrities are some examples.

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Tags are, sadly, a little underutilized marketing tool in social media advertising. However, we believe that this article has given the topic its due diligence.

You've now learned everything you need to know about utilizing social media hashtags.If you want to know more about building an effective social media strategy for your small business, click here to read more.