In other words, what are hashtags and how do you utilise them?

You’ve probably noticed hashtags lately, but what are they and why are people using them? Just put a pound symbol (#) in front of a sentence that consists of one or more words without any spaces between them. A hashtag might be the term “#MeToo” on social media. To make your own hashtag, just type the pound sign (#) followed by your terms.

With the use of hashtags, social media platforms may categorise and index the content of user conversations about a specific topic across several accounts. A popular example of a topic-specific hashtag is the #PizzaLovers tag, which collects tweets and comments related to pizza. As a result, the user experience is vastly enhanced since material is now much easier to find using search.

While Twitter is often credited as the birthplace of the hashtag, other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have also adopted the trend.

Twitter’s Hashtag Tutorial

The hashtag was popularised on Twitter, where it serves as a means of indexing messages and threads while also fostering more interaction between users. Twitter’s website and app make heavy use of trending hashtags.

Using Hashtag Technology

Marketers may use Twitter to do more than just keep their names in people’s minds and join in on conversations; they can also utilise tags to draw attention to campaigns and interact with their followers.

Looking for categories

In order to find public postings that have been tagged, users can utilise Facebook’s search function. Hashtags may help marketers make their campaign postings more searchable, even if the vast majority of Facebook posts are only seen by the account’s friends and family.

Using Hashtag Technology

Instagram and Facebook are frequently used together to promote the same material. But, companies should know that it’s not always the best idea to use the same hashtags for Instagram and Facebook. In fact, companies may use as many as 30 hashtags on Instagram, yet use much less (or even none) on Facebook.

Finding Items with a Certain Tag

Instagram users may look for them via the app’s search function. This brings up a feed of hashtags containing the specified word. Popular or newly uploaded content is given priority in the site’s navigation. An update of the week’s top postings is delivered to those who follow a certain hashtag.

Using Hashtag Technology

Instagram is a social media network where more is more when it comes to the usage of hashtags, as opposed to Twitter and Facebook. As much as feasible, influencers and companies would like their material to remain accessible via search engines. This is why many businesses have started using branded hashtags in their social media updates. In addition, the new FTC standards call on influencers to make clear disclosures of their partnerships with businesses, and hashtags are a simple method to do so. Keep in mind #ad or #sponsored.

Hashtags on Instagram are frequently used to discuss current events and other newsworthy happenings. There can be millions or even billions of postings under trending fashion, beauty, and fitness hashtags on Instagram.

Considerations for Hashtag Use

You may be anxious to start enjoying the advantages of hashtags on various social media platforms now that we’ve established how they operate; however, while hashtags are a vital element of PR and marketing efforts, there are still several hazards that must be avoided:

• Inappropriately general or narrowly focused hashtags
• Long or cryptic hashtags
• Tags that are offensive in tone or appearance are likely to have the same effect.

Inconveniently timed hashtags

To avoid using a competitor’s or another company’s popular hashtags, it’s important to research which ones are currently being used.

Similar hashtags that have already been used

Brands’ exclusive use of hashtags to “jack” current events or trends for promotional gain.

Even while it’s inevitable that some hashtags will be used by several accounts, it’s still crucial that marketers choose engaging and timely hashtags when launching campaigns or new products. Tags can be seasonal or perennial, depending on their context and intended readers.

Yet even if they look OK on paper, hashtags are prone to being misunderstood. Be wary of the potential backlash that comes from poorly timed use of new hashtags.

Actions to Take

You should now monitor the performance of your hashtag campaigns after mastering their use. With Meltwater, you can track mentions of your business across 15 various social media platforms.