This little symbol, #, can give you vast rewards.
The Importance and Power of Hashtags and why you should use them.
BY Nariman Azzam – Content Dream Team.
The symbol hashtag existed in the 14th century. Before it was used for Twitter and social media platforms, it came from “lb,” which is the Latin abbreviation for “pound.” It wasn’t named as a hashtag until it became popular on social media. It is a critical way to find posts from common topics. It was first used on Twitter in 2007, where people used it to make groups on Twitter, and that’s how it gained momentum and became the social media staple today.
Hashtags are labels used on social media platforms that make it easier to find posts or information with a theme or exact content. It is made by using the symbol “#” in front of words without spaces. It encourages users to explore eye-catching content, reach more target audiences, and help members filter information. In today’s fast world of social media, users are capable of quickly getting bogged down with information overload. But, by using hashtags, this becomes easier to cut through a digital focus on the information. Hashtags are used on social media platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, and Youtube.
Four Reasons to Use Hashtags:
1. It can simplify the process of searching and pulls results for each post using that hashtag. It helps reach the target audience and makes it easier for other users to find your information that you might have posted under the same hashtag.
2. It can compel action. When users see posts related to their interests, they are more likely to spend more time looking through the same hashtag content.
3. Just like everything in the world, hashtags evolve. They are being used by more platforms and impacting the amount of information put directly in front of users.
4. Hashtags make your message stand out to the users who find the hashtag valuable, and they have rewards for the distinctive.
What Makes a Good Hashtag?
Industry-related hashtags help you reach your target audience and connect with your industry. They can also be used to identify products, communications, and services. They can be generalized or specific, and the best way to experiment with hashtags is to use them consistently on social media. The more specific hashtags, the more chances to grow the better audience. On the other hand, it is crucial to change a hashtag if it isn’t working or if it’s not catching on and the users are not responsive to it. You need to be patient until your hashtag catches on, and don’t change the hashtag every week because consistency is key.
When making a social media post, it is not advised to overuse hashtags. Posts should be concise. Using too many hashtags can hurt your position and making your account seem unprofessional. Having one to five hashtags is adequate. It is also essential to check your analytics from time to time to know what’s working and hurting your posts and account. If nobody is using a hashtag other than you, stop using it.
Although hashtags are useful for attracting more engagements to the desired social media platform, hashtags don’t always work on single platforms. For example, they are not meant to be on Facebook. So, if you continuously use hashtags on Facebook and wonder why your hashtags are not clickable, that’s because Facebook does not support hashtags; it invalidates the function and purpose of hashtags. According to Facebook, posts that have no hashtag work better than posts that carry hashtags. Although Facebook did introduce hashtags back in 2013, it doesn’t provide any benefit. It will only irritate your Facebook friends, and the fact that hashtags are so pointless on Facebook is partial because Facebook users don’t use hashtags when searching for posts.
Furthermore, using hashtags puts practical information between your thumbs and allows you to spend less time looking for specific information or content. By spending just a few minutes researching popular hashtags, you will make sure to find what is most suitable for you. Some examples of when hashtags can be successful:
· Event information and images.
· Digital publication announcements.
· Special offers.
· Trending article topics or events.
· Retweet, reply, like your own association.
· Ask questions.
· Celebratory posts.
· Personal experiences, topics, updates, and achievements.
Last but not least, hashtags are very easy to use. Keep in mind that hashtags allow users to find posts about desired content, but they help reach more people interested in the content itself. Hashtags are the simplest ways to arrange an endless amount of information posted on social media, making it easier to find more relevant; keep in mind that less is more when using hashtags and keeping using the hashtags best fit your posts.
