If the hashtag has the ability to feel, it would certainly have an identity crunch. It’s been mistaken for a number sign and a pound sign. It also endures weird similarity to the sharp sign in music, as well as a Chinese character that describes an antique system of distributing land.
Yes, life of this metadata tag might be confusing. As it happens, hashtags may be confusing for content marketer as well as for normal web users. When doing social media we know we use them, but what the best methodology? Facebook recently has taken a decision to support the hashtags, user were able to put hashtags, but they were not clickable. As an integral part of social and content marketing platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+, hashtags represent an important means of digital marketing and communication.
Here are some ways in which to leverage hashtags for more successful social media content campaigns:
Categorize your brand’s messages with Hashtags
Hashtags is the best way to explain and gather topics for conversation online enabling the users to pull the posts related to a top, group or an event they are interested in. Hashtags are ideal for categorizing content, whether posts apply to an upcoming conference your business is going to host or it may be the new chain of supplies. When uploading content is to keep in mind using proper hashtags to further define its purpose and the value it offers to its audience.
For example, if your content relates to a topic like #kids, #fallfashion, #artprojects, or a #holidaysale, post by including a hashtag.
Describing your social content in this way is predominantly vital to promoting your brand content. You may have already used hashtags related to your topic, keywords and brand but you have you thought about using them to provide information about every piece of content that you share?
For example, Dairy Queen makes its posts of Tumblr page with tags like #DairyQueen and #LoveMyDQ, but it also uses hashtags like #cake, #chocolate, and #pumpkinpie. By adopting the way to tagging menu items DQ better expresses its branded pictures, videos, and animated GIFs, enabling the social media content consumer to find them easily.
Extend the reach of your posts with Hashtags
Hashtags are not only useful for defining your content, but they can also increase the reach of you posts on the social media. Thinking of them as search marketing keywords, but with the distinction of one feature. Unlike the keywords you target in your paid and organic campaign, most of which are long tail and are built keeping in mind your business. Most of the hashtags you use are already popular and employing these tags frequently you increases your chances that your content will be displayed and get shared.
Burt’s Bees drew attention to its recent #6SecondClassics branded videos by tweeting the clips along with hashtags specific to the campaign. But the brand also made sure to include a more popular tag — #classic — to broaden its reach.
Ford Fiesta did the same on Instagram, supplementing the #FiestaMovement tag it uses on cross-country photos of the Ford Fiesta with more popular options like #travel, #florida, and #malibu.
You can measure the popularity of hashtags at Hashtags.org or by searching potential hashtags on twitter itself. You can also find a list of trending hashtags up-to-the-minute on Tumbler.
Start a Topic Trend with Hashtags
Because most of the hashtags you include into you posts will already exist and serve the useful purpose of getting your content found. Hashtags can also offer and opportunity to showcase creativity of your brand. One good strategy for brands is to use existing hashtags and make them their own by adding their brand name.
For Example, Ben & Jerry’s cleverly adopted several of Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” hashtags in an effort to capitalize on the attention generated by the week-long TV programming event. Existing tags like #megalodon, #SharkAfterDark, and #SharkWeek — a title that has long been part of the consumer lexicon — were used to attract attention to Ben & Jerry’s shark-themed Twitter posts.
Above all, use them wisely, and sparingly
Be careful when using hashtags, it is also possible that you over do it, or do it in a wrong way. Using too many hashtags in a single post you content will look like a spam which can alienate social media content consumers, or cause them to turn you out. Theories about using the hashtags vary and every one may have different opinion, but using no to three hashtags per post are justified. Have a thought about your content viewers as and readers: Ultimately, hashtags are a distraction that detracts from the message you’re trying to relay. Include them, by all means, but always be moderate.