There was a time when the hashtag meant something else. And it wasn’t nearly as common as it is today. But that began to change around 2006. Now, it’s a part of normal conversation. It should also be a key piece of your social media strategy.
Years ago, the symbol # usually meant “number.” For instance, “#3, please come to the office now.” It was also one of the two non-numeric symbols on a typical telephone keypad, along with the *.
The Birth Of The Hashtag
Twitter popularized the modern use of the hashtag not long after the platform itself went online. It was a user – not an employee – who first suggested it. Chris Messina suggested the # symbol as a way to help people follow a topic of interest in 2007.
Twitter’s first reaction wasn’t positive. However, the community began to adopt it, and it took off by the end of 2007. Soon, other social media platforms had incorporated it as well. Today, all the major platforms allow them, although they’re not equally important across all of them.
What A Hashtag Does
A hashtag allows someone to find all posts that use the same hashtag. It’s as easy as a single click! The hashtag creates a link with the word that follows it. When a user wants to know what else is being said on the topic, all they have to do is click there and they’ll see a list of related posts.
It’s great for users because they can easily find posts that interest them. But it can be great for marketing, too.
If you’re able to carefully choose a hashtag, or piggyback on a trending one, it can go a long way to enhancing the reach of your post. You’ll make your brand part of a bigger conversation. It can increase brand recognition. It’s a way of inserting yourself in the conversation and making your presence known.
Where To Use Hashtags
As we mentioned, hashtags are used on all the major social media platforms. However, they’re not equally important or successful on all of them. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but they’re more important in some places than others.
It’s important to remember that a hashtag is supposed to be a search tool. It’s not there to be a way to “format” your text and make it stand out since it’s in a different color.
As the birthplace of the hashtag, Twitter is still one of the main places to use it. Under normal circumstances, every post should use one or two hashtags – no less, but no more. It’s important not to overdo it, so you have to choose carefully.
Instagram is another platform where the hashtag is key to success. Fifteen to twenty hashtags are not unusual; nor is it frowned upon.
LinkedIn may be the latest major platform where the hashtag has taken off. Like Twitter, it’s important to be reserved here. But relevant hashtags that will help in a professional setting have become a key way to find information on this platform.
Hashtags can be used on Facebook, and sometimes are. But they never took off there the way they have on other platforms.
Some Tips For Using Hashtags
When developing your social media posts, it’s important to develop a good approach to hashtags. Don’t just slap a # in front of important words. Here are some important tips.
Research what’s trending. Look to see what conversations you want to be a part of. What hashtags are they using? Does the conversation around the hashtag fit your brand?
Be careful not to jump on a hashtag that’s going to hurt your brand. This is an extension of the first point. Is your idea for a hashtag trending for something unrelated or even negative?
Think about retired NFL player Ray Rice. He was charged with domestic violence. His wife took to Twitter to talk about why she didn’t leave him. She took up the hashtag #WhyIStayed. All good up to here.
But DiGiorno’s Pizza didn’t do their research. They saw the trending hashtag and posted “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.” They quickly apologized, but the damage was done.
If you’re trying to create a new hashtag, read it carefully. Ask other people to read it. Remember that a hashtag is a single character string with no space in it, so if it’s made of multiple words, you have to make sure it can’t be misread.
For example, here’s this one that was promoting singer Susan Boyle: #susanalbumparty. Susan Album Party, right? Unless you get the spacing wrong – sus / anal / bum / party.
Be prepared for the response. Social media is social, so you have to be able to handle whatever feedback you get. McDonald’s had a great idea when they promoted the #McDStories hashtag to solicit positive stories about eating at the chain. But were unprepared for horror stories from employees and customers alike.
Don’t overdo it. We mentioned suggested limits already. These are based on research that shows the highest engagement rates based on the number of hashtags. Tweets with two hashtags do best. Instagram posts with more than 11 thrive. Too much or too little can mean the success or failure of your posts.
Be relevant to your niche. Every business has a target audience, and your concern should be reaching them. You don’t need to have the reach of Kim Kardashian or Wendy’s – unless your goal is to do business on that scale. Instead, use hashtags that are relevant to your audience.
Use your brand name. Sometimes. You shouldn’t use the same hashtags all the time. That includes not always using your brand. But using your brand name sometimes is a great way to increase recognition. Keep the format and spelling consistent, though, and make sure it’s unique to you! As you grow, your users will start using the same hashtags, amplifying your reach.
Conclusion
Hashtags aren’t even 15 years old, but they’ve transformed how we follow a conversation. It’s important to learn how to use them correctly, though. Careful research, moderation, and preparation are all keys to success. Using hashtags the right way can help you reach more people than you imagined, allowing you to grow your brand as much as you’d like!