Hashtags have become a very important part of social media. Did you know that they originated as a symbol in front of an Internet Chat Room name? Now hashtags have exploded and everyone wants to know the best way to maximize hashtags so they positively impact your social media campaigns. A hashtag is simply a label (#) used on social media sites that makes it easier to find posts or information with a theme or specific content. All platforms are not created equal so loading up your post on Instagram with hashtags might be great but doing the same on Facebook may not be as productive. We all have been guilty of this at times because isn’t it simply easier to post on Instagram and have that post automatically go to Facebook? Saves us time and energy. That may not be helping your overall social media engagement. Like all digital marketing, social media is always changing so what might be true now, may not be true in six months or a year.

Tips on Hashtags:

  • Hashtags are all one word so no spaces
    1. #Marketing Tips doesn’t work since it will only pick up the first word but #MarketingTips does
  • Creating your own hashtags
    1. You can register your own hashtags through a website like Twubs
    2. What does this do? It can help your market presence and enhance your SEO
    3. This is not a trademark or copyright so others can still use the hashtag unless you do something more formal

If you have trouble determining the best hashtags for your industry or your campaign, there are many websites and some apps out there to assist. Do your research. What is your audience searching for? What are your competitors using? Check out the trending hashtags and are they relevant for you?

Many hashtag tools are free but there are paid ones as well. I have personally not used the paid versions but do use some of the free versions. Here are some suggested websites.

Best Practices on Facebook:

Facebook introduced hashtags in 2015, approximately three years after purchasing Instagram in April 2012.

  • Hashtags introduced in 2015
  • Less is more
  • There’s a debate when you research on exactly how many is the best number to maximize hashtags so we suggest testing your content and reviewing the insights consistently to see what is best for you. At this point, Facebook is not set up to be a hashtag king like Instagram.
  • Start with 1-2 hashtags and see the engagement then increase it and see the engagement. Some studies show that less is more on Facebook.

Best Practices on Twitter:

Twitter’s platform launched in July 2006 but originally didn’t use the hashtag or @ sign. In 2007, Chris Messina was given credit with using the first hashtag on Twitter but the platform wasn’t 100% ready for it quite yet. It did not become an official feature until July 2009. By using only 280 characters, hashtags are extremely important in your concise message. Twitter states that one to two relevant hashtags is the sweet spot.

  • Hashtags introduced in 2007
  • Less is more
  • 1-2 hashtags

Best Practices on Instagram:

As many know, Instagram launched in October 2010 and quickly added hashtags in January 2011 so it became easier to attract like-minded users and help users discover each other. In this day and age, hashtags help to get more followers, improve your posts’ engagement rates, and build a community around your business.

  • Hashtags introduced in 2011
  • Hashtags can only be seen in the # Search if on public pages
  • Studies show that hashtags definitely help with engagement
  • Use up to 30 hashtags per post either within the post or in the first comment on the post.
  • Use up to 10 hashtags on a Story.
  • Start with 10-12 and then tweak from there.
  • Review your insights and tweak your tags whether that means changing them, adding more or less.
  • Different hashtags exist depending on your goal:
    • Community Hashtags – #chihuahuasofinstagram
    • Branded Hashtags – #dreamplanstartgrow
    • Campaign Hashtags – tied to specific campaigns, like new product launches, special events, or partnerships

Best practices on LinkedIn

  • Introduced in 2018
  • No limit on hahstags but LinkedIn recommends 3 to 5 hashtags per post.
  • Use them in a post
  • You can also pin your favorite hashtags to your homepage, making it easier to find related content
  • Location hashtags can be useful. Add hashtags to your company page as well as a personal one

As you can see, hashtags can be unique depending on the platform you are on. While we only touched on four of the social media platforms, hashtags are used in other platforms as well. When you create your social media campaign, do the research on what people are searching for and what competitors are using. As you create each campaign, don’t forget to review the insights to see what is working and what is not. We have offered some guidelines but each business is unique.