Hashtags may be the trendy add-on your posts need, but these tags also represent powerful tools in expanding your reach and driving engagement with an audience wider than ever. But finding the balance between strategy and creativity while using these tags is a catch. True to that, hashtags are pretty helpful in increasing visibility and driving traffic, but inappropriate use may lead posts getting lost in the crowd or worse, totally ignored. Be it an influencer, a brand, or merely some everyday user out there looking to get your content noticed, mastering hashtag etiquette can surely put you above the competition and make your social media campaign more successful.

Here are the dos and don’ts of hashtag usage that can help your brand grow and stay ahead in the digital landscape:

Dos of Hastag Usage:

Research Trending Hashtags

Do your own research on trending hashtags and always be on top of what is currently under discussion in your niche and target market. This can also help you craft more engaging Instagram Reels captions. Most platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok, have a built-in function that enables you to discover trends in real time. By doing this, you’ll be able to work on the usual issues currently under discussion to keep participating in possibly related conversations, boost your discoverability, and connect better with your target audience. Research which hashtags have a good following by using tools like Hashtagify or Google Trends.

Use Relevant Hashtags

Relevance is the most important part of effective hashtag use. The best way to use hashtags is by relating them directly to your contents so that you are posting at the right audience. However, if you’re using only those generic or not-at-all relevant hashtags just for popularity, then you might end up alienating the people who would really be interested in your content. A fashion brand should use hashtags like #fashion or #OOTD; however, hashtags like #homeimprovement or #carrepair aren’t really pertinent to your niche and may weaken your message.

Use a Mix of Popular and Niche Hashtags

More popular, yet niche-specific ones may expand your content outreach in this case, covering a wider audience but still on target: You can get lots of attention from popular hashtags such as #love or #instagood, since they will move your post forward in front of hundreds of thousands. More niche hashtag options, like #sustainablefashion or #antiquedecor, attract interested people in your niche offering. Since you’ll be using the two in tandem, meaning that your posts will be both discoverable to the wider audience and those who are more likely to engage your content or eventually become a customer. With a social media marketing agency like Red Dash Media, you can ease your struggle to incorporate appropriate hashtags.

Use Fewer Hashtags

While hashtags are crucial to engagement, too many will defeat your purpose. Instagram generally recommends 5-10 hashtags. Twitter and LinkedIn tend to be more minimalist and work best using 1-3. The point is not to drown your audience with necessary hashtags but ones that matter the most and enhance your engagement and reach.

Create a Branded Hashtag

A branded hashtag is a great way to focus all the mentions related to your brand on one site. It’s a distinctive marker that encourages your audience to respond more natively and communally to your content. Whether that activity is a product launch, a special campaign, or a social media challenge, a branded hashtag assists in tracking engagement, can accumulate User-Generated Content, and serves to amplify the visibility of your brand. For example, Nike’s #JustDoIt or Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke are excellent examples of potent branded hashtags which not only establish their brand but also the call to consumers to join in.

Use of Hashtags on Stories and Posts

Hashtags are not strictly exclusive to typical posts. Instagram and Facebook stories, for instance, also support the use of hashtags and have the capability to expand the reach of your content. Hashtags in stories are clickable. So users will be able to explore more related content that they can engage with, thus further increasing your reach. Moreover, the use of hashtags in stories will be beneficial for getting to users who are following those particular tags. It’s pretty valuable to businesses and influencers trying to reach a larger audience.

Event-Based Hashtags

Seasonal or event-based hashtags can be the game-changer. Use terms of the holiday, event, or awareness month you are posting on. For example, #BlackFriday, #ChristmasVibes, or #WorldEnvironmentDay. That way, your posts will have a chance to feature in trends from across the users who are active on that topic. Seasonal hashtags help keep your content fresh and relevant and thus, users are much more likely to find it at the right moment.

Don'ts of Hastag Usage

Avoid Irrelevant Hashtags

Irrelevance in the use of hashtags is one of the most common mistakes one may resort to try and increase visibility. This does not promote your engagement but can harm your reputation. For example, this would occur if you included #love or #followus in a post about your brand’s new campaign. The mismatch in audiences with the expectations would then go down the road to lower engagement or an unengaged crowd. Relevance. Ensure your hashtags align with your content and audience so you actually attract interest from the users.

Avoid Hashtag Stuffing In Your Posts

Instagram lets you include up to 30 hashtags, but this doesn’t mean you need to use them all. The same can be said of other channels: using too many hashtags is annoying to the audience and even spammy. According to several research studies, posts with fewer strategic hashtags achieve higher engagement rates. For Instagram, your sweet spot should be 5-10 hashtags, while on Twitter and LinkedIn, just 1-3 would do the trick to get the best results.

Don't Repeat The Same Hashtags

Repeating the same set of hashtags with all your posts will only limit your exposure and make the content seem stale. Variety is important to reach diverse sections of your audience. Instead of using the same set of hashtags for every post, get it mixed up to present new users and keep the content fresh. Tailor hashtags to each specific post and a specified theme for better engagement.

Avoid Using Popular Generic Tags

The most popular tags, such as love or fashion, might make a quick appeal, but ultimately lead to a situation where a post is lost in the highly saturated sea of content. Instead, use more niche tags that immediately relate to your business or niche. These have fewer posts, but tend to attract highly targeted, engaged audiences.

Do Not Use Banned or Restricted Hashtags

Some banned or restricted hashtags exist on the platform because they bear inappropriate or controversial content associated with them. Using such hashtags can make your post hidden-even shadowbanned, meaning that your content is basically invisible to users beyond your immediate followers. Always check out the hashtags before you use them to ensure they are safe and appropriate for your brand.

Do Not Overdo Hashtags on LinkedIn or Twitter

Both LinkedIn and Twitter are professional networks; too many hashtags can look amateur. While Instagram is about hashtags, LinkedIn posts must be limited to 1-3 hashtags that are directly related to the industry or content, while on Twitter, 1-2 hashtags work best not to look cluttered while clearly stating a message.

Do Not Overuse Hashtags Without Understanding Norms In Place On The Platform

Each platform is unique and different when it comes to using hashtags. For example, on Twitter, the use of hashtags tends to be rather simple and text-based. Instagram gives you an opportunity to create a much more creative and thematic set of tags to use. It will help you better tailor your hashtag strategy to be more effective. Learn how people in your niche use hashtags on that same platform you’re using.

Conclusion

Using hashtags will maximise the chances of highly visible and engaging content, but only if used judiciously. We can help amplify your content’s reach by finding the right niche hashtags and avoiding overuse or use of completely irrelevant tags that kill the message. With Red Dash Media, a premium social media agency you develop an exclusive hashtag strategy for your brand to strengthen your presence and drive meaningful engagement throughout social media. Let’s get on with optimising your social media success.

Blog