#Hashtag What Does This Mean?

Hashtags, previously referred to as the “pound” symbol before social media, are a great tool for finding new content and exposing your own. But like anything, there are best practices and use case when implementing hashtags in your social strategy.

What is a Hashtag?

Let’s start with the basics. A hashtag is a metadata tag used in social media that allows users to apply dynamic, user-generated tagging, making it possible for others to easily find content with a specific theme.

Now how exactly does this work? Let’s say you’re watching a football game (Go Packers) and you’re interested to hear what others are saying about the game…you could use Twitter to search #NFL or #Packers and tweets using those hashtags would appear. These tweets would be from all (public) users, not just the people you follow. From there you can read and engage with any of the posts.

Where (& How Many) Hashtags?

Hashtags work on a variety of platforms, but in a different way on each. Here’s a brief overview:

Facebook: Use hashtags in the body of your post and maybe one at the end if applicable.

Example: “Happy #NationalCoffeeDay, we’re celebrating with venti cold brew + doughnuts #staycafinated”

Twitter: Hashtags should be a #natural part of your tweet (see what I did there?).

Example: “It’s #NationalCoffeeDay, but then again when isn’t it in our office? Tweet us with recommendations for the #bestcoffee in #WashingtonDC”

Instagram: Instagram posts with hashtags receive 12.6% more engagement, but that does not mean you should go crazy and max out the hashtag limit of 30. Use a mix of common hashtags + more unique or custom; about 7-10 in total.

Example: “Celebrating #NationalCoffeeDay the only way we know how…#coldbrew on tap + #paperstraws. How are you enjoying your #cupofjoe? #coffeelovers #staycafinated #fairtradecoffee #savetheturtles

LinkedIn: While not as widely used on LinkedIn, hashtags still bring value to your posts, and are best used at the end of the post to categorize what you’re talking about.

Example: “What was the best advice you’ve ever received over coffee? In honor of #NationalCoffeeDay our CEO is sitting down with our Fall interns to answer their questions and discuss industry trends. #leadership #mentor”

Conclusion

Hashtags are an important part of any social media post! Be strategic with how many and and what type of hashtags you use based on the platform you’re posting to.

---

Want more Hashtag help? Let’s chat about your digital strategy!