Hashtags aren’t just a trendy accessory to a social media post — they’re a powerful tool for reaching your target audience. In a fast-paced world where content flies by as fast your fingers can scroll, successful hashtags work as a virtual road marker, grabbing a reader’s attention or even directing new audiences to your brand.

#Hashtag101

Let’s face it: If you are on social media, chances are you’ve encountered a post with a hashtag or two … or twenty (#Yikes!). Simply put, hashtags are a way to group similar texts/posts together and make topics easily searchable within social platforms. Most social media platforms allow users to search by hashtags, allowing people to seek out topics of interest to them while exploring unique content from individuals and brands.

Smart and relevant hashtags give posts an extra level of visibility and allow viewers to better engage with your content. Even better, a good hashtag can bring new eyes to your profile, increasing your reach while sharing a little insight into your brand’s identity and personality.

#HashtagHangups

For all the benefits of adding hashtags to social media, there are limitations — and some could actually negatively impact your content. Follow these dos and don’ts to make sure you’re making the most of your tags.

• DON’T add any punctuation to your hashtags, meaning no commas, apostrophes, periods, etc. Special characters will not work in a tag. Neither will any spaces. Instead, DO capitalize each word in your tag to improve readability and eliminate any confusion, i.e., #CapitalizeEachWord.
• DON’T inundate your message with too many hashtags. It ends up looking spammy and can drive readers away. DO stick to one or two relevant tags and keep them short and sweet. One or two words will do.
• DON’T piggyback on trending hashtags if they are not relevant to your business or your content. DO stay true to your brand identity andconsider using brand attributes as hashtags. Keep a bank of commonly used tags and share them within your marketing team to make sure everyone is on the same page.

#HashtagHeroes

At Ideality we specialize in helping businesses leverage the power of social media — including hashtags — to achieve their marketing goals. Algorithms on social media are always changing and an effective hashtag one day can lead nowhere the next. Our team can help you identify relevant tags for your target audience, create effective social media strategies and  help you optimize your content for maximum visibility. To read more about the importance of developing and staying true to your written brand identity, check out our blog on protecting your brand.) Contact Ideality today to learn more about how an effective social media strategy can help you #GrowYourBrand!