The #Hashtag: A Fad Or A Real Marketing Level?

 

The #hashtag is without a doubt one of the great revelations of the current century. A true trendsetter, it is an integral part of all content posted today on social networks. We use it on a daily basis, whether it's to create stories or viral content. This power can also be very useful when you know how to use it properly. What are #hashtags? What can they do well on Instagram? What are the avenues to follow in order to choose them well and use them properly? These are all points that will be discussed in this article.

#Hashtags: what are they?

Appeared for many years, the meaning we know today is the one it acquired through its use on social networks. Introduced at the same time as Twitter, it is a word or a group of words, associated with numbers or emoticons, which does not contain any spaces. It is always preceded by the character "#" and can be written in English or Singapore. This allows for tagging of published content with keywords that sum up the basic idea of ​​that content, whether it is text, video or image. In fact, their importance is crucial, especially for a social network like Instagram.

How useful are #hashtags on Instagram?

 

#Hashtags have come a long way since Twitter and their use is now widespread on all social networks, but with some nuances compared to their usefulness. On a social network like Instagram, they are very important and have two main roles.

Organize the various publications made on the social network

 

The first use of #hashtags on Instagram is to sort the flow of posts. Since this social network is media-oriented (photos, videos), only #hashtags make it possible to identify the various publications and classify them by type of content. They are then easier to find, but also to understand.

Promote interaction with users

 

Since your publications are, thanks to a #hashtag, associated with a given theme, they are easily added to the different information flows. Users who are interested in your topic will then be able to find your publications more easily through a simple search of the associated #hashtag. You then increase the chances of interactions with your publications (likes, shares, comments, subscriptions). The use of #hashtags is therefore an important success factor, which can be complementary to the option of buying Instagram likes or buying Instagram followers.

The #hashtag: a significant marketing lever

Companies quickly understood: the #hashtag can be very useful for their development. If buying followers is already very useful for the improvement of an Instagram page, the use of #hashtags will be very useful for its promotion. Indeed, using them will allow you to reach a quantitative audience thanks to the reach of the #hashtag, but qualitative thanks to the theme with which it is associated. You will then gain a qualified audience that is really interested in your topic. This will increase your potential number of customers and you will gain visibility in your industry. Provided of course, to use the correct #hashtags.

Choose the #hashtags to use for your publications

First, know that there are different types of #hashtags, classified according to their frequency of use and therefore, their scope:

§  low frequency #hashtags are those which are related to uncommon areas of interest or which are different formulations of already well-known words;

§  medium frequency #hashtags are popular locally;

§  high frequency #hashtags are the most widely used in the world.

In view of this, the way to choose your #hashtag may already appear obvious. There are, however, definite steps to follow.

Choose a theme that corresponds to your field of activity

The first thing to do is to define your theme and at the same time, your target audience. Who do you plan to send your publications to? In what theme should they be found? It is imperative to think long and hard about these questions.

Find popular and relevant #hashtags associated with this topic

Once your theme has been found, you must identify the most popular #hashtags related to it. You can then use them and integrate them into your marketing strategy. However, with their post feed being very high, you shouldn't overdo it if you really want people to find you.

Draw on other #hashtags among the most notable on Instagram

After having identified the different #hashtags specific to your theme, you can also find others of a general nature that are closest to it. This will allow you to reach more people and increase your audience, and connect your post to a general fact.

Create your own #hashtags

In order to personalize your publications, it would be interesting to create personalized, attractive and relevant #hashtags, specific to your brand. A good trick to do this is to attach your name to an already existing popular #hashtag. This will be very useful for creating a brand image, announcing events, sharing your ideas or even starting a new trend. However, the one you create should be short, simple, easy to understand, and should not contain any special characters or spaces.

How to properly use #hashtags in your publications?

Now that you have defined your goals and made a list of the most suitable #hashtags, you should now use them in your posts. Captions or comments are dedicated to this purpose. Adding several #hashtags allows you to appear on several different themes. While this is a real plus, there are some important recommendations to follow:

§  put some space between each of your #hashtags, to make your post more readable;

§  don't overuse popular #hashtags, you risk being drowned in the flow of posts;

§  do not put too many #hashtags for the same publication, it risks being relegated to the rank of spam;

§  mix the different categories of #hashtags, you will improve the efficiency of your publications;

§  proofread your posts correctly so as not to make mistakes, especially in #hashtags, if you don't want to become the laughing stock of Instagram.

Also keep in mind that using #hashtags does not in any way exempt you from producing great content. They are simply, in addition to buying likes and buying followers, a springboard to boost your activity and gain more notoriety on Instagram.