The Guide to #Hashtags
People are still confused by the hashtag.... and probably always will!
While the social platforms are finding more advanced ways to auto-recognize content and trends, they’re slowly becoming extinct!
Still, it can help you connect with others, and people around the world to connect with you. So the debonair Matthew Borchers raises a great question:
“Is it good or bad to use a ton of hashtags, or the same hashtags per post?”
The best way to use the hashtag is with intention.
Let’s look back at the…
#Purpose
A very good place to start!
#Topics
Hashtags started on Twitter but have spread to nearly all of the social platforms. They are used to categorize topics: clickable links to join a global conversation.
Think of hashtags as social media breadcrumbs—leading all the lovers of the #topic back to you!
#KeyWords
Use keywords to be discovered. Keywords can be broad, such as #dance or even #ballet, but are much better when they’re super specific, such as #boysdancetoo!
You can also think of hashtags as confetti. Everyone's having their own party, but at any moment you can instantly organize the world's confetti to find like minded individuals. Pretty sweet!
#Events
If you're hosting or attending an event, join the conversation by contributing with the hashtag!
Hashtags are great for weddings, shows, and other LIVE events. It curates an archive of all the tagged posts and gives everyone access. The problem is teaching everyone to use the hashtag. Big events like the #TonyAwards and #DragRace do this well by frequently reminding the audience of the hashtag.
What group, show, or event in your life needs a hashtag? When creating one, be super specific. Don’t use spaces or punctuation. If you must, use an emoji—but try getting Grandma to find and use that!
#Trends
Relevancy is huge on the internet. When billions of people are trying to be seen and heard, you have to play the game.
Take a look at the trending topics (things that “everyone” is talking about). Click on the hashtag and start engaging with new people. Social media isn't a one-way street! Join the conversation!
Here are a few "timeless" trends to participate in:
#TBT (Throwback Thursday)
#BestPractices
Advanced? here are some PRO TIPs!
Unless you’re already #famous on social media, you will need to build clout within the algorithm. To do this, you should create what is called a “hashtag ladder.”
Start by brainstorming terms that work well for your niche: your #topics, #keywords, #events, or #trends.
Using your top 10, search for them on Instagram, and list how many posts are associated with them
Head to the free hashtag search tool, Display Purposes, to find suggested tags ranked by relevance and popularity.
This is where the magic happens: If you post into a pool of hashtags that have millions of posts, chances are unlikely you will rank in that hashtag. However, if you combine that pool with smaller hashtag combinations, you’ll create almost a ladder effect in the algorithm. Go back and rank your hashtags from smallest (anywhere from 2,000 posts - 1 million posts).
Have a rotating pool of ~50 hashtags, because if you consistently post any combination over and over, Instagram’s algorithm will decrease your reach.
If you have a business profile, check your analytics tab to check which combo worked the best!
To directly answer Matthew’s question: you do NOT want to use the same hashtags per post. While you can use up to 30 hashtags per Instagram post, remember that hashtags are slowly going extinct and almost irrelevant on other networks, so you certainly don’t have to overdo this.
Start by adding labels for specific #topics, #keywords, #events, or #trends.
Don’t be like these guys…
