The more I am using hashtags in my social updates, the more I see the incredible power this tool has. It allows people who are mutually interested in a topic through a keyword, to gather, albeit online, and have conversations.
For small business owners, the hashtags (#) represents an important social media strategy.
Hashtags famously started on Twitter, but now it is used on a variety of social networks, especially on Instagram.
Hashtag: What is it and what can it do for your business?
In social media, a hashtag is a word or phrase proceeded by the hash (#) or pound sign.
In social media age, the hashtag (#) is one of the most powerful tools to instantly connect or link a social media post to a group of others about the same topic in real time.
Marketers, sales people, social media managers and business owners use the hashtag (#) sign or symbol before a relevant keyword or phrase to draw attention and attract people who are interested or searching for such keywords.
Here’s a sample of my Instagram post using several hashtags:
How to use hashtags for your business
- Own 1-2 hashtags for your business.
- Use hashtags that are clear, easy to remember, make sense, and that relate to your topic and brand.
- Target local audience by using the name of the city. In my case, I use #Toronto
- Use it to find people you want to connect with who are interested in the same topic.
- Piggyback on popular hashtags to increase visibility and followers.
- Use a hashtag to promote your sales special or campaign, such as #FridaySpecial #BlackFriday.
- Lastly, use hashtags strategically and on purpose (not randomly).
