How Hashtags Benefit Your Business on Instagram
Businesses are using social media more and more in their marketing strategies and platforms like Instagram have firmly marked their territory as the ‘go to’ for some brands.
One of the most popular social media trends in recent years has been the use of hashtags. They are seen to dominate both Instagram and Twitter posts every day and they are not going to disappear anytime soon.
Let’s take a closer look how hashtags benefit your business on Instagram but first, let’s find out what they are.
A hashtag – Explained.
A hashtag is a specific keyword or short phrase which relates to a topic or trending phrase using the number symbol (#) before it. This enables your audience to immediately see what trending keywords are used in your post that they can follow.
Clicking on a hashtag is a direct way to see other posts that are using the same key phrase. If your business uses a catchy slogan, you can also use a hashtag to help spread the word. It’s possible to see which hashtags are trending by using third-party websites. You can incorporate the best ones in your posts which will allow you to build a solid social marketing strategy, and sometimes a bigger ‘following’.
Hashtags work best when they are kept short and to the point. Please remember, no punctuation or spaces are allowed. It’s tempting to include a plethora of hashtags after your post I know. This can actually be counterproductive and look extremely cluttered. They can also be seen to be very spammy too (technical term!).
Keep it short, to the point and on point.
There are a number of ways hashtags can benefit your business on Instagram;
Boosting Engagement
The popularity of Instagram alone (26.54m users in the UK according to Statista) means that it’s one of the most popular platforms to market your business. Using hashtags when you post is a proven way to boost engagements, compared to using none at all.
Increasing Brand Awareness
A hashtag tailored to your business, service or product can increase your brand awareness. It can also get people talking about and tagging your business too!. It’s worth taking a look at what some of the big brands do with hashtags to get some inspiration. The wheel doesn’t need to be invented!
Coca Cola’s #shareacoke hashtag is one of the most recognised worldwide. This is a simple hashtag that is very well known to a worldwide audience.
Providing a Summary
Your followers will see instantly what your post is all about. This means they do not need to read a lengthy blog or follow an external link, which can be off-putting in this instant digital age we live in. This is great for generating immediate engagements.
Gaining New Followers
When you use a hashtag in your posts, (#newbusiness for example), and someone happens to be following that hashtag; that person will start to see posts from your page that’s relevant to them. This is an excellent way to gain new followers and to follow like minded accounts.
Place Yourself as Part of a Bigger Conversation
Brands use hashtags as a way of integrating themselves as part of a bigger conversation or movement. This can help show your followers the things that mean the most to you. Look at #supportingmentalhealth or #covid19 as two more recent examples to consider.