Hashtags—What Are They Good For?

If you’ve spent any amount of time online, you’ve probably seen hashtags used frequently on social media. In this article, we want to give you the scoop on what hashtags are for, and how you can make the most of them to promote your business.

The Purpose of Hashtags

Hashtags are chiefly used to search and filter content on social media. For instance, if you type in #MySocialLady on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram, our social media accounts will pop up. As a business, using hashtags is a crucial part of the social media marketing handbook. Crossing your fingers hoping people will find your business among the overflowing abundance of content on social media is not business savvy.

How You Can Use Hashtags for Your Business

No matter what kind of business you are, we always recommend using three specific kinds of hashtags on your posts. To start, your first hashtag should be brand specific and feature the name of your business or product. The second should be industry specific and create engagement within your business’s niche. Finally, the last hashtag should be post specific, meaning it references something within the post itself.

Here of some examples of how to create all three specific hashtags:

1.     Brand Specific Hashtags

Example:  #LisasCoffeeBar

2.     Industry Specific Hashtags

Example:  #ItalianRestaurant

3.     Post Specific Hashtags

Example:  #ChocolateChipPancakes

While you can always include more hashtags if you want, you should always make sure the Big 3 Hashtags are on every post. Also, if you decide to include more hashtags, avoid using too many in one post. This is called hashtag stuffing, and makes your business look annoying at best, and spammy at worst.

Hashtags are a great and free way to create brand engagement. If you’re just getting started with social media marketing, hashtags are a simple way to start promoting your business on social media.