A hashtag is a keyword or phrase used in social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and is marked with a double cross (#). Hashtags help categorize content and make it easier for users to find.
Hashtags are helpful tools in online marketing and social media marketing because they make it easier to find content for specific topics, which helps promote and share relevant content.
How hashtags work
When a user adds a hashtag to a post on one of the social networks, the hashtag automatically becomes a hyperlink that leads to a page collecting all posts with the same hashtag. Other users can then click on the hashtag to find and engage with all relevant content on that topic.
The more often a hashtag is used, the higher the chances that the content will be seen and shared by more people. Therefore, it is important to use popular and appropriate hashtags for the target audience or the desired topic.
Advantages of hashtags in online marketing
- Increase visibility: Hashtags can be used to present relevant content to a wider audience by making it easier to find in social network search results.
- Increase interaction: Hashtags encourage interaction between users because they connect common interests or topics. This increases the chance that content will be shared and discussed.
- Simple analysis: Using hashtags allows businesses to better evaluate the success of their social media marketing strategy by tracking how frequently their hashtags are used and which posts are successful.
- Participation in trends and events: Companies can participate in current discussions or events by using relevant hashtags to increase their visibility.
Choosing the right hashtags
To find the right hashtags, companies should first analyze their target group and find out what topics they are interested in. Then they can identify relevant keywords and phrases that fit their product or service and use them as hashtags. Popular hashtags in the respective industry or related to current trends can also be used to increase reach. It is important to sensibly limit the number of hashtags used per post so as not to overwhelm the user and to focus on the desired content.
