Today, when literally everyone uses social networks, it has become important to have the best possible online presence. Unfortunately, standing out among millions of others can be difficult. But there is a simple solution – trending hashtags. By choosing them wisely, you may not only increase your online visibility but even drive more visitors to your website. Read on to learn more about this useful tool and some ways to employ it in practice.
Trending hashtags is a type of marketing strategy which allows users to reach thousands of people through hashtags on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. Basically, these are certain words or expressions used to categorize your posts and make them easier to find for those who search for relevant content. Hashtags can be created by simply placing a pound (#) sign in front of the word or phrase you want to include in your post.
However, there are literally millions of hashtags to choose from. As a result, picking the best possible one is not always easy. Luckily, there are several tools which may help you make the task much easier. You will need them to conduct preliminary research.
Researching Trending Hashtags
If you wish to make the best use of this marketing technique, you should perform some preliminary research. In particular, you might wish to try the following tactics:
* Social Media Listening: One of the easiest options would be using social listening tools which allow users to track various keywords and hashtags on their sites. Some examples include Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Brand24;
* Hashtag Research Tools: These tools can be used specifically for researching hashtags. Among them, you will find Hashtagify, RiteTag, and Keyhole;
* Google Trends: You can find the most frequently searched topics and hashtags by using Google Trends.
Selecting Trending Hashtags
The process of selecting hashtags can be considered a rather important part of the campaign since a single wrong choice might lead to a failure of the entire strategy. When looking for hashtags, keep the following points in mind:
* Relevance: Choose hashtags which are related to your product or service as well as industry. Using hashtags unrelated to your content may dilute its message and confuse your audience;
* Popularity: Select the most popular hashtags that still won’t require you to compete with big brands;
* Niche: It can be wise to focus on nichespecific hashtags to get more followers among the interested parties;
* Brand Identity: Try to select hashtags that align with your brand’s image and values.
Creating Your Own Hashtags
While using popular hashtags can bring some benefits to you, there is another thing to consider – you can create your own. If you wish to do so, remember about the following guidelines:
* Brand Hashtags: Such hashtags are meant to reflect your brand identity or name;
* Campaign Hashtags: Used to promote events or campaigns run by the company;
* Community Hashtags: Encourages participation and builds a community of followers;
When to Use Hashtags in Your Content
It’s finally time to integrate selected hashtags into your content to make the most of them. To increase chances for success, consider using the following tips:
* Consistency: Try to use hashtags in every piece of content to boost your visibility and strengthen the image of your brand;
* High-Quality: Always upload high-quality photos and content that is relevant to hashtags used in the post;
* Optimal Time: The use of hashtags at the right moment can help you maximize results and improve their performance;
* Variety: Don’t hesitate to use different hashtags since it will allow you to reach out to the widest audience and increase your visibility online.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Strategy
For hashtags to work properly, it’s important to monitor their performance. To achieve that, you can use such methods as:
* Analytics Tools: These tools will show you how hashtags performed and helped boost your visibility online. The most popular examples include Google Analytics or insights of each individual network;
* Engagements: Analyze your likes, comments, and shares to see if you’ve attracted a significant number of people;
* Reach: Check your reach regularly to find out how visible your content becomes after the use of hashtags;
Advanced Users: Tips for Success
Those who already use hashtags in their campaigns successfully may find the following recommendations helpful:
* Hashtag Campaigns: Try to organize hashtag contests or campaigns to promote your products and services and get more visibility;
* Influencers Marketing: You can collaborate with some influencers and ask them to promote your product through the use of selected hashtags;
* Repurposed Content: Consider reusing your content using new hashtags in an attempt to get even more popularity.
