How Can Hashtags Help Business on Social Media — Best Practices

Elias Haider
9 min readOct 19, 2023

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In the dynamic digital world of the 21st century, social media has emerged as a pivotal platform for communication, connection, and commerce. It has not only transformed how we interact but has also revolutionized businesses’ strategies for reaching and engaging their target audience. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, have become vital tools for digital marketing due to their vast user base and diverse demographic reach.

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Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

The Importance of Social Media in Today’s Digital World

Social media’s importance in today’s digital world cannot be overstated. With millions of active users worldwide, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide businesses with unparalleled opportunities to connect with customers, generate awareness, and increase sales. Social media allows businesses to engage with their audience directly, build brand loyalty, and receive real-time feedback, making it a vital component of any successful marketing strategy.

Moreover, the rise of social media has given birth to new marketing avenues like influencer marketing and social commerce, which have proven highly effective in driving engagement and conversions. Additionally, social media provides businesses with a wealth of data about their audience, which can be analyzed to gain insights and optimize marketing strategies.

Introduction to the Concept of Hashtags and Their Role in Social Media Growth

The hashtag, symbolized by the ‘#’, is a powerful tool that has significantly influenced social media’s growth. Originally introduced by Twitter, hashtags have now become ubiquitous across all major social media platforms. They serve as a funnel, aggregating content under a specific theme or topic, making it easier for users to discover relevant content.

For businesses, hashtags are essential for optimizing their social media posts to increase their visibility and reach. A well-chosen hashtag can significantly amplify a post’s reach, drive user engagement, and attract new followers. By using relevant and trending hashtags, businesses can ensure their content is seen by a broader audience, boosting their social media growth.

Furthermore, hashtags play a crucial role in social media SEO. By optimizing their social profiles and posts with relevant hashtags, businesses can improve their positioning in search results, leading to more brand visibility and recognition.

Recap, The combination of social media and effective hashtag use is a formidable force in today’s digital marketing landscape. Businesses that understand and leverage these tools can significantly enhance their digital presence, increase their customer base, and achieve sustainable growth in the digital age.

Understanding Hashtags: What They Are and How They Are Used

In today’s digital world, the hashtag is a famous symbol. But what is a hashtag, and why do we use it on social media? Let’s break it down in simple terms.

What is a Hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or a group of words following the ‘#’ symbol. It was first introduced on Twitter in 2007 by Chris Messina, a former Google developer. Hashtags help to organize and categorize content, making it easier for users to find posts that are relevant to their interests.

Why Do We Use Hashtags?

The main purpose of using hashtags is to boost the visibility of social media posts. When a hashtag is added to a post, it is linked to all other posts with the same hashtag. This linkage creates a thread of conversations around a specific topic. When used correctly, hashtags can greatly increase your social media reach.

Hashtags also help in identifying trending topics. The more a hashtag is used, the more popular the subject becomes. This can attract new users to the platform and spark conversations.

Where Are Hashtags Used?

Hashtags are used on many social media platforms. Here are a few:

How Can Hashtags Help Business on Social Media
How Can Hashtags Help Business on Social Media
  1. Twitter: This is where hashtags were born. Adding hashtags to tweets can help increase visibility and engagement.
  2. Instagram: On Instagram, hashtags are used to categorize photos and videos. They can be added to posts, stories, and even bio.
  3. Facebook: Hashtags on Facebook help users find trending topics and relevant content.
  4. LinkedIn: LinkedIn users add hashtags to their posts to reach a larger audience. Tools like Hashtagify can help in identifying top-performing hashtags.
  5. Hearsay Social: Hashtags can be used natively on this platform, allowing for increased content visibility.

Remember, the use of hashtags varies from platform to platform. It’s essential to understand the best practices for each social media site to effectively use hashtags.

To sum it up, hashtags are a vital tool in social media that help increase visibility, track trends, and connect users around shared topics. So, the next time you post on social media, don’t forget to add a hashtag!

The Power of Hashtags: Boosting Visibility and Engagement

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, hashtags have emerged as a powerful tool. They have the ability to increase visibility and engagement, making them a crucial part of any successful social media strategy. Let’s explore how hashtags work and look at an example of a successful campaign that used hashtags effectively.

How Do Hashtags Increase Visibility and Engagement?

Hashtags make your social media posts discoverable. When you add a hashtag to your post, it gets linked with all other posts that have used the same hashtag. This creates a thread of conversations on a specific topic, helping your post reach a wider audience.

Hashtags also help to engage your audience. When users click on a hashtag, they can see all the posts related to that topic. This can lead to increased interaction with your posts, boosting engagement.

Moreover, hashtags can help you tap into trending topics. By using a hashtag associated with a trending topic, you can increase the visibility and reach of your posts.

Case Study: Nike’s #JustDoIt Campaign

One of the most successful campaigns that effectively used hashtags is Nike’s #JustDoIt. The campaign encouraged users to share their own stories of personal achievement and perseverance, aligning perfectly with Nike’s brand message.

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Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash

The #JustDoIt hashtag became a rallying cry for individuals to share their inspirational stories, whether related to sports, personal growth, or overcoming challenges. The campaign successfully increased Nike’s brand visibility and engagement, proving the power of a well-crafted and well-executed hashtag strategy.

Recap, hashtags are more than just a trend. They are a powerful tool for increasing visibility and engagement on social media. By understanding how to use them effectively, businesses can tap into their power and drive successful social media campaigns.

Effective Use of Hashtags: Strategies and Recent Trends

In the digital world, the hashtag has become a powerful tool. It’s used to categorize content, increase visibility, and drive engagement on social media platforms. But how can you use hashtags effectively? And what are the recent trends in hashtag usage? Let’s dive in.

Strategies for Using Hashtags Effectively

  1. Follow your own hashtag: Create a unique hashtag for your brand and monitor its usage. This can help you track conversations about your brand and engage with your audience.
  2. Use relevant hashtags: Make sure your hashtags are relevant to your post and your audience. Irrelevant hashtags can confuse your audience and decrease engagement.
  3. Analyze hashtag performance: Identify which hashtags are most associated with your brand and which ones are used most often. This can help you understand what resonates with your audience.
  4. Leverage trends: Stay updated with the latest online trends and incorporate them into your hashtag strategy when appropriate. This can help increase your reach.
  5. Use branded hashtags: If you have a unique branded hashtag, place it before other hashtags to increase brand visibility.

Recent Trends in Hashtag Usage

  1. Custom hashtags for campaigns: Brands are now creating custom hashtags for specific campaigns. These hashtags not only categorize campaign-related posts but also increase campaign visibility.
  2. Hashtags for SEO: Brands are using hashtags to boost their SEO. This strategy helps make their content more discoverable.
  3. Hashtags for competitions: Brands are encouraging users to use specific hashtags to enter contests. This not only increases engagement but also creates user-generated content.
  4. Hashtags in searches: Users are increasingly using hashtags to search for topics, even without including the ‘#’ symbol. This trend is making hashtags even more essential for content visibility.

Recap, hashtags are an effective tool for categorizing content, increasing visibility, and driving engagement. By using hashtags strategically and keeping up with the latest trends, businesses can significantly boost their social media performance.

Case Study: Skillshare

Skillshare is a popular online learning platform that offers classes across a wide range of creative fields, from graphic design to photography. It has made a significant name for itself on social media, effectively using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with its audience, increase brand awareness, and build a community of loyal customers.

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Photo by Lewis Keegan on Unsplash

Overview of Skillshare’s Hashtag Strategy

Skillshare’s hashtag strategy revolves around the use of relevant and engaging hashtags that resonate with its target audience. These hashtags often relate to the creative fields that Skillshare caters to, such as #GraphicDesign, #Photography, and #Illustration. This helps Skillshare attract a targeted audience interested in these topics.

Furthermore, Skillshare also uses unique branded hashtags, like #Skillshare, to categorize its posts and make them easily discoverable by its audience. By clicking on this hashtag, users can quickly find all of Skillshare’s posts, enhancing user experience and interaction.

Analysis of Skillshare’s Hashtag Use and Social Media Growth

Through its strategic use of hashtags, Skillshare has seen a significant improvement in its social media growth. Here’s how:

  1. Increased Engagement: By using relevant and popular hashtags, Skillshare has been able to reach a wider audience, resulting in increased engagement. These hashtags help attract users interested in these topics, leading to higher interaction rates.
  2. Enhanced Visibility: Skillshare’s use of unique branded hashtags has improved its visibility on social media. Users searching for these hashtags are directly led to Skillshare’s posts, increasing its reach.
  3. Community Building: Hashtags have also helped Skillshare build a community. By encouraging users to share their own work using Skillshare’s hashtags, the company has successfully created a sense of community, driving loyalty and repeat engagements.

Skillshare’s effective use of hashtags has played a crucial role in its social media growth. By harnessing the power of hashtags, Skillshare has been able to increase its reach, drive engagement, and build a strong community.

Lessons Learned: Key Takeaways from the Skillshare Case Study

The case study of Skillshare’s effective use of social media and hashtags provides valuable lessons for businesses looking to enhance their online presence. Here, we break down the key takeaways and discuss how other businesses can apply these lessons.

Key Takeaways

  1. Relevance is Key: Skillshare’s success with hashtags lies in their relevance. They used hashtags related to the creative fields they cater to, ensuring they reached the right audience.
  2. Brand-Specific Hashtags: Skillshare used unique branded hashtags to categorize their posts, making it easy for their audience to find them.
  3. Community Engagement: Encouraging users to share their work using Skillshare’s hashtags helped in building a strong community.

Applying these Lessons to Other Businesses

  1. Relevance: All businesses, regardless of industry, can follow Skillshare’s lead by ensuring the hashtags they use are relevant to their content and target audience. This can increase visibility and drive engagement.
  2. Branded Hashtags: Businesses should create unique branded hashtags for better categorization and visibility. This can also help in tracking conversations about the brand.
  3. Engagement: Encouraging user-generated content by motivating users to share their experiences with the brand’s hashtag can foster a sense of community and increase brand loyalty.

The Skillshare case study provides valuable insights into the effective use of hashtags for social media growth. By applying these lessons, other businesses can enhance their social media strategies, increase engagement, and foster a stronger connection with their audience.

Wrapping UP — Hashtags

Hashtags elevate a business’ social media presence by ensuring content visibility and expanding audience reach. They help analyze trends and connect with potential clients. Therefore, by deploying a relevant and strategically created hashtag, businesses can capitalize on the power of social media marketing, generate interest about their brand, and ultimately increase conversion rates. This digital tool serves as a connection point between brand and consumer in the social media space, establishing an avenue for meaningful interaction. By leveraging hashtags effectively, businesses stand to tremendously enhance their social media effectiveness.

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Elias Haider

Hi! This is Elias Haider, Certified SEO & Digital Marketing Specialist (Google & HubSpot). Love to travel and Writing.