4 Do’s and Don’ts When Using Hashtags
We spend a lot of time on social media. Our clients spend a lot of time on social media. So how do we invest our time wisely and productively? It's all in the STRATEGY.
A lot of information out there will tell you that strategy is having a themed schedule, which is helpful, but it’s not a strategy, it’s planning.
Strategy is knowing WHO you are posting for,
WHY you are posting it, and for WHAT purpose.
☑ DO
Research + Strategize - whether you want to take the task on yourself or hire a professional.
Search brand and product-related tags.
Take note of the number of posts on that hashtag.
Take note of the ranked posts—the ones that appear before scrolling.
Research similar accounts to see tags used in the industry.
⃠ DON’T
Use unrelated, chain, overpopulated, or underpopulated hashtags.
i.e. #art [876M] #likeforlike [359M] #happy [666M] #designalldaylong [22] #designedwithadobe
Think of them like search keywords that your audience uses to effortlessly find you. The more populated - the harder it is to rank on the hashtag. The less populated - fewer people will see your content. You want to use ones that are organization-related and connect with your audience authentically.
⃠ DON’T
Create a lot of your own hashtags.
i.e. #luxartdesigns #madebyluxart
In addition to search terms, hashtags can also link related posts to suggest them to platform users. Use branded hashtags sparingly and with intentional goals. They can be beneficial when inviting community-generated content and feedback, starting a community conversation, or creating a campaign.
☑ DO
Create templates by using a formula:
content relevant [post specific] + brand relevant [products / services] + audience relevant [connection / location]
Creating templates makes posting more efficient. By completing your hashtag research - you will have more clarity on the ones that make sense to use. Play around with the number of hashtags on your posts to see the number that works best for you. We recommend somewhere between 10 to 30 [Instagram's max] per post.
