How to Use Hashtags /
Did you know that a social media post with at least one hashtag gets around 12.6% more engagement compared to a post without any hashtags? If your horse business is not using hashtags on media platforms, you could be missing out on some considerable reach, visibility, and engagement.
Hashtags serve as a way of labelling and categorising your content so that social media platforms can make it discoverable to audiences who may be interested. They were originally introduced by Twitter, but are now used on every social media platform, so it is in the best interest of your business to get your head around how best to use them.
We’ve summarised this information into 5 key tactics, so you can ensure your hashtags are performing well and contributing to your growth strategy.
CONDUCT HASHTAG RESEARCH
A quick way to compile a list of hashtags is to look at posts from competitors and industry leaders. Scan through posts from multiple different accounts and see which ones are used often, and which hashtags are used on their top-performing posts.
You can also use the explore page to find similar accounts and see which hashtags are being commonly used.
ONLY USE TRENDING HASHTAGS IF THEY ARE RELEVANT
It can be tempting to use the most trending hashtags in your posts, however if they do not relate to your brand then they are not likely to increase engagement.
On the other hand, using hashtags that are both trending and relevant to your brand will help reach a much greater audience and could yield impressive results, particularly if you use trending hashtags as soon as they begin to emerge.
USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HASHTAGS
Instagram – While Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, it is a better use of time to select a handful of highly relevant and effective hashtags.
Facebook – Previously, hashtags had little impact on Facebook posts, however they are now being used more commonly, with between 1-5 being the optimum amount.
Pinterest – Although Pinterest stated that hashtags won’t greatly affect Pin performance, using 2-3 hashtags can help to add keywords to your captions, which Pinterest uses for SEO.
YouTube – It is recommended to only use a maximum of 3-5 hashtags for YouTube.
LinkedIn – Although LinkedIn have not officially announced any limit for hashtags, using more than 5-6 hashtags frequently can make the algorithm mark your posts as spam.
TikTok – Use 4-5 hashtags to boost your reach.
CHECK THE HASHTAG’S VOLUME
To check a hashtag's post volume, use Instagram's tag search tool on the Explore Page. We recommend using a variety of higher and lower volume hashtags, or aim between 10k-200k.
If the hashtag has very few posts then it is likely no one is searching for it and will therefore not increase reach, however if a hashtag already has tons of posts then your post may be drowned out and not seen.
TRACK YOUR ANALYTICS
If you have a business Instagram account, you can track each post to see its reach and how many of its impressions came from hashtags, as oppose to your profile or homepage. This allows you to see which hashtags might be performing well and then finetune your strategy for future posts.
A FINAL NOTE…
Hashtags don’t work by themselves! To see results, they must be paired with an engaging and well written caption, as well as interesting visuals to capture the attention of your audience. You can put your hashtags within your caption, or you can include them in a comment if you prefer - just ensure they are added at the same time your post is published for maximum reach.
Social media management is one of EQuerry / Co’s core services. We can manage one or all of your platforms, do some or all of the content creation, or manage your paid advertising campaigns. For more information about our marketing services visit here.
