Why You Should Be Using Hashtags on Social Media

What are Hashtags?

Since hashtags can be clicked on (and searched for), clicking on one would take you to an overview page for that particular term. Here are all the posts that people made using this hashtag, in order of when they were made (or other sorting options). Many people use this feature to find new content that matches their interests, location, etc. 

Most social media sites let you see which hashtags are “trending,” or the ones that are being used the most by users. So, you can find out what content and topics are very popular and are being talked about more and more in each country, region, or group.

Why Do You Need Hashtags?

If you use the right hashtags, you are more likely to reach people who might be interested in your online shop. Keep in mind that building a natural social media following usually takes a long time. They might not buy from you right away, but you increase the chances. On top of that, they can help you figure out who your audience is for other marketing purposes. 

People who don’t already follow your social media account might find the hashtags you used in your posts and then check out your account. 

In fact, including good hashtags in your social media strategy is an effective (and necessary) way to get more people to follow your online shop’s social media profile. This increases engagement and brand awareness. 

You can think of hashtags as a mix of search engine optimisation (SEO) and targeting.

Different Hashtag Types

There are three main categories of hashtags which you should always consider when using them in your social posts.

Brand Hashtags

You might find these kinds of hashtags to be the most interesting. You can use these to advertise products, slogans, campaigns, or your brand as a whole. 

Keeping this in mind, you should make sure to use a hashtag that is unique and will be linked to your company and brand. 

Trending Hashtags

As you might have guessed, trending hashtags are based on what people are talking about on social media at the moment.  If you find a popular hashtag that might be related to your business or product, you should use it in your posts. 

When these kinds of hashtags are used in posts, they might be seen by more people. 

Content Hashtags

When you use content hashtags, all you have to do is choose hashtags that are relevant to the content of your post. This is like putting a category tag on your post. 

With these kinds of hashtags, you can talk directly to your followers (or rather, your target audience), so this is also very important for businesses.

If you don’t try to keep your hashtags as short as possible, people probably won’t remember them. Don’t put a hashtag in front of every word! (Neither does anyone want to read like this.) 

Try as hard as you can to add the hashtags when you post (not afterwards). If you add the hashtag after the fact on Instagram, your post will still show up on the hashtag page based on when it was first posted, not when the hashtag was added. This makes it hard for people to find the post. 

Don’t use hashtags that have more than one meaning, because they could confuse your followers and the people you want to reach.

A Helping Hand from ShopFox

Using hashtags in your social media posts can help you reach more people, including potential customers, and get more people to interact with you. 

That’s why hashtags are a great way to get more attention on social media for your online shop.

Contact us today to learn more about how ShopFox can help your online store build trust and get more sales.

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