To use hashtags for advertising or not? This question lingers in the minds of digital advertising teams and individual business owners alike. According to a Twitter study, using hashtags increases audience engagement by 50% for brands and up to 100% for individuals. Other researchers suggest that a post with at least one hashtag enjoys 392% and 70% more comments and likes, respectively.
Using Hashtags in Digital Marketing
Hashtags are a great way to spread your message, organize trends, and such. They increase brand awareness by delivering targeted content in front of the right audience, building improved brand awareness, and increasing engagement.
The research and statistics make a clear case – every business should use hashtags as part of its social media marketing strategy. But which hashtags are best for the niche? And how many are ideal?
Finding the Best Hashtags for Advertising a Brand
Brands must find and use relevant hashtags that resonate with the online behavior of the target audience. Some ways to find the best hashtags include:
- Look at what brands with a similar target audience and content are using to increase their reach – i.e., researching competitors.
- Use specialized hashtag-optimization tools that collect and analyze data before recommending the best-fit hashtags. Some use strategic A/B testing.
- Jump on trending hashtags to create popular content. It doesn’t take much planning—especially since the relevancy window is typically short.
- Research the behavior of the target audience. Figure out the hashtags they use and determine the best ones that fit the message of the content.
- Use the search and tag function in most social media platforms to find popular hashtags that are relatable.
Optimizing Social Media Hashtags
Incorporating hashtags into an advertising campaign demands a certain level of planning, research, and finesse. It’s not about shoving random hashtags into a post and hoping for the best. Using too many hashtags tends to come off as spamming or desperation, and the internet is unforgiving to such practices.
The ideal number of hashtags to use depends on the platform. For Twitter and Facebook, it’s best to use at most two hashtags for the best engagement. In the case of Instagram hashtags, it’s possible to share up to 30. But as mentioned earlier, prioritize relevance over popularity.
For a more comprehensive and effective social media marketing campaign, consider creating a well-researched hashtag list for future use. Also, create a branded hashtag to build a community around the brand.
Lastly, always track the performance of a hashtag, the post, and the advertising campaign as a whole. Metrics or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) help streamline strategies—improving efficiency.
StickyLeads – #GrowYourBusinessWithUs
Want to discover the hashtags with the most engagement, those that resonate with your brand’s audience and track their performance? StickyLeads has you covered. If you want to take your digital advertising to the next level, give us a call today at (757) 390-0748 to get started.
