Do you know that hashtags are not just some label with a pound sign, placed at the end of your Instagram posts? When trying to build a bigger, more robust Instagram following, hashtags can actually help– a lot!– to market a brand, a product or a service. Hashtags is your way of targeting online consumers looking for a specific theme or item related to your business. If you are in the business of making custom-made furniture, for instance, hashtags like #cabinetry, #woodworking, or customfurniture will help increase your business exposure online as your posts or images bein uploaded will automatically show up when searched.
Whether for brand awareness or for increasing followers on Instagram, hashtags play a crucial role. In 2017, some of the most popular hashtags on Instagram are #love, #instagood, #photooftheday, #tbt, #followme, #picoftheday, #summer, #tagforlikes, #food, #art, #family, #nofilter, #style, #life, #fitness, #OOTD, #music, #travel, #foodporn, #makeup, #iphoneonly, #wedding, and so on. These hashtags, among others, seem to show up on your tablets, smartphones, TV screens– all to promote some sort of running conversation.
Keep in mind that most social media networks particularly Instagram, Facebook and Twitter rely heavily on hashtags to connect to a targeted market. While it is essential to go with the flow on your maiden voyage with Instagram, the need to create your own unique brand-specific hashtags must be also taken into mind. To give you an idea, here are 4 secrets to building your own arsenal of power hashtags on Instagram.
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Make it brief, unique and ones that evoke the emotion. A two- or three- word hashtag is found to be more effective than long phrases. Like crafting keywords for your products, services or brand, the rule of thumb remains the same– the shorter, the better. To add some zing, it must also evoke emotions. Take Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke campaign. Not only does it usher the company’s customized bottles, it also promotes goodwill through sharing.
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Make your hashtags connect to current events. It could be connected to something that’s happening in the area you’re in or to an upcoming event in your business. Environment-friendly businesses, for instance, are using the word “eco” PLUS their own unique way of stating their product, brand or service. Business events, for instance, can have unique hashtags to allow users live tweeting or sharing experiences while on Instagram or Twitter. That’s extra promotion for you– for free, from real people!
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Don’t forget to inject a little humor or cleverness. Sometimes, sarcasm may also help. The idea is to look for words that go well together and others can easily catch on. This somehow will put your brand in a whole new light with your followers. Be careful with the play on words though. Make sure they are consistent with your brand’s values and overall theme. You wouldn’t want to sound like Jim Carrey while promoting a funeral home. So, make sure to know your audience and tone your campaign in such a way that it jives to the overall vibe of your followers across social platforms.
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Last but not the least, PROOFREAD! Just because it feels and sounds right, it’s already right. Try to look for grammatical or spelling errors. If the misspelled hashtags are intentional and meant to add more spice to your campaign then, make sure to post its history for awareness. Consider also hidden meanings of words being used or its placement. Remember the hashtag #NowThatchersDead vs. #NowThatChersDead? You wouldn’t want that happening to your brand, would you?
Bottom line is: Hashtags are part and parcel of Instagram campaigns. Wise play of hashtags will make your product, service or brand gain extra mileage earning added followers, traffic and sales potential to your business. Next time, try to create a hashtag contest to seek out your audience’s participation. Give it a try. It’s going to be fun!