What Are Hashtags?
Hashtags include one or more words or phrases that are used on social media websites without any spaces, preceded by the pound/hash (#) symbol. They are used to have open group discussions, and also simplify the process of searching for accounts and posts. The hashtag symbol was introduced by Twitter in 2007, and today it is used on various other social media websites as well.
Different Types Of Hashtags That Can Be Used For Ecommerce Marketing
Trending Hashtags
Trending hashtags are the ones that are the most popular and the most used at any given point of time. Because of their wide reach, these hashtags can be used to increase the visibility of your posts, and in turn, the number of your followers. Use hashtags that are the most relevant for your business and niche to ensure that your posts reach the right audience.
Niche Hashtags
These hashtags are the ones that are related to your industry. They are a more precise way to reach the right target audience. Examples of these hashtags include #organicfood and #veganfashion. To improve the engagement of your posts, use the right balance of trending and niche hashtags.
Branded Hashtags
A branded hashtag is a customized hashtag that you can create for your business to be used consistently on a long-term basis. It can contain your brand’s name and tagline. This hashtag can also be the names of your business’s campaigns, events, offers, products/services, etc., and can be used to promote and monitor their reach. This type of hashtag can give your business its own identity.
Location-Based Hashtags
This lesser-known type of hashtags is the name of a particular area and is followed by the area’s residents. The hashtag of your business’s location can be used to draw the focus of an audience that is more local and relevant to you.
Do’s And Don’ts To Consider While Using Hashtags For Ecommerce Marketing
Don’t Use The Same Set Of Hashtags For Every Post
While it is important to use relevant hashtags in your posts, you must make sure to not use the same ones in all your posts. Keep changing up the hashtags, and use those that are relevant to each post to increase their visibility.
Don’t Use Banned Hashtags
This is important to remember while using Instagram. Instagram’s guidelines prevent its users from using inappropriate words like swear words in their hashtags. Using such hashtags can result in accounts getting permanently banned from using the website.
Don’t Use Too Many Hashtags
Using too many hashtags in a post can make it look spammy. The recommended number of hashtags to be used for Facebook and Twitter posts is up to two, 4-5 for Pinterest and LinkedIn, and up to 11 for Instagram.
Use Short Hashtags
The average social media attention span of people is eight seconds. This leaves you with very little time to make people stop and take notice of your posts. Avoid using long hashtags as it may put people off your posts.
Make Them Easy To Spell
Your hashtags will be memorable and used widely when they are easy to say and write. In addition to keeping them short, use simpler spellings and avoid unique ones.
Post Them In The First Comment
Make sure that your captions and hashtags get equal attention. Post your hashtags in the first comment of your posts so that they don’t get hidden and the posts don’t look crowded.
Observe Competitors And Audience
Observe how your competitors are using hashtags for their posts and what kind of hashtags are working for them. Also, check which hashtags your potential customers are using to look for similar products as yours. This will help you to know which hashtags you can use to reach out to the right audience.
