#Hashtags. #How #do #you #use #them? Well, for starters, please do not write like that on social media. The art of mastering hashtags is not for everyone and it does not need to be.

 Our Omaha social media marketing experts understand the importance of hashtags on social media platforms. As most of us know, a hashtag was at one point the pound symbol. When hashtags first came out, people were saying “pound vehicles?” We are aging ourselves over here, but this was something new for the Omaha social media marketing and the rest of the world! 

Twitter is the real hashtag OG. In 2007, Twitter was the first social media platform to release hashtags and their purpose. The purpose behind hashtags was to reach a larger audience and create a conversation based around these hashtags. It was a community with the pound symbol. 

Why would anyone use hashtags? 

Reach a larger audience 

The whole point of digital marketing is to reach a target audience in larger numbers. Any hashtags on social media let’s businesses and consumers discover a brand and start a conversation with this brand. A great example of a hashtag on Instagram is #digitalmarketingagency. This result has over 300,000 posts and consumers, other marketers and businesses can follow this hashtag. However, #digitalmarketingagency is not the first hashtag that shows up. 

Our digital marketers will not tell you the secrets as to why we use certain hashtags over the others, but understand there is a strategy! 

Start a conversation 

On Twitter, there are several large brands and businesses who use branded hashtags and use them well. These hashtags start a conversation behind the campaign. In the social media world right now, there is a debate between Popeyes Chicken and Chick-fil-a's chicken sandwiches. Who will win? 

If you search #popeyeschicken or #popeyes these are the trending search results on Twitter. The hype behind all of this is that Popeyes Sandwich is delicious and better than Chik-fil-a’s chicken sandwich.

There is a learning lesson here, Twitter hashtags are constantly trending. A week ago #PopeyesChickenSandwich was trending but now it is the brand hashtag instead. This is a great example of never using the same hashtags and to constantly research what is trending and follow it. 

Hashtags connect an audience but they are also constantly changing. A hashtag that was used for months could have dropped in following and now there is a new one. Our Omaha social media marketing experts consistently research trending hashtags for each client. 

Be relevant 

If someone is searching for #digitalmarketing and your post is about website design, this post will not be viewed and slowly fall down in the trending posts. A consumer can also report your post stating that it is not relevant to the content and this post can be deleted or removed from this hashtag. Be specific and relevant. 

Engagement

Almost everyone is on social media and because of this stick out of the crowd. Be engaging with your consumers. Are consumers using your branded hashtags? Tagging you in posts? Engage back. Retweet, like and share it. This not only gives your hahstag a chance to be seen, along with your business, but shows consumers you are authentic.