Hashtags were first known on Twitter for grouping conversations in one stream related to topics, events, brands, and more. They’ve since become utilized across other channels like Instagram, tumblr, and Facebook.
There are differences for each channel and best practices for each.
Twitter:
- Try not to use more than 2 to 3 hashtags (preferably 1 or 2) in a tweet
- Keep characters to less than 120 when placing a hashtag at the end of a tweet so when someone ReTweets, it’s not cut off
- Listen to the conversation on a hashtag before jumping in to ensure it’s appropriate for the brand and the tweet
- Monitor your branded hashtag conversations daily
- Having too many brand hashtags can cause confusion on when to use which – keep it simple
Instagram:
- Listen to see which hashtags are being used for your topics so you can hop into relevant conversations with your photos
- Try not to have a billion hashtags on each photo – people get lost in the clutter
- Do use some of the same hashtags often to create consistent viewership and loyal followers on certain categories
Tumblr:
- Hashtags are like metatags on tumblr so you can use more than you would on other channels to hop into more search streams – allowing more people to discover your content
- Monitor to see which tags are searched for on tumblr and tag your content appropriately
- Don’t mis-tag your content
Facebook:
- Less hashtags do better
- Try cultural terms rather than branded terms to reach audiences
- Monitor and have fun with it
If you have questions or comments on how best to use hashtags with your brand’s content, reach out in the comments below.
Image by Maria Elena. Used by permission.
