Categorizing Content With Hashtags: A Basic How-To Guide

Posted by Dianne Hartwick in Media, Organization, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Are hashtags still relevant in 2018? The answer is a definite yes! On several social networks, posts that include hashtags are more likely to have a higher engagement rate than those without.

So how do you use them effectively? Well that’s a more complicated answer. The proper use of a hashtag varies from platform to platform. But by the end of this post you should have a basic idea of where to find hashtags for your network of choice and how to use them properly.

How to use hashtags on Instagram:

On Instagram, hashtags are used to organize photos into related streams; making it easy to find relevant images, to make connections with people with similar interests or to establish branded hashtags.

To find hashtags on Instagram, just start typing them into the search field. The search bar will then automatically display related tags. Another way to come up with commonly used hashtags related to your subject is to look at popular accounts and copy their hashtags for your imagery. Lastly, on Instagram you need not worry about going overboard with the hashtags, people seem to be more tolerant of them so an “overuse” will likely not cost you followers or likes.

How to use hashtags on Facebook:

Hashtags are less commonly used on Facebook but they can be useful when promoting an event or campaign. Unlike on Instagram, limit your hashtags to one or two post specific tags in order to not lose engagement. You may also search for relevant posts and tags in the search bar at the top of your home page.

How to use hashtags on Twitter:

To find popular hashtags on Twitter, you can first look to the sidebar at the left on your home page for trending topics. Like on Instagram, you can search a word or phrase in the top bar and related hashtags and accounts will appear in the drop down. On Twitter, you must always use hashtags relevant to the content that you are posting. Lastly, you must use 1 or 2 hashtags maximum in order to gain engagement and avoid cluttering your tweet and losing follower interest.

How to use hashtags on Pinterest:

One way to find tags used on Pinterest is the search function. When typing in a hashtag, it will give you a drop-down list of similar and related tags. Plus, in the search results, you can click on post tags to find more related tags. When typing a hashtag into your description, you will also see a list of possible tags, including the number of pins that already use them. As for the number of hashtags on Pinterest, it should be noted that four tags will show up in the search results so it’s good to use at least that many and at maximum 20 tags total.