# HASHTAG #

Use Hashtags More Effectively in Your Social Media Content.

If the hashtag possessed the ability to feel, it would surely have an identity crisis. It’s been mistaken for a number sign and a pound sign. It also bears an uncanny resemblance to the sharp sign in music, as well as a Chinese character that describes an ancient system of distributing land.

Yes, life for this humble metadata tag would be mighty confusing. As it happens, hashtags can be confusing for content marketers, too. We know we need to use them, but what’s the best approach? Facebook’s recent decision to support hashtags (users were already able to include them in status updates, but they weren’t clickable) has upped their cache in Social media content. As an integral part of social and content marketing platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+, hashtags represent an important means of digital marketing and communication.

 

1. Use them to categorize your brand’s messages

Hashtags are useful for defining content, but they can also extend the reach of your brand on the whole. Think of them as search marketing keywords, but with one differentiating feature: Unlike the keywords in your paid search campaign — most of which are built around highly specific, less common “long-tail” terms — most of the hashtags you use should already be popular. By employing tags that are frequently searched you’ll greatly increase the odds that your content will be displayed and get shared. 

2. Use them to extend the reach of your posts

3. Use them to start a topic trend

 

4. Above all, use them wisely, and sparingly

This may sound counterintuitive, but as useful as incorporating hashtags can be, it’s also possible to overdo it. Too many of them in a single post and your message will read like spam, which could alienate social media content consumers, or cause them to tune you out. While theories about the optimal number of tags vary, you’re generally safe with one to three per post. Think of viewers of your content as readers: Ultimately, hashtags are a distraction that detracts from the message you’re trying to relay. Include them, by all means. But always do so in moderation.

 

 

source: Content marketing Institute