7 Hashtag Etiquettes You Need To Implement NOW!

Social media platforms are abuzz with hashtags — they are being used left, right and center throughout various social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. But more often than not, individuals and businesses have no clue about hashtag do’s and don’ts.

We’re speaking to digital marketers in particular, utilizing practices such as ‘over-hashtagging’ and incorrect spelling. In turn, this creates a roadblock in their social media strategy.

So, what exactly are the best hashtag practices? What etiquette should marketers follow before they type in anything after the ‘#’ symbol? And how do they leverage it?

Follow along as we take you through crucial talking points involving your hashtag use and social media strategy.

1.#Don’t #Use #A #Hashtag #For #Every #Word

The first rule of the thumb – stop using hashtags for each and every word used in your post caption. The reason being:

Over-tagging your post DOES NOT create extra value for your content, nor does it appear “trendy”
Your posts looks forced and it becomes evident you are overdoing your marketing
Your post captions create too many hiccups for your audience by breaking up the message

Try to use only the most significant hashtags for your business instead and know which ones you really need to drive traffic. Use them organically within your post, in a manner that doesn’t interrupt the sentence structure.

2.Avoid Using Too Many Hashtags

Over using hashtags is a cardinal sin that many marketers, especially interns, make. Make it a point to define the most relevant hashtags for your business/product/service are. However, after doing so, avoid listing them one after another in your caption.

If you usually include a paragraph-length caption for your content, ensure you don’t exceed one or two hashtags per paragraph — ideally, it’s best to keep the hashtags down to a minimum per each post to avoid making your audience feel as though you are hawking products at them.

Quality content supported by an either informative or entertaining caption, should be your focus — the hashtag is merely a tool for interactivity used to assist your audience in engaging with your brand.

3.Spellcheck Your Hashtag

What do all these hashtags have in common?
#SuperBowel2016,#DonaldTrumpet,#MarilynMonrow,#RedWeeding

I think you got it right, it’s the spelling….

Simple spelling errors like these have the potential to harm your brand’s reputation. Your target audience will think of you as amateurs and officially declare open season on your content marketing campaign from internet trolls. Therefore, always cross-verify your hashtags more than once before posting them….always.

Keep in mind that a single spelling mistake can cost your business a lot of potential customers by leading them away from the awesome content you’ve been curating via hashtag.

4.Remain Conscious of Your Hashtag Length

Putting too many words in a single hashtag is a big turn off for readers— they are both confusing and difficult to understand. Instead, simplify the hashtags by opting for simple, short statements that consist of commonly searched terms, trending topics, or a concise brand message.

Short hashtags are easier to read, so aim for ones that will generate maximum visibility of your post. OR create a hashtag that is in-sync with your content and brand.

5.Create Hashtags Relevant to Your Brand or Business

Utilizing trending hashtags is one of the most effective ways to generate short-term traffic, however, that is only if used correctly — avoid getting egg on your face while in the act of “hashtag hijacking” by thoroughly researching the trending topic.

Some important tips to remember are:

Ensure that your hashtag is audience-friendly
Written in a familiar tone and shared jargon
Offer great insight/value a.k.a. ‘shareworthy’
Create an immediate connection — human beings have an attention span of less than 9 seconds.

For instance, you can create a hashtag that feature an idiom, campaign slogan, annual event, and/or promotional contest tagline.

Just remember to create a hashtag that is universally relatable, so that they capture the attention of your target audience.Unique, creative, informative, and humorous hashtags are most often shared between mobile and web users.

6.Know Your Competition

Like every great marketer, you need to know your competitors like the back of your hand.

Start by keeping a close watch over their social media campaigns, the hashtags they utilize, and which posts received maximum engagement and the hashtags included.

Alternatively, you can conduct a quick search on trending hashtags across different social media platforms.

7.Don’t Kick The Hornet’s Nest

The world of social media is vast and most often their timelines serve as a blog of record for current events. We are hinting at hashtags that are politically incorrect, are part of slander campaigns, or include misinformation — all of which can stir up a major controversy.

While the saying goes, “any publicity is good publicity,” a poorly placed and controversial hashtag can create permanent damage to your brand. We referred to this earlier as ‘hashtag hijacking.”

For this reason alone, it is imperative that you put forth the effort to research hashtags and why we encourage you to create your own, unique hashtags.

Hashtags act as a portal leading our target audiences to carefully curated content meanwhile fostering brand engagement. When used effectively, they have the ability to both draw a global audience while simultaneously extending the reach of your brand.

These were our tips for using hashtags to your advantage, do you have any other tips we’ve missed? Leave us a comment and spread the love.