The word hashtag can be a bit daunting. Often people ask me how to use them and how many they should use. This would take me longer to explain than explaining the theory of relativity- and no one wants to sit through that during a morning coffee. So I’ve decided to break it down for you in writing so you can use it as a reference.

Firstly, hashtags are important because they connect you to other people who are engaging on the same topic. It allows you to get access to your target customers without being ruled by that hideous thing called ‘The Algorithm”. The correct hashtags can boost your visibility drastically too.

Twitter.

This social media platform cleverly coined the hashtag. Although it is ruled by hashtags, your tweets shouldn’t be packed full of them. Here are some main pointers for you.

• Tweets with hashtags get 2x more engagement
• When you use more than one hashtag, engagement drops by 20%

You can find popular hashtags within your niche through various ways. Depending on the subject, you will have to search for what hashtag people are using on your specific subject. Through a quick Twitter search using a keyword on your chosen subject you can find what others are using. Another great way is to find influencers in your niche and have a look at some of the hastags they’re using. Twitter hashtags are simplified so they’re usually something along the lines of #hashtagadvice or #socialmedia.

Another way to join the conversation is to join a twitter chat. You can use a website like Twubs to find them. Once you find one that is good for you, make sure you log on to twitter at the right time and join in the conversation using the hashtag. This could boost your engagement in a huge way and is an opportunity to talk to potential customers directly.

Instagram.

With this photo-based social media platform, hashtags are more of a culture. A minimum of 11 hashtags is needed on a photo to get maximum engagement and those hashtags have to be carefully selected. Here are some facts about Instagram hashtags.

• Adding hashtags immediately to your posts gets more engagement
• Generic hashtags like #blue are so over-saturated it is unlikely they’ll even be seen by anyone but spam accounts

You can search for specific hashtags for your photo by doing a quick search to see if it’s being used. Try not to go for too many hashtags that are being used above 150k. When searching a subject, click one and Instagram will helpfully suggest more hashtags other people are using on that subject.
Another way is by finding influencers in your field and see which hashtags they’re using. Some of the ones I have found for me is #collectivelycreative and #exploretocreate. Both have improved my engagement and followers drastically.

I keep my hashtags in my “notes” and copy and paste when I need them. It’s always good to keep refreshing your hashtags often as some become irrelevant and unused over time. Whatever your niche you can find the right hashtags for you. And remember, hashtags on Facebook are a no no. Happy hashtagging!