There are only a handful of websites that support hashtags, although they do tend to be bigger platforms. The popular sites that use hashtags include Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Pinterest. [2] X Research source You can also pull up a third-party search site, like Keyword Tool or Hashtagify, to scan through the most popular hashtags showing up on a given website.
For example, if you posted a complaint about a big truck blocking your street, you might use something like #CityLiving or #FirstWorldProblems to contextualize your frustration. If you post something political, you can throw in something like #Discourse or #PoliticalAnalysis to emphasize the seriousness of your post, or #ImpeachEverybody to throw a little humor in there.
For example, if you’re a food blogger, you might use #Food, #Foodie, and #GourmetMeal to make that photo of the artisanal flatbread you just ate more searchable. If you are commenting on a political story, you might use #Politics, #America, and #CongressionalDebate. The classic #Selfie, #NoFilter, and #NoMakeup, is a popular example of this streamlined approach.
If you post a photo of yourself wearing an ugly sweater and your caption is something like, “Look at this beautiful sweater my friend bought me!” you might add something like #WorstGiftEver or #TooCoolForSchool.
You can do this on any platform where you have the ability to search your own content. So, in Twitter, you would search @YourUsername followed by the hashtag you used. You won’t be able to do this on every site, though. For example, if you post about political issues, but you also catalogue your vacations online, you might use #Politics and #Vacation to separate your posts into digital folders. If you do this, keep it simple. You want to be able to remember your categories in the future and the more specific you get, the harder it will be to recall the hashtag.
You may not get a ton of views on every one of these posts, but it’s a great way to reach a specific demographic if you want to contribute to conversations you care about.
Be careful with this one. You may get more views, but people may see through what you’re doing, and some folks may stop following you. While a lot of hashtags definitely lead to a lot of views, there’s no evidence that it means more interaction. Don’t expect a ton of people to comment or like your content when you do this. [9] X Research source
If you have any doubts about hashtags from a marketing perspective, know that tweets with at least one hashtag are 55% more likely to be retweeted![11] X Research source
For example, the #Merica tag is used to poke fun at American stereotypes. If a fast-food company starts promoting their new bacon double-cheeseburger, they might use #Merica to get some fresh eyes on their content. There are apps and software out there, like RiteTag and Hashtagify, that will try to match your content to popular and related hashtags people are engaging with. [13] X Research source Always make sure that you’re using hashtags responsibly. If everyone is tweeting #DownWithBigBrands because some CEO committed a crime or something, using the hashtag to promote your small business may be seen as opportunistic and tone-deaf. [14] X Research source
This is also a great way to tie your business to a certain geographic location. If you own a shop in downtown Buffalo, you might use #BuffaloNY or #BuffaloBusiness to emphasize the location of your shop. For example, if you own a business called Joe’s Watch Repair, a tag like #JoeKnows or #JoesOnTime can really stick out online. It’s likely that some people out there may even use your tag for some other reason to give you an even bigger boost online! If you go this route, you can always pay an influencer or give them products to promote your business on their platform!
