In the last post we discussed how to capture your audiences attention. Consistently post the right content at the right times. Now we are going to go over how to get our content in front of more people to grow our audience.
A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by what was once referred to as the pound symbol (#). Hashtags categorize content. When you click on a hashtag you will be able to browse posts that have been tagged with it. Attach one to your own photo or video and it will become discoverable to anyone searching that hashtag. How likely it is to be seen by other users depends on the platform, how often the hashtag is used, how popular your post is (like & comments), and how strong your following is.
It makes your own content discoverable and allows you to find relevant content from other people and businesses. The hashtag allows you to connect with and engage other social media users based on a common theme or interest. Hashtags can increase awareness, getting your content seen by more people than just followers and increase your social shares. By simply incorporating #hashtags into your social content, you can expand your reach and increase your audience
Less is more. This is very important to remember. There are virtually unlimited hashtags already being utilized in the social media space, that doesn't mean we need to use 25 on every post to be found by the most people. In fact, as a general rule, posts with one or two hashtags perform significantly better than posts with 3 or more. As with all rules, this does vary slightly by platform but it is a great general rule to keep in mind.
Keep it simple. Using a hashtag that is long and difficult to spell or pronounce, will probably not give you a good result. However, an unclear, never-used or generic hashtag will also not get the results you want. Your hashtag should be short, precise and simple to spell. It should give your audience a clear idea about the topic of the conversation. The key is finding out to what topics your audience can relate. You need to find the ones they are already talking about.
Utilize trending hashtags. A trending hashtag is a hashtag topic that has become very popular. Trending hashtags are continuously changing according to the latest trend. When you see a trend that relates to your business, engage in it by using the tag. By using a trending hashtag in your content update, you can get your message seen by a much larger audience.
Before you use a hashtag in your social media post, make sure it adds value to your existing conversation. If your post does not add value, it is likely to be ignored and lost in an ocean of posts. If you have a truly informative post, more and more people will re-share it and it will increase your overall brand awareness.
Always make sure you can add value if you plan on joining a conversation.
As we said before, less is more. It's important to avoid using hashtags in every single post that you make, as social media users are wary of businesses trying too hard to promote themselves. Use these organizational tools when it makes sense to use them and you’ll reap the rewards of a more engaged subscriber base.
What you should be posting. So now we know how to get in front of a larger audience and we can use our previously learned tactics to grab their attention. Now we need to make them feel a real connection with our brand.
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