The world of hashtags can be misunderstood.  There’s a common misconception: Hashtags aren’t necessary.  Some even go as far as categorizing hashtags as “useless” or even “annoying.” I’m here to break the stigma and speak to the incredible benefits of the categorizing and aggregation power of hashtags. Incredible? Powerful? Oh, you know it.

Let’s start by defining “hashtag:”

Hashtag: a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet).

Sometimes powerful things come in small packages: Hashtags allow us to insert our posts into already existing conversations and reach people who are already looking for information concerning your topic.

If you are in #SanDiego and you sell #IceCream those two hashtags can drive traffic to your post, your page and, ultimately, your website. If I am a visitor in San Diego looking for ice cream I may go to Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram searching for those specific hashtags to find the best ice cream around. 

We all hope that when someone goes in to Google and searches certain keywords that it will land the user to our site. Hashtags allow us more than a “hope,” but a GUARANTEE that our content will be found when someone is searching for particular keywords on the Social Landscape.

Steve Cooper writing for Forbes stated:

“As ridiculous as hashtags might seem to marketing veterans who remember a time before Twitter and Facebook, the younger generation and potential customers/clients don’t. To them, using hashtags is as natural and common as typing their query into the search box.”

The true power of social media marketing relies on how well you can communicate and connect with your ideal client or customer. The result of reaching those ideal clients is brand awareness and ultimately a boost in sales and profitability. Hashtags can facilitate such growth by inserting your post into the places your ideal clients already are.

Hashtags also give you the opportunity to search for people searching for keywords pertaining to your brand. If you are in the Personal Growth industry you can search #PersonalGrowth on Twitter (or any social platform for that matter) and you will find a whole host of people interested, posting and engaging on the topic of Personal Growth. You’re finding your ideal client where they already are.

A recent study by Buddy Media found:

• Tweets containing hashtags had double the engagement than those without.
• Posts with 2 hashtags had 21% more engagement than those without.
• Tweets with hashtags are 55% more likely to be retweeted.
• Posts with more than two hashtags saw a 17% DECREASE in engagement.

Want to meet your clients where they are? Expand your following and reach people who WANT to be reached! Harness the power of the hashtag and use it to grow your business. #HashtagsAway!