How to Catapult Your Tweets Farther? Use a Powerful Hashtag!
What if I told you there was a free way to give your tweet wings, and let it travel farther and last longer? Would you want to join that club? I know would! Hashtags have entered popular culture these days, with TV shows, baseball teams, and just about everyone using them to organize searches. If you’ve never used a hashtag before, you might want to check out the basics.
Hashtags are Easy
Hashtags are Easy
Here’s the skinny: Tweets with hashtags receive twice the engagement of tweets without hashtags. So if you’re considering whether to hashtag or not, that should help you make up your mind! Not only will people follow others who use similar hashtags (for instance, I have #startups in my Twitter profile, and many startups find me that way), but you can reach out to those with the same hashtags as you. Win-win!
Use One or Two: More is Not Better!
Use One or Two: More is Not Better!
If you use too many hashtags, your engagement will go down. One or two hashtags is fine. More than that, and a tweet is looked upon as spammy.
#203K Hashtag for Mortgage Loans via Hashtagify
Neat Tools to Help with Hashtags
- Hashtagify – tells you hashtags related to your hashtags. For instance, if you’re a loan broker, and wanted to use the hashtag #203K, you could see what other hashtags you could use along with that hashtag.
- TweetReach – tells you how far your hashtag has traveled. For instance, I use it during my tweet chat, #DigiBlogChat, and then tell everyone the numbers during the chat (and later on Facebook as well). If you don’t know what a tweet chat is, you might want to check out this post on 101 tips for success with tweet chats.
- Hashtags.org – tells you what hashtags are trending on Twitter right now. So theoretically, you could catch a trend before it gets big and ride the wave all the way in.
Hashtags As Snark
Hashtags used to be used to sort, group, and categorize tweets. But then one day, not too long ago, people started using hashtags to self-identify, and add an Element of Snark to posts. Now people are using “air hashtags,” and according to some, ruining the English language. So if the hashtag #FirstWorldProblems doesn’t get your metadata all up in a knot, then you might like using hashtags in a snarky manner. #JustTryingToKeepItFun
Click Through
One very effective way to use a hashtag is to see who else is using it. For instance, if you’re using a location-based hashtag, click on it and see who else is nearby! For instance, this weekend is the inauguration. Heck, you could even go to Top Hashtags (dot com), type “inauguration” and see what the top hashtags are if you’re going. Or use the hashtag of your city, county, or state, and see who else is out there.
How Do You Hashtag?
Do you use hashtags? Or do you think they’re ruining the English language? Leave me a comment! And thank you.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for including TweetReach by Union Metrics in this! We always appreciate seeing your #DigiBlogChat reports every week.
Wishing you all the best in 2017!
– Sarah A. Parker
Social Media Manager | Union Metrics
Fine Makers of the Union Metrics Social Suite & more
Hi Sarah,
You’re welcome for the inclusion. I love TweetReach and recommend it to everyone.
Have a wonderful 2017!
Carol Stephen
Hi Carol,
Great article!! I use Hashtagify to perform searches related to my content. It’s a great tool. I certainly see the impact of the hashtag, in my metrics on Twitter. Also, I really like the quote – “a free way to give your Tweets wings” What a great way to describe their impact.
David B. Cuevas
Inbound Marketing Manager | InTouch Marketing
Hi David,
If people realized that a simple hashtag could amplify the reach and life of their tweets, they’d be using them a lot more.
Thank you for stopping by!
Carol
OMG – 2 hashtags max?
How can I break my ####### addiction????
When I look at other tweets that have a lot of hashtags (or when I gaze at my own, LOL!) I don’t see them as spammy, but I guess they don’t look as professional/streamlined and the image can overwhelm the eye.
I’ll give it a try because I trust you!
And these are SUPER-awesome looking links you’ve supplied – Hashtagify, Tweetreach, Hashtag.org – wow, this is just a great post, Carol!!!!
I better retweet it. I should quote the “use 2 hashtags” line, shouldn’t I? ;)
And just use 2 hashtags!! # #
Hope you have a wonderful Friday!
I’ll let you knpw how my hashtag diet goes! XOXO, Dy
Hi Dyane,
Hashtags are fun, aren’t they? I’d say why not put them all over on Instagram? There you can go CRAZY with hashtags!
Thank you so much for stopping by. I always love getting your comments.
Have a wonderful weekend! And hashtag diet, too!
xoxox,
Carol
It’s SO DANG NICE to only do one hashtag on Twitter! Thanks a million for the heads-up and I’m sorry I drove everyone nuts with so many freakin’ hashtags, or hash hags!
You read my mind about Instagram – is it really ok to leave a ton?
Is there an ideal limit?
Is there a glorious Carol S. post I can read about this! ;)
(I know I could search for it….I’m lazy!)
XOXO
p.s. YOU
ARE
awesome….and we will get that coffee – don’t give up hope! I want you to meet Lucy, too!
Oops – I found the answer to my Instagram question in the article “How Many Hashtags Should You Use in a Tweet” – hurrah!
On Instagram, posts with nine hashtags perform best.
Instagram hashtags with 21 characters perform best, but engagement decreases sharply for posts with hashtags that are 25 characters long.
Hi Dyane,
Since I wrote that post, I’ve seen articles about using even more than 9 hashtags on Instagram. There’s an art and a science to hashtags!
xoxox,
Carol
So glad to hear it’s a relief, Dyane! Of course, to some extent, your results may vary.
Yes, on Instagram you can GO CRAZY. I usually hide them in the first comment. 10-20 hashtags on Instagram is just fine.
I’m not giving up hope on the coffee! Does Lucy have a favorite coffeeshop? :D
xoxox,
Carol