{"id":1534,"date":"2018-11-26T09:18:45","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T09:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=1534"},"modified":"2022-10-17T13:17:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:17:15","slug":"what-is-hashtag-how-to-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/content-marketing-blog\/what-is-hashtag-how-to-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Hashtag and How Should You Use It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"DSM<\/div><\/div>

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the hash mark (#). This was once your phone\u2019s pound sign. It is used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest. It enables people to search for it. The hashtag symbol has become very popular so much so that the Oxford and Scrabble dictionaries recognised its meaning in 2010 and 2015.<\/p>\n

What is The Purpose of Hashtags?<\/h2>\n

Today, these symbols are the most popular go-to tool when looking for what is new or trending when it comes to a specific topic.<\/p>\n

Hashtags serve as a tagging system that can help categorise content. For example, if you are interested in health and fitness, you can quickly search for #fitspo on Instagram and find some of the latest and most popular content around the web.<\/p>\n

Main Reasons We Use Hashtags <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are mainly two benefits to using hashtags in your digital marketing strategy:<\/p>\n

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  1. Being able to view content from anyone who has used a specific hashtag, even those outside of your own network.<\/li>\n
  2. Being able to expand your reach by using specific hashtags. This allows anyone with a similar interest to discover your brand, product or service.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How to Use Hashtags to Grow Your Presence Online <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Knowing how to use hashtags is essential for you to get trending on social media. You need a \u2018how-to use hashtag\u2019 guidelines to succeed with your social media marketing and digital marketing.<\/p>\n

    However, as popular as the hashtag may be, quite a significant number of people don\u2019t understand how to use them. This is especially for marketing purposes.<\/p>\n

    The use of a hashtag on a social post is as simple as placing the # sign before a single word or phrase, minus the spaces or punctuation. You can incorporate numbers in your hashtags as well. It may be easy to type out a hashtag. However, there are some underestimated hints you should learn to get the most out of them.<\/p>\n

    When hashtags are misused, people looking for new content have to dig through irrelevant, miscategorised content to get to what they\u2019re searching for. You don\u2019t want this bad user experience associated with your brand!<\/p>\n

    Be Specific <\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Connecting and involving other social media users, who have the same interests as you, has become a breeze. You can begin by looking for your specific hashtags you think your targeted audience might be interested in.<\/p>\n

    Opt to locate one that fits the profile of your brand and use it to draw inspiration to make your own. It is important to remember that your hashtag must be specific to what kind of attention you want to attract. For example:<\/p>\n

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    • Suppose you want to market your low-calorie cakes. Instead of using #yummycakes instead use #noweightyummycakes. This hashtag is specific to your target customer who wants to indulge in cakes without breaking the bathroom scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>