How & Why: Hashtags
Hashtags. Why We Need Them and How To Use Them
By The Hampshire Photographer
Do you love or hate social media? I do love my social media but I am noticing quite a few people full into the category of “confused so hate it’, and one of the gripes I have had about my posts are the hashtags.
So what are hashtags all about? Do you regard them as annoying, great, pointless? If so then maybe this article is for you.
Hashtags Help You Find The Content You Want
The world of social media is a vast place, whatever your passion, whatever your interest - there is going to be something to interest you. My brother runs a face book dedicated to Alexander the Great which has 13,000 members!
But how do you find what it is that interests you?
If you were reading a book, you would look up the index at the back. If you are using a computer - you use the search bar.
All decent websites will have one and it is how you will find what you need, what you want and what you are interested in. The search bar on Instagram basically works by searching ‘Tags’ or hashtags in this case (you could also search by location or account name).
My favourite place for using hashtags is currently Instagram. When I started to get into Instagram, I used the search bar to look up what I was interested in such as #londonmums and #mumlife. If you were a pregnant Mum looking for other Mums you could search #dueseptember2019 or whenever your due date is. The possibilities are limitless of what you can search for to find your tribe. It really is the same as using a google search, it just needs a # at the beginning of the word to work.
Now maybe you have a small business like myself and wondering how you can find the clients who are interested in what you have to offer? If you are regularly creating content for your blog, which you share it on your various bits of social media - you will at best you will only capture the people you are friends with who are online at that time. What about new followers? There are people who will be interested in what you have to offer but who will never be able to find you amongst the masses of posts out there.
This is where hashtags come to make it possible. You have written a post about your sleep deprivation? Use the hashtag #sleeplessmum, you want to show off your beautiful floral creations, use #botanicalpickmeup or #petalsanddrops which are just two of the associated hashtags. #botanicalpickmeup has 486k posts currently, which demonstrates how popular it is.
My newborn and family portrait business is aimed at Hampshire families so I might use hashtags such as #hampshiremums and #southamptonmums. To make my hashtags less obtrusive on Instagram I’ll put them into the first comment and that seems to help whilst still being effective, I am using them afterall to be helpful and not annoying!
Whilst I am aware some people will find the hashtags a bit annoying, I can assume any post I write with no hashtags will not been seen widely and probably not be worth my time writing. For the cause of running a sustainable and growing business, hashtags are a necessity and actually just really handy. I’ve discovered loads of accounts I’d never have found otherwise which inspire and interest me.
Has this article helped you? Do you have more questions? Please visit me at www.instagram.com/evie.winter and let me know what you thought.