20 Aug Hashtag Best Practices by Social Media Channel

One question we’re frequently asked is how many hashtags to use on different social media channels. So, we thought we’d put together this handy blog with hashtag best practices by channel! Go ahead and bookmark it so you can reference it whenever you’re writing copy for your social posts.

Facebook

• Use hashtags sparingly on this channel.
• If you are going to use them, it’s best to only use them to categorize content, such as posts that are part of a content series or a campaign name, or for a well-known hashtag like #ThrowbackThursday.
• You can use them to add personality to a post, but don’t overdo it. #Seriously

Twitter

• Include 1-2 relevant hashtags in each tweet to increase reach.

• Incorporate trending hashtags as they make sense for your brand and for the content of the individual tweet.

• When a tweet includes a link, keep hashtags and @mentions out of the tweet when possible. This has been shown to increase the number of click-throughs.

Instagram

• Go crazy with the hashtags. Ok, not that crazy, but this is the channel where more hashtags help you – to a point. TrackMaven recommends 9 hashtags as the sweet spot. It’s good to do some testing on your individual account though to see what works best for your brand.
• While it’s okay to include 1-2 hashtags as part of the main caption, the remaining hashtags should go in the first comment or at least after some line breaks in the main caption. This makes the main message to your audience clearer.
• Use keywords that apply to your brand, the individual post, and your target audience. A mix of niche and popular is best. Search for relevant and trending hashtags when posting.

LinkedIn

• Hashtags on LinkedIn are newer to the game but can help your brand get noticed, just like on the other channels.
• LinkedIn recommends using no more than 3 hashtags per post, but we tend to use 3-4 and haven’t noticed any negative effects from 4.
• We also prefer to post the hashtags after the main copy with a line break between, to make the copy clear and concise. Working a hashtag or 2 naturally into the copy is completely fine, but don’t overdo it.

General Tips for Hashtag Usage

• Always doublecheck the spelling in your hashtags.
• You can’t use punctuation in hashtags, such as hyphens, commas, or exclamation points.
• You can use numbers and emojis!
• Don’t add spaces or only the first word will be the hashtag. Multiple word hashtags should be grouped together.
• Capitalize these multi-word hashtags so they’re easier to read, understand, and not misread.
• Doublecheck that the hashtags you’re using mean what you think they mean. There are times where the most innocuous hashtag can actually be associated with something inappropriate (this is the internet, after all).

We hope you’ve enjoyed these hashtag best practices. Now, go forth and hashtag!

If you need help with hashtags, social media content, or anything else social-related contact us. #OrTweetUs #WeLoveThat