Are Hashtags Still Relevant?
If you’ve been active on social media you’ve likely used hashtags before. Whether you are posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or one of the other many social media apps, hashtags are used across several platforms.
Even if you use them, you might be wondering: what is their purpose, are they still relevant, is there a limit, and how do I know what hashtags I should even be using? Keep reading to find out the answers.
A Quick Recap on Hashtags
A hashtag is essentially a keyword that follows the pound symbol. They are often found within or after copy on a social media post. Users can look for relevant content by searching a hashtag. If your content has that particular hashtag included in your post, it will appear amongst the others when that term is searched.
For example, if someone is looking for a new social media agency, they may search #SocialMediaAgency. If that is your service area, it would be beneficial to include relevant terms like that in your social media posts.
Tip: Be sure to use hashtags that are related to the content you are posting. This will not only show that you are relevant to what the users are looking for, but it will also ensure that your content is reaching the correct audience.
Are Hashtags Still Relevant?
Recently there has been some talk as to whether hashtags are still relevant and should be used to the extent that they have been in the past, particularly on Instagram. The short answer is yes, hashtags are important for reaching your audience.
What has changed is that instead of using the maximum number of hashtags permitted, it’s better to scale back and ensure you are using the right hashtags. It’s about quality over quantity.
So how do you know what hashtags to use?
A few things to consider are: what search terms are relevant to your brand, your business, and to your post? You need to make sure that the hashtags you use are actually related to your content. If you include several trending or popular hashtags on your post, but they have nothing to do with the actual content, this shows that you are simply seeking out engagement without following through on providing useful information.
While you may think “but isn’t it good to have that engagement?” it could ultimately be harmful to your brand. Your content should seek to inform, entertain, and inspire your audience. So, while your content may appear from the hashtags, if it isn’t relevant to what you do, then those finding your profile will not convert to followers or supporters.
How Many Hashtags Should I Use?
We’ll speak to Instagram first, which currently limits hashtags to 30 max. While you can use all 30, many sources are encouraging users to stick to 3-6 hashtags total. The theory is that less hashtags make you and your content seem more reliable.
We have tested this method of limiting hashtags to see if our content had a better performance rate for reach and engagement, and have not noticed anything notable at this time. With that in mind, we will reiterate that the most important factor to hashtags is keeping them relevant.
What about other social media platforms? For platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and especially Twitter, which has a limited character count, we do recommend limiting hashtags to
2-5. These platforms have a different flow than Instagram and benefit from solid copy and select targeted hashtags.
What Hashtags Should I Use?
This can and will vary depending on the content of each post. We recommend starting with a few that are relevant to your business specifically, your industry as a whole, and then adding on a select few that are directly related to the specific post.
For example, if The Small Social Company was putting out a post about using hashtags we may include these: #TheSmallSocialCompany #DigitalMarketing #MarketingAgency #SocialMedia #InstagramHashtags #Hashtags #HashtagTips.
We start with hashtags relevant to our business and the work we do, followed by ones that are related to the content we are posting.
Tip: Have a hashtag doc or note easily accessible so you can copy and paste consistent hashtags with ease.
We’re Here to Support You
With all of the resources available and varying opinions on how to use social media platforms, it can be difficult to sift through it all and find accurate information. At the Small Social, our team of digital marketing experts is here to help you determine the best practices for your business. If you’re looking for support to grow your business online or implement a new digital marketing strategy, send us an email to
hello@thesmallsocial.com to set up a discovery call. We look forward to chatting with you.
