Hashtags are words with the “#” symbol before them. For example, #MondayMotivation or #CrossfitLife. Hashtags are used as a way of grouping posts by subject. If you add a hashtag to a post, it will be grouped with all the other posts people have made using that hashtag.
If you see a post with a hashtag, you can click on that hashtag and see all the other posts with the same hashtag. Some sites, such as Twitter, highlight the most popular hashtags, giving you a sense of what’s trending at any given time. You can also follow hashtags to regularly see posts with a given hashtag.
The power of hashtags is that they allow you to get your content in front of a broader audience. By adding the appropriate hashtags, you can get them seen by thousands, if not millions, of people.
How exactly do you use hashtags? Typically, it works like this. You create a social media post. At the end of the post, you add a hashtag that is somehow related to the post.
For example: Before you do any Crossfit workout, spend at least ten minutes getting warmed up and stretched out. #Crossfit #CrossfitLife #CrossfitWorkout
One thing to be careful about. If your hashtags aren’t really related to the content of your post, there’s a chance you could turn people away from you. As much as possible, keep your hashtags closely related to the content you’re posting.
Experiment
If you truly want to succeed on social media, you’ll need to experiment to see what works best. Different types of content will resonate with your audience. You may find that videos work really well while inspirational quotes don’t perform as well.
Experimentation is especially critical since social media platforms are constantly changing. Currently, Facebook gives preference to posts that keep people on their site, such as videos. But this could change. In the future, Facebook may give preference to some other type of content.
Be constantly testing to see what works most effectively. You’ll discover what adds the most value to your audience. Then, you can post more of this type of content to generate significantly more engagement. It ends up being a virtuous cycle that helps you connect with more and more people on social media.