To hashtag, or not to hashtag?

‍

That is the question. But what’s the answer? Join Radial Path’s social sleuths, Beth Wade and Luke Rose-Smith, as they explore the pros and cons of this polarising punctuation. 

From helping users find their new favourite #coffeeshops, to creating some of the internet’s funniest and most cringe-inducing moments, hashtags are an integral part of the social media experience. 

‍

But what about their place in your social media strategy? Do users really find new businesses and products by hashtag surfing? Is #spamming #the #heck #out #of #your #posts really worth it?

Let’s explore the benefits and ‘bewares’ together. #SoReady.

‍

The benefits of using hashtags in B2B marketing

‍

Build a community

Using hashtags enables you to join a conversation on a trending or specific topic. For example, marketing professionals on Twitter use the #PPCChat to discuss key topics happening in the world of PPC, and also to find answers to any issues they may be experiencing.

For businesses, using this hashtag on a relevant subject will allow your brand to show up when your audience is actively participating, increasing your brand awareness and positioning you as thought leaders.

‍

Increase your share of voice

Share of voice is a metric that measures how many people are talking about your brand compared with your competitors. Encouraging your employees and business accounts to use a brand hashtag will likely increase your share of voice among your competitors and allow you to analyse where your business is positioned within the market.

✨Pro tip - Share of voice is calculated by dividing your brand metrics by the total market metrics✨

‍

Topic research

When searching for a hashtag on a particular subject, you’ll be presented with a curated list of social posts on your chosen subject. Not only will you see posts which use your hashtag, but you’ll also be able to see what other hashtags they have used in their posts.

This will allow you to understand what topics are relevant and open you up to new content which your business will be able to write about - further positioning your brand as thought leaders. 

‍

But beware of these hashtag pitfalls…

‍

Overuse

The structure of a social media post has big implications on engagement and reach. Over-using hashtags can make your post look spammy and displeasing, and could cause people to skip right past it, let alone engage with it by liking, commenting, or sharing.

The general consensus is two to three targeted tags per post on LinkedIn, so B2B marketers should aim to include only their best performing tags when they post. Resist the urge #spam.

‍

Irrelevance

Did you know LinkedIn’s spam-fighting algorithm actively blocks spammy and irrelevant content from appearing in users’ feeds? This means the 20 hashtags you included in your post in a bid to widen your reach as much as possible are actually working against you. 

Ensure your post reaches as many as relevant social media users as possible by being super selective with your tags.

‍

Lost in the sea of popular hashtags

Using popular keywords as hashtags can cause your posts to get lost in the noise of other posts and therefore provides less reach and engagement. It’s also harder to see how many times a hashtag has been used, with keyword research you can easily see the monthly search volume in key countries. However, unless you pay for a social media monitoring tool, you lose this visibility on individual platforms.