#ULTIMATEHASHTAGGUIDE

In the wonderful world of Instagram and Twitter, hashtags are how people find your posts through all the noise. What’s especially great about them is that when someone does come across your post, they are very likely to be interested in what you have to say.

Being discovered via hashtags means that you weren’t just randomly found, but someone was looking for your message. Someone on the other end of the computer screen typed in “Instagram Marketing” and your latest post with an Instagram tip was found by this individual.

They read it, they liked it and they may have even commented. But most importantly, they actually found you themselves.

Hashtags are all that and a bag of chips and today we’re running you through which ones you should be hanging out with.

In school, you didn’t hang out with the wrong crowd and in matters of business, the right or wrong crowd will determine your post success.

Depending on which social media platform you are using, there are certain hashtag guidelines which must be followed in order to maximise the benefits of using them.

Here are a few statistics on hashtags that really highlight the benefit of using them:

• Don’t get left behind. 71% of social media users include hashtags with their posts.
• Including hashtags with your Tweets increases engagement by double.
• Increase your engagement by 12.6% on Instagram by including at least one hashtag.

Let’s begin with Twitter.

As you can see from above Twitter can drive traffic to your business, but sometimes just being found can be hard. That’s where hashtags come in, they allow you to engage in active conversations and provide a boost to your Tweet engagement.

You don’t even need to add 100’s, in fact, the sweet spot is around 1-2 hashtags and can increase your engagement by 21%.

So choose them wisely.

It’s important to be very specific with the hashtags you use. A broader hashtag will reach a broader audience but the right, detailed hashtag will get your Tweet straight to your niche target.

Pair your hashtags with a relevant caption and of course, an image. Tweets with hashtags and images perform much better than on their own, so craft your caption as best you can within the 140 character limit for top results.

Remember, a URL counts as 23 characters regardless of actual character length.

You can view the latest trending hashtags via the Twitter sidebar present on the majority of pages, this will show you a list of popular hashtags within a certain area (you can change this area if you want). If they are relevant to your topic, use them, if not, avoid them. Including a hashtag in your Tweet just because it’s trending will be viewed as a tacky attempt to ride the wave of a trendy hashtag.

Adding niche hashtags to will provide you with better results and link your Tweet to conversations with an audience likely to be interested in what you have to say.

Niche hashtags consist of conversations belonging to a very specific group of people who share a common interest in a particular topic. This type of hashtag use is the best yet for reaching your target audience.

 

HOW TO FIND HASHTAGS ON TWITTER:

As mentioned above the best place to start is with the Twitter search page. This will provide you with a list of trending hashtags, but to really optimise this feature, access Twitter via mobile. When you use Twitter on mobile and view the trending hashtags, scroll down to the last hashtags and click ‘Show me more’ to expand the list further.

If you want to find buckets of relevant hashtags then your best option will be to use a third-party app. The below screenshot showcases a tool called Keyhole, however, there are plenty of tools available.

Via: SproutSocial

Start taking note of hashtags you would like to use.

Look out for images and Tweets that fit your brand ethos. Community-based hashtags are the best for engagement so try to find regular Tweeters who are similar to your account as well as identifying accounts that may be simply interested in what you have to say.

The accounts you want to engage with should share your vision and their company message should be similar to your brand message.

Twitter is highly geared around sharing current news and discussing on trend topics, so when relevant, include a hashtag about a news or sports event that is sure to trend through the roof and engage users in the conversation.

This will work in your favour for increasing impressions.

To help you get started here is our list of copy and paste hashtag for some of the most popular niches on Twitter.

 

MARKETING

Self explanatory – this hashtag is used to catch the attention of marketing professionals. You can also use this hashtag to share tips and knowledge, try combining this with one other general hashtag to reach your target demographic and not just marketers.

#socialmedia #usguys #nichemarketing #seo #websitetraffic #smm #PPC #contentmarketing #defstar5 #MakeYourOwnLane #mpgvip

 

RECRUITMENT

It’s interesting how popular social media has become for hiring future candidates. Linkedin has built its success on that very principle. Search for new talent (or put your talent out there) with these recruitment hashtags.

#dthr #HR #hirefriday #HFchat #Tchat #jobhuntchat #leadership #FF #jobs #SHRM #Diversity #jobs

 

NEWS

Capitalise on the latest trending news by reporting on it as it surfaces. When I say ‘capitalise’, you still have to remember to have a heart! Never try to capitalise on tragic news. Report on trending topics that relate to your industry.

#news #world #journalism #feedly #media #bbc #today #cnn #SKY #UK #breakingnews #tech #time

 

MOTIVATION

Geared towards motivation in business, use these hashtags to communicate with like minded individuals who are entrepreneurs and run their own business. The above screenshot showcases a great example of this, when posting motivational quotes you’ll find that you get a much higher engagement if you pair your hashtags with a great image.

#Passion #Dreams #Inspire #Ambition #Wisdom #ThinkBig #HardWorkPaysOff #HardWork #Happiness #InspireDaily #WorkHardPlayHard #GoodLife #Believe #Strength #WorkIsInMyBlood #Inspire #Motivation #Inspiration #InspirationalQuotes #MotivationalQuotes

 

BLOGGERS

Bloggers support bloggers, at least that has been my experience. Who else knows exactly how hard it is to break through all the competition than other bloggers themselves. Use these hashtags to connect with other writers and to showcase your work.

#Bloggerstribe #writer #write #author #read #mustread #travelbloggers #blogging #blog #BookBlog #BookBlogger #writing #writingtips #WritersRoad

 

BUSINESS

Twitter can be a great platform for businesses to reach their target audience as well as connecting with like-minded people to build lasting business relationships.

#B2Bchat #Coaching #EdTech #StartupLab #BrandChat #SmallBiz #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur #Business #Startups #WontStop #Wealth #Success #Freedom #Hustle #BusinessOwner #EntrepreneurLife #Leadership #SocialBusiness #Mentoring #Entrepreneurship #OnlineBusiness #Mindset #BizOpp

 

HOW TO FIND HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM

Finding the right hashtags can be a very tedious task but well worth the time. I suggest setting up a Google doc for bundling all your hashtags in a ready to go copy+paste format.

Categorise your hashtags to your liking but some suggestions you can run with are days of the week, themes (digital marketing, travelling, business) or a combo of both. Have a play around and see what works best for your account.

Start researching with the Instagram search bar. Just click tags and type in a relevant topic such as ‘Social Media’ and tap search this will provide you with a list of related hashtags. This provides you with a pretty large list, however, to take it one step further you can click on a certain hashtag and at the top of the page, related hashtags will pop up, you can then click on those tags that will take you to another page with another set of related hashtags and so forth.

Start taking note of hashtags you would like to use.

Once you have a decent number of hashtags collected, start researching the hashtags that key influencers and accounts are using on their posts which already contain a hashtag from your list.

This is how you will find more niche type, community-based hashtags. Take notes of the ones that catch your attention and research the hashtag a little more. Do the images fit your theme? Do the accounts using the hashtag fit within your target demographic?

A perfect bundle of hashtags will include some popular hashtags and a larger number of smaller yet very active niche hashtags. If you only use tags that have over 10 million posts – your post will most likely drown in the sea of photos.

As with Twitter, we have shared a collection of hashtags that can be used for each of the popular niches below.

 

MARKETING

Instagram is a great platform for sharing marketing tips especially those related to Instagram. Share your knowledge and build trust & confidence with your audience using these hashtags.

#marketing101 #marketingautomation #internetmarketing #startups #businesstips #onlinesuccess #businessminded #networking #mycreativebiz #branding101 #marketingstrategy #instagrammarketing #instagramstrategy

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

Instagram – is quite literally the home of photos. If you’re a photographer on Instagram then you’re in heaven. Save only your best photos for Instagram because as you know there is some really great talent out there.

A picture speaks a thousand words – but don’t skimp out on your caption. Common mistake. Although at the end of the day your photo is what actually gets the likes, it helps to tell a story behind the photo shoot. Give your followers an extra little something by telling your story not just with visual but with words as well.

#justgoshoot #instagoodmyphoto #instaphoto #picoftheday #photooftheday #photography #iphoneography #pictureoftheday #camera #photoshop #igers #sunset #cityscape #hdr #instafocus #igworldclub #visuals #aesthetics #streetphotography #travelgram #ruleofthirds #2instagoodportraitlove #longexposure #vignette #lightphotography #vsco #vscocam #macro #symmetry #viewpoint #panorama #throughthelens #urbanphoto #reflection_shotz #earthpix #moodygrams #fatalframes #reflectiongram #visualsoflife #AGameofTones #artofvisuals

 

FOODIE

You can’t escape the food photos on Instagram – that’s for sure. So embrace the trend and get amongst the awesome food hashtags out there to increase your reach. Your business really doesn’t have to be entirely focused around food. We all eat and we all dine out so incorporate food photos into your strategy and reach new followers today! If you do start posting food pictures make sure that you take the time to frame it correctly to ensure it looks delicious to everyone.

#foodforfuel #eatgoodfeelgood #instayum #eeeeeats #gloobyfood #healthyfoodshare #foodblogeats #foodgawker #eattherainbow #nomnoms #onthetable #foodvsco #homemade #powerfoodies #simplefood #colourfulfood #nourishyourbody #feedfeed #forkyeah #spoonfeed  #foodart #happyfood #foodwithlove

 

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES

Instagram is all about the motivational quotes. White backgrounds with “Fri-Yay” or a fitness quote to motivate you in the morning, Instagram is loaded with motivational quotes and that is completely ok. If you’re ever having trouble with design inspiration just do a quick search, you’ll find literally millions of examples on Instagram!

Jump on board and get amongst the trend. Every business can send out a motivational quote and to be honest, judging by everyone’s busy lives, we could all do with a few words of encouragement.

My main advice with this one is to be creative, like really really creative. Instagrammers have seen it all before so come out and do something unique if you want to get noticed. Here are my favourite hashtags.

#quotesgram #riseandgrind #determined #inspireothers #yougotthis #beyourbestself #ABMhappylife #abmhappyhour #dontworryaboutit #walkyourtruepath #timetoshine #nevergiveup #dogood #liveauthentic #flashesofdelight #quotesgram #quoteoftheday #lovinlife #abmhappylife #chasinglight #caffeinateandconquer #lifequote #believeinyou #positivemindset #bethechangeyouwan t#itstartswithyou #getmotivated #quotestoliveby #makemoments #dailyquote #quotesgram

 

INTERIOR DESIGN

For images that are beautiful to look at, minimalist, chic and modern use a mixture of the following hashtags. Your photos should be spot on as this industry is built on beauty. Don’t just post with the intention to show off your catalogue, use it to engage with the community.

Build networks with like minded individuals. If your thing is modern bathrooms, connect with local plumbers, builders etc to broaden your professional network.

#custommade #furniture #homedecor #keepcraftalive #maker #luxury #artisan #residentialdesign #interior4all #interiorforyou #interiorandhome #interiorinspiration #inspire_me_home_decor #homeinspo #homeinterior #madetoorder #specialorder #kitcheninspo #homeideas #interiorstyling #interiorideas #decor #bedroomdecor #instahome #homestyling #habitandhome #ilovemyinterior #interior_and_living #uohome #abmlifeisbeautiful #homesweethome

 

CONCLUSION

Using the right hashtags will communicate your message to the correct audience effectively. Social media platforms have, in a way, become search engines for content. Instagram has 700 million active users and Twitter has 328 million active monthly users, sifting through these numbers can be very daunting when trying to increase your reach.

Hashtags are you sure fire way of creating a connecting chain between your content, the millions of users and the industry related search terms they use. They are great overall but niche hashtags are more specifically targeted to your audience thereby reaching a very engaged group of people.

Start using our niche hashtags today and watch your reach and impressions grow.

If you run a company or manage a brand with a niche community hashtag, we would love to know which one it is so we can start engaging with you. Maybe you would just like to share your favourite hashtag with us, whatever you prefer, leave us message below!

As always, you can also reach us on Twitter (@thewebsitegroup ← Click to Tweet Us).