If you are a regular user of social media, be it Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you may have come across posts with hashtags, for example, #swatchbharat. So what is a hashtag and how is it useful for you?
Hashtags are used as prefix or suffix that describe the message of your post in one word.
You can use hashtags for prospects to find you on social media. Mumbai based adviser Deepak Khemani who is active on Twitter says, “Hashtags can help you reach out to people who are looking or tweeting about similar topics. For instance, if you are writing on the importance of financial planning, use #financialadviser, #financialplan, #retirement, etc. so that anyone looking for these topics will be able to read your post.”
By using hashtags, you can filter tweets or posts that have the same hashtag. Type it in the search bar of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and you will see how many posts have similar hashtags.
“Hashtags are a great way to follow trending topics and voice your opinion on any subject. For example, when you use Twitter, you can set your location to see the popular 10 topics users are discussing in your city. You can use trending topics and their hashtags while sharing any newsworthy post to your followers. For example, during Budget 2016, people were using #budget2016 hashtag,” says Amol Joshi of Plan Rupee who is a regular user of Twitter.
If you are not sure about which hashtag to use or not sure which hashtag is popular, do some research. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook tell you how many posts already exist with that hashtag.
Hashtags have become a popular way to promote events, brands or any campaign. For instance, companies which conduct events develop their own hashtags so that people can keep track of the discussions at such events. For instance, if you are unable to attend an event, you can still follow the conversations online and gain valuable insight from attendees. For instance, Cafemutual had developed its own hashtag for Confluence 2016, #CC16, #AllAboutMF.
A few things to remember when using hashtags:
- Overusing hashtags can ruin the purpose of your post. Use very limited phrases, not more than 3-4 hashtags in a post.
- Hashtags need to be relevant to the content you are sharing. For example, if you are sharing any tip on asset allocation, you cannot hashtag #NarendraModi even if he is trending.
- Remember that not all social media platforms allow you to use hashtags. LinkedIn does not have a feature of hashtags.
- Hashtag can be used anywhere in the post. While many users put it at the end, you can also incorporate hashtag anywhere in the post.
To sum up, hashtags can be a very valuable tool for you to reach out to your prospects if used smartly.
