How Hash-tag research can stimulate your Content Marketing Game

Why should I spend my time on Hash tag research?

Hash tag research leads companies around the world to organic, sustainable growth.

If you have read more about keyword research, you already have a head start in understanding how important it is. Hash tags and keyword research share a lot on their respective platforms and should be part of every digital marketing strategy.

Producing high-quality content is only the first step. Then you have to find an audience for it. And with a bit of market insight you will find the right target group.

Did you know that messages with 9 hash tags perform nearly 2.5x and messages that only use 1? The use of hash tags is not an option. The only question should be "Which hash tags should I choose?"

Not only do new hash tags help you increase your reach on social media, they can also create overtime by providing you with new ideas for content.

If you are not familiar with the hash tag research semantics, that is good! We are here to discuss what you need to know and to help you on your way to a winning strategy.

How do they work?

So how do you start with hash tag research?

Let's lay the foundation by starting with what a hash tag is. Hash tags are indexes that are used by various social media platforms to categorize content and target groups.

Similar to keywords that are used in Search Engine Optimization / PPC, they are what people are going to use to find your business.

Instagram use of hash tags streamlines the discovery process beyond what was once a simple algorithm. They even let you tag hash tags with your profile by including them in the bio, making you searchable.

Because people can now follow hash tags, you can be sure that the same audiences receive your content. Keep in mind, however, that this means that you have to work so much harder for a follower.

Instead of following your business account, they can simply follow the hash tags with an infinite feed with content. Content and distribution can put each other in trouble, so make sure your content does not go unnoticed by ignoring hash tagging.

Now it may seem intuitive to target the larger hash tags with more followers and post volume. Again, like keywords, you will have your work cut out for you if you focus solely on broad, high volume hash tags.

The only way to build credibility is to score well with smaller hash tags and then grow from there.

Because high volume equals high competition, you diversify your hash tags under broad and niche hash tags for the most growth and engagement.

A hash tag with about 10 million messages pushes a message from the top 9 in just 3 minutes. You cannot get a lot of attention in less than 3 minutes.

Your real engagement volume comes from collecting small hash tags from small to medium.

Types of Hash tags

Even under hash tags they all have their own lane and own use cases. It is important to be aware of the types of hash tags because there may be overlaps between the audience.

Attacking lower difficulty levels with hashes tags will improve your overall rankings and help you score in the long run for the hardest.

Try to have a healthy mix of broad and targeted hash tags so that you have sufficient knowledge with the larger community.

In any case, let's look at a list of a few different types of hash tags:

• Brand tags - Come up with a hash tag to promote yourself or your own brand is social media 101. If you can get a hash tag to get a grip, then you have successfully cut out your own audience.

• Campaign tags - these are usually used for shorter movements. Usually there are more temporary hash tags.

• Event Markers - It is not uncommon to find hash tags of specific events. These are very interesting tags and usually have a specific audience.

• Location tags - Shouting your city, city or neighborhood is not unusual and can achieve some good traction.

• Industry labels - Pretty speaks for itself. Tags that you would find used by people in your industry. Usually pretty professional.

• Niche markers - These become your various and more in the well-known hashtags. These can be found once you are immersed in a specific community and will be a very selective audience.

This list is not the end, but it is good to be aware of what is out there.

In Depth Hash Tag Research

Now let's discuss where you can find real hash tags.

You can start branching with the related hash tags that Instagram gives you. You are looking for quality communities and try to minimize public overlap. This can be somewhat effective, but it is mainly for the average users and not for high-level markets.

Although you may have a trend in your industry, there is always room to do better. Try to look at messages from competitors / peers to see what they are using and measure how successful you think it would be for your content.

In fact, look at social media influencers in your industry. These people start to start with the hash tags and follow the trends.

There is innumerable software to help you find new hash tags. These can provide you with analyzes such as daily and monthly volume, popularity and suggestions.

It can be better for you to get in touch with the hash tags that industry leaders use, so you know what the trend is. Try to gather as much as possible from top positions and distill to the unique.

If you are a smaller company, finding active niches should be your goal.

A good exercise in conducting research is to document all your hashtags in a spreadsheet. You can also use software / apps that store your hash tags. But you want to be able to archive hash tags, see their volume and assign a value to them.

Implementation

Finding hash tags is the first step. The following is to find out when and how they should be used.

Determine how much you would like to include. Instagram and Twitter are not actually supporters of people who use hash tags by spamming. There is an optimal number of hash tags.

So, do not go overboard and record any related word. They are probably big volume and high competition.

On Instagram, a user can include up to 30 hash tags, but when using too much, the content will be ambiguous if you only use the hash tags. Larger brands and companies that do not have to use that much for reach usually use fewer hash tags than the average user.

Less than 5 may be normal for Coca-Cola, but the average user can find a good spot at 10. Watch the message from Nike above. They only use 3 hash tags. One-person tags someone, while the other two promote a film and the brand.

Smaller businesses are more dependent on exposure to social media, so do not think you can get away with Nike strategies.

Also try changing the order of your hash tags. Instagram does not prefer the same block of hash tags copied from post to post, just as Google does not like duplicate content.

Think about testing new hash tags in each post until you can pin all winners.

Your best bet is to post with fewer hash tags, but with more booking frequency. That way you are active all day.

Timing is also not something to ignore. Posting during times with high visibility will generate more engagement. Higher engagement ensures that Instagram promotes you on feeds that generate more visibility in a positive feedback loop.

Again, you must use hashtags wherever possible.

This means:

• On your bio

• On your stories

• At every post

• In the comments (if necessary)

You probably already know that hash tags can be 'hidden' in reactions and that it is a great way to reduce clutter. Rumor has it; Instagram is researching a special section to reduce junk in hash tags.

Instagram also comes with an added bonus. If your message can get a lot of traction and speed, you can reach the top positions for a hashtag or on the exploration page. This kind of visibility can work wonders for your followers if you can generate high-quality messages.

Test and learn

The best hashtag research strategy is one that requires constant adjustment and optimization.

Instagram provides you happy analyzes about all your messages, including how many impressions / followers have provided hash tags. By conducting a number of independent hash-tagging tests, you should be able to select those who send the most engagement to your profile.

Know your buyer personas. Know their ages and locations. Stay up-to-date with your industry on social media. Notice what trending is. Keep track of which hash tags generate the most followers and most responses. Test which mixture of large and small tags works for you. Think of creating your own hash tags to mark yourself and to nourish your own community of content creators.

Think about what a good hash tag is:

• A good hash tag is one with a fair amount of volume without being too wide.

• It generates likes and comments from an engaged community.

• It is part of a larger community of hash tags, larger and smaller, with which you can build your credibility.

• It is not spammed and generates a community of quality content.

Also stick to your hash tag strategy. Place on a regular schedule, be consistent and find the best times and the best hash tags. And more importantly, constantly optimize.

Remember that this is only half of the story and that the content is the other half of the game.

The consistent placement of quality items with the same theme is how you win on Instagram. Beyond the hash tagging research you should think about ways to grow your Instagram followers in an organic way.

What is happening on social media is always changing. So to make research into hash tags effective, you need to stay up-to-date on trends and best practices. If you think your business needs a boost for its social media accounts or only needs social media management services, we'll be happy to help. Just give us a quick message and we'll chat.