Since Facebook made hashtags clickable in June, the # symbol is no longer specific to Twitter; it has become common across platforms. Instagram users have been adding hashtags under their photos for some time. On Facebook, users now add tags such as #blessed under photos of their meals.
Businesses have noticed, and many are using hashtags excessively. We regularly see posts from dive centres with a one-line caption followed by thirty hashtags: #diving #scuba #underwater #ocean #sea #blue #fun #travel #holiday, and more. This approach appears forced, and in most cases it is ineffective.
Here is a clear explanation for business owners who want to use hashtags professionally.
What does a hashtag actually do?
A hashtag turns a word into a link. Clicking it displays the public posts that used the same tag. In effect, it files a post in a shared category so that people who browse that category can find it.
The concept originated with Twitter users. In 2007, designer Chris Messina suggested using the pound sign to group conversations, and Twitter began turning hashtags into links in 2009. The practice then spread to Instagram and now to Facebook, and it is beginning to appear in contexts where it serves no purpose, such as printed flyers and television ads.
We describe a hashtag to business owners as a street sign rather than a decoration. It directs people to a destination. If no one will ever look for that sign, it only adds clutter under the photo.
Which hashtags should a local business use first?
For a local business, the most useful hashtags almost always refer to the location.
A person planning a trip to Bali browses #nusapenida, #sanur or #amed on Instagram to see what these places look like. These are precisely the people a dive centre wants to reach: they are interested in the location, and your business is located there. The same applies to a café in Ubud, a surf school in Canggu or a homestay anywhere.
Generic tags such as #diving, #travel or #food have the opposite effect. They contain millions of posts, and yours disappears within seconds without reaching anyone travelling to your area.
After location, the next most useful category is what is specific to your business. For a dive centre, this means species and dive sites: #mantaray, #molamola or the name of a well-known site. Divers actively search for these tags to learn what is being seen and where. It is currently mola season around Nusa Penida, and #molamola is precisely where divers are looking.
How many hashtags should you use?
Three relevant hashtags are more effective than thirty unrelated ones. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, and many users treat that number as a target rather than a limit.
We advise against this practice. A long block of tags makes a post resemble spam, pushes the caption out of view and suggests to readers that reach matters more than they do. When every post carries the same thirty tags, copied and pasted, the tags lose their meaning, even for the business itself.
Three to five relevant hashtags are sufficient: a location, a specific subject and possibly your own branded tag, selected for each post rather than copied from the previous one.
Thirty hashtags may generate a few more likes, but mostly from other accounts seeking likes. Ten likes from people who may actually come diving have greater value.
Where are hashtags not appropriate?
- Facebook business page posts, for the time being. Hashtags have been clickable there since June, but few people appear to use them, and a post with many tags looks out of place on Facebook. This may evolve; for now, we recommend one hashtag at most.
- LinkedIn, where they are not suitable.
- Website copy and emails. A hashtag in a newsletter is a link that leads nowhere.
- The middle of a sentence, where it reduces readability.
Why create a branded hashtag?
Business owners generally find this the most appealing aspect, and it requires the most discipline.
A branded hashtag belongs to your business: your business name, or a short phrase associated with it. Use it on your own posts, on the wall of the shop, on receipts and painted on the back of the boat, and invite guests to use it when they post their photos.
If it is adopted, the tag becomes a public album of real people enjoying their experience with your business. This is more persuasive marketing than anything a business can write about itself. It also allows you to find guest photos to reshare, always with their permission.
A branded hashtag is effective only if it is short, easy to spell and not already used by another account. Search for it before printing it on any material. Patience is also required: for the first few months, your business will be its main user, which is normal.
What should a business do this week?
Hashtags are a minor detail. A quality photo, regular posting and responses to comments matter considerably more. Minor details nonetheless add up, and applying them correctly costs nothing.
For a dive centre, a warung or a guesthouse posting this week, we recommend using the town or island, one tag related to the activity, and the branded tag. The time saved can then be devoted to the next post or to responding to the comments received the previous day.
For background, the Wikipedia article on the hashtag explains its origins. Social media is often the part of the business that owners postpone, which is common. This is why social media management is frequently entrusted to a specialist.
A hashtag, like a street sign, is useful only if people travel along that street.