How to make hashtags work for your business in 2023

Hashtags can do wonders for a business if they are used correctly. They are a great tool for your audience to find your business on social media in a targeted way, if you know how to use them effectively! Here are some tips to help hashtags work hard for your business in 2023. 

Know which platforms champion hashtags

Knowing where hashtags are most effective will make a huge difference for your business online. For platforms like twitter and instagram, hashtags are an important part of a caption and can be key to reaching a wide audience, whereas places like Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest don’t necessarily require hashtags to engage an audience.  There’s no point having a Facebook post full of hashtags and leaving your Instagram picture caption without a hashtag in sight - keep to each platform’s formula for the best results.

Use relevant hashtags for your business

Whilst using hashtags such as #likeforlike and #followforfollow might attract people to your page, there’s a good chance these kinds of accounts won’t bring any genuine engagement to your business. Aim to use hashtags which are relevant to your industry, as these will give a better chance of your content reaching the right audience. For example, a personal trainer could use hashtags like #fitspo or #pushups, whereas a chocolatier would be more suited to hashtags like #cocoa or #dessert. 

Use localised and niche hashtags

Gone are the days of searching “most popular hashtags for XYZ” and filling captions with what you find on Google. More volume doesn’t always equal more traffic - in fact, it just means more competition. Many people underestimate the power of smaller hashtags which focus on a local area and niche. For example, if you are a Sydney-based cafe offering coffee and brunch in the Cronulla area, using hashtags like #sutherlandshirecafe #cronullabrunch #cronullacafe are more likely to gain the attention of local customers rather than generic hashtags like #brunch #coffee etc. 

Jump on alliteration hashtag trends

Allitration hashtags are popular across all digital platforms, and can be a great way for you to showcase certain aspects of your business that otherwise wouldn’t be shown. For instance, you could use the #flashbackfriday hashtag to share content each Friday about past business milestones, or #wednesdaywisdom to share interesting facts about your industry.

Create your own hashtag

Creating your own business hashtag is not only fun, it has the potential to further your brand’s digital presence in an organic way. In the spirit of social media, make your hashtag something witty to get your audience interested - a sports shop could use something like #bobsbigballs to get customers talking about their sporting equipment in a humorous way. Share your audience’s content when they use your hashtag, and hold competitions or incentives to encourage active engagement with your hashtag. 

Some final thoughts on hashtags

As social media platforms evolve over time, the importance of hashtags will too, so keep your eyes out for any major changes to these platforms and change your hashtag use accordingly!

So... Where to from here?

At Makaroni Digital, we partner with businesses to provide tailored social media management, content creation and copywriting. Chat with us today about how our social media services can help grow your business.