It doesn’t matter how much good stuff you put into a social media post: clever captions, impressive images, cute kittens, carefully considered elements of a company’s digital marketing strategy—without the right hashtags, that post will fall in the woods and no one will hear it.

Or so we’ve been told.

Pound for pound, there’s more to hashtags than meets the (public) eye. Here are the best ways to use them to engage and grow your audience, identify trends, and keep an eye on competitors.

• Hashtags make your content easier to find
  If you’re looking to get more eyes on your content, you’ve got to help your audience find you. Think of hashtags as keyword breadcrumbs that lead people straight to your business. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but 3 to 6 well-chosen tags are optimum. Use them first.
• Keep an eye on the competition.
  Hashtags let you track what’s popular in your industry and, if you’re listening, allow you to get a jump on trends before your competitors. You can also gather intel on your competitors’ marketing efforts, as well as what people are saying about you—good and bad.
• Speak to your target audience.
  The most important thing you can do when marketing is to develop a clear understanding of your target audience.  The best hashtags speak your customer’s language. They’re specific, they stay on brand, and they let you keep a close eye on both your customers and competitors. Remember it’s not just about speaking into the microphone—sometimes you have to listen, too.

Analytics will help you keep up with everything mentioned about your brand and your digital marketing campaign. It’ll also give you valuable insights on performance. Our experienced team knows how to analyze the data, advise on strategy, and give you more bang for your marketing buck. Let’s chat!