Using Mentions and Hashtags in Your Social Strategy

Adventures Media Solutions

Especially on Instagram, hashtagging and mentioning is a great way to connect people with brands, products, accounts, and communities. Creating a physical link on your social accounts will help create a link in the minds of your consumers, and keep you on their mind longer. Especially on Instagram, using tags, mentions, and hashtags is a great way to boost engagement and spread your content. However no social platform is the same, and these tools may leave professionals confused on how to use them effectively, or how to use them at all. Using mentions and hashtags in your social strategy is a must.

Using Hashtags

Hashtagging is likely the most widely known social media tool, and while it originated on Twitter, it has quickly spread to nearly every social platform. Hashtags are formatted with the # symbol followed by a word or short phrase, and are a way for users to categorize information for others to see. In marketing, hashtags make your products, services, and overall brand searchable for your target audience. Just like the rest of your tactics, you should have a strategy to back up your use of hashtags. Ask yourself a few questions to guide your social strategy.

• What accounts are you using hashtags on?
• Who are you trying to attract? What’s your target audience?
• What are you trying to promote? 

While you should certainly use hashtags in your social media strategy, be sure not to overdo it. Recommended hashtag use is between three and five per post, enough to properly categorize your content, but not enough to annoy your audience. When used properly, a good strategy with appropriate hashtags, you should see some boosted engagement, especially when you narrow your hashtags. Instead of using #food, use #breakfast or #salad, based on the content you posted. Narrowing out your hashtags will ensure that your content is not drowned out in a sea of other posts, and those searching for your content will actually find it.

Using Mentions

While using a hashtag typically refers to a topic of conversation, a mention refers to a person, group, place, or other business. Mentions can change based on the platform you are using, but typically are formatted with an @ symbol, followed by the name of the person, place, or business. The mention will then autofill a link if there is an account under the name that you searched, and clicking on such will take you to their page. On most platforms, owners of the account you linked will be notified when you mentioned them, so be sure your mention is something they want published. For businesses, this can be useful in tagging customers, product promotion for influencers, and other business collaborations. Mentioning in the comment section of your posts will also be sure to bring commenting consumers back, showing them that you value their input or questions. 

Ultimately, using hashtags and mentions on your social platforms is a great way to connect with others and categorize your content. More connections means more engagement, which can mean more conversions. Your social strategy does not need to be complicated, but utilizing the tools provided by your preferred social platform will often lead to better placement in the algorithm, and overall better performance. If you need a hand with your social strategy, AdVentures Media Solutions can help! Get in contact with us today for more information.