B2B Hashtags: Why, How Many & How to Use Them
In the B2B world, getting your B2B company noticed can feel like shouting into the void. But there’s a powerful tool at your disposal that can help you connect with a targeted audience and amplify your reach: hashtags.
This quick guide will answer all your burning questions about hashtags for B2B marketing. We’ll cover whether they actually work, how to use them strategically, why they’re important, and the optimal number to include in your posts.
Dive in and learn how to tap hashtags to get your B2B brand discovered!
What are hashtags?
Hashtags on social media are like SEO keywords for blog posts. They help people discover your content when they’re searching for specific topics. In other words, hashtags are like neon signs for your content, grabbing attention from people actively searching for those topics.
A hashtag is a word preceded by the hash symbol (#) that is used in social media, web content management systems (CMS), online forums, and blogs to categorize information into topics.
Hashtags are short words or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol that shows topics on social media platforms like X.
The hashtag can create discussions on a specific topic, like a X (formerly Twitter) chat, special events or campaign hashtags. By adding the hash symbol it becomes clickable hashtags.
But do you ponder on how effective – or powerful hashtags are? Does adding hashtags really add value to your post?
Why use hashtags?
Did you know that a hashtag is a brand awareness tool? YES! It is a brand amplifier.
Whether you’re a technology startup company trying to reach a bigger market or a B2 sales representative who persuades buyers on social media, adding a hashtag plan on your social media strategy matters.
It brings your business closer to the spotlight, to being noticed, to being liked, to being followed, to being retweeted, to being shared, to being subscribed to, and to get leads.
There are other factors to consider about brand awareness.
But if you aim to make your content get seen by more, these hashtags alone can do wonders.
In this study , it says that using hashtags on X can result to 50% increase in brand engagement and the highest interactions on Instagram involve posts with 11+ hashtags.
Another study reveals that Instagram posts that have hashtags received over 70% more likes than those without hashtags.
No matter on what social media platforms you post your hashtags, think about why you are there instead of just haphazardly tagging a hashtag because you can.
X, LinkedIn, Pinterest other social media platforms use hashtags to sort, organize and categorize the social media content on blogs, websites, beautiful photos and other online properties.
Users who are searching for particular content can type a hashtag in the search function and the social network will display social media posts that carry the corresponding hashtag.
If your hashtag and post receive high community engagement from your audience, chances are, the social media platform will show it on top of the feed. That raises more chances of engagement.
And voila!
More users will land on your social media account when they click your post.
A hashtag is a free brand awareness tool for any B2B company.
It is your brand amplifier.
The Hashtag Dilemma
Sadly, however, not all hashtags will give you that benefit, especially when they are not properly and strategically done.
One good example is the hashtag you saw in the second paragraph of this article.
Did you notice it? #justlikethis sounds just about right, but how much impact does it really make?
How many businesses search for that type of hashtag?
Some argue that more specific hashtags have better chances of showing up in the algorithm and thus making your posts visible.
It makes sense, right?
It also makes sense to use general hashtags, as they are often the most popular.
Hashtags use and your business reality
One of the hashtag practices is that the hashtag you use boils down to your page’s “age.”
If you are just establishing your brand’s presence on social media with less than 300 followers, using less popular hashtags (we’re talking about 500k posts or less, relatively) would be a better choice.
If you’re are a B2B ERP technology or a manufacturer, using #supplychaintech can make you stand out instead of using a more generic hashtag like #design (227.M users, Instagram).
But as a tactic, because your audience is hyper-niche, leverage the use of broad on-topic hashtags, again on-topic, to gain more exposure. More on this hashtag tips below.
As you grow your reach, you can add more popular hashtags to your posts while still keeping them within your niche.
From Our Partners:
How many hashtags to use on social media?
You need to understand that hashtags work differently depending on which social network you post.
And the number of “acceptable” hashtags for every platform also varies.
Here is a list of the number of hashtags of the social media platforms commonly used by B2B companies:
- Instagram hashtags: 1-30. My suggestion: use up to 5 at a time.
- X hashtags: 1-3 hashtags
- LinkedIn hashtags: 1-3 hashtags
- Pinterest hashtags: 1-20 hashtags. My suggestion: Use up to 5
- Facebook hashtags: One or none. Hashtags haven’t taken off on Facebook.
- YouTube: 1-3 hashtags
- Google Business: 0, using hashtag on GMB is irrelevant
Focus on using strong, relevant hashtags, even if it’s just one.
Why use only a few hashtags? Doesn’t that defeat the goal for visibility?
While hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by more people, using too many can actually hurt your visibility.
Here’s why using a few well-chosen hashtags is better than a bunch:
- Quality over Quantity: A flood of hashtags can make your post look spammy and turn people off. Focus on hashtags that are highly relevant to your content. A few good ones will attract the right audience, while a bunch of generic ones might not help at all.
- Platform Limits: There are usually limits on the number of hashtags you can use per post. On X, for example, cramming in too many hashtags cuts into the space for your actual message.
- Readability: A post crammed with hashtags can be hard to read and understand. Using just a few keeps your message clear and concise. It’s hard to read a post with a wall of hashtags.
- Engagement: People tend to engage more with posts that are easy to read and understand. If your post is cluttered with hashtags, they might just scroll right past.
So, by strategically choosing a few hashtags that perfectly target your audience, you can increase your chances of getting real engagement and avoid annoying viewers.
However, it’s important to note that this is platform-dependent. Some platforms, like Instagram, still reward using a higher number of hashtags (up to 20)1. So, it’s always a good idea to check the best practices for the specific platform you’re using.
Focus on using strong, relevant hashtags, even if it’s just one. Don’t force hashtags that don’t fit your content.
5 essential tips on how to use hashtags
Since it is possible to reach a larger audience with hashtags, understanding which hashtags to use in your content becomes crucial to the growth of your social networks.
There are steps you can do to make sure you are using quality hashtags on your content strategy. Using it well on your post can help you get more likes, followers, and comments in no time!
There are things you can do to make sure you are putting quality hashtags in your post.
Hashtag strategy tips
1. Search for best performing hashtags.
Your hashtags should always apply to your content.
In the B2B social media world, before hitting “post,” ensure you’ve nailed down your target audience. This audience represents a specific segment within the broader B2B landscape. Think of it like zooming in on a giant map to pinpoint the exact city or neighborhood you want to reach.
After deciding on your niche, do a hashtag search. Look at how hashtags are performing – number of likes or engagement, and number of people that used it. If you are in an industry that may be hyper-niche, the hashtag fundamentals are the same.
If you already have a list of hashtags, you can compare the number of likes/engagement that your posts get on them with the number of likes posts with trending hashtags get.
Does yours come close? If not, you might need to let go of these hashtags and replace them with new ones.
Which brings us to the second point.
2. Always discover new industry and community hashtags
Consistency and coherence are important when putting your content on social media.
For hashtags, however, freshness matters more to be in front of a new audience.
Besides, using the same hashtags in your post doesn’t just put you under the suspicious spam radar of X (or Instagram’s) algorithm, but it can give your followers the impression that you’re just posting the “same old thing.”
Hence, using new hashtags is important.
You can search for new hashtags in two ways:
- Use an online tool to search for related hashtags. You just input a specific hashtag in the search box and it will generate related keywords you can use alternatively with your active hashtags. Some tools you can explore: Raven tools, SE ranking, and Serpstat.
- Do hashtag keyword clustering. This technique involves grouping related keywords into thematic categories. Instead of just using broad hashtags like “#technology,” create focused clusters that target specific user interests within the tech sphere
For example: If your seed keyword is technology. Clusters with hashtag examples:
~~~
5 types of hashtags categories I recommend:
You can add more categories if you like when you are doing hashtag clustering. But I like to stick to a few that way it is more manageable.
- Branded hashtags: your slogan or your company name, it is unique to you
- Business hashtags: these are niche hashtags, product hashtags, service hashtags or industry hashtags.
- Timely hashtags: Trending hashtags, holiday hashtags, event hashtag
- Geographic hashtags: Location hashtags, geotags
- Fun hashtags: Broad hashtags, creative hashtags
A caveat here that I like to mention. This is not set on stone. Meaning, you can definitely create your own categories.
The benefit of clustering your hashtags into categories is that you don’t have to recreate your list, thus saving you time. Just copy and paste it. Who doesn’t want that???!!?
3. Diversify your hashtags
Don’t let specific business hashtags prevent you from being creative and diverse.
Not everyone will have an interest in #erp, but there might be people who are typing #inventorymanagement #supplychainmanagement, #warehousemanagement #manufacturingdistribution in the search box.
You can reach a wider audience with a variety of relevant hashtag suggestions associated with your target audience that way.
But if thinking outside the box isn’t your favorite zone, no worries.
You can get ideas from other sources, which the next point will tackle.
4. Know what your customers and competitors are saying
Are you missing out on something relevant? The best way to know is to keep track of how your competitors are performing.
This does not mean, though, that you devote all your time spying on them. As simple as knowing what their top posts are for the month and the hashtags they’ve used can keep you on track for fresh ideas.
Tools like Fanpage Karma can do all the analyzing for you by ranking your competitor’s hashtags based on the popularity of posts and the number of user engagements.
In the same way, find out what your customers are buzzing about.
Start by collating information from user-generated content. Look at key phrases and most commonly used words in their queries or comments and put those on a spreadsheet.
Every time you create a social media post, consider using this information in your marketing campaign. Should you use personalized (based on your research) hashtag or a broad hashtag?
Either way, you’re sure to target the specific needs of your customers.
For example, if you are a tech company serving SMB manufacturers that are concerned of “optimizing production line efficiency” you can use the following hashtags for your social media post:
- #ManufacturingEfficiency
- #Industry4.0
- #SmartManufacturing
- #ProductionLineOptimization
- #IndustrialAutomation
These hashtags target relevant keywords for manufacturers interested in improving their production processes.
For higher chance of visibility, follow this hashtag formula:
popular hashtag + niche hashtag + branded hashtag (if you have one)
5. Schedule your posts and plan your hashtags ahead
Most quality hashtags, to be effective, need to be put on a calendar for use.
There are seasonal hashtags that you may need to use along with your seasonal posts. For instance, “#MFGday” every October for manufacturers.
Have a list of popular hashtags that worked for your posts in the past, or record the seasonal trending hashtags of the current year.
Scheduling is not just the best way to save time, but it also allows you to be more strategic in your approach to content and hashtag management.
Get Discovered: Master Hashtags for B2B Growth
Hashtags are a powerful tool for B2B marketing on social media platforms. By strategically incorporating relevant hashtags into your content, you can increase your brand visibility, reach a targeted audience, and connect with potential customers.
Remember, quality over quantity is key. Focus on using a few, well-researched hashtags that align perfectly with your content and target audience. Don’t be afraid to experiment and track your results to see what works best for your brand. With a little effort, you can leverage the power of hashtags to achieve your B2B social media marketing goals.
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