Social media hashtags are everywhere. Hashtags went from being a useful tool known in programmer culture to a mainstream organizational device for online content. The hashtag was first brought to Twitter on August 23rd, 2007 by Chris Messina. Since then, we’ve seen it make its way to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and so many more platforms.

When using a hashtag on social media, it’s important that you spell out your phrase without spaces, so it’ll look #somethinglikethis. The hashtag can include numbers but no symbols or punctuation and it can be placed anywhere in your post or stand by itself. Crafting the perfect hashtag is pretty important. It allows what you have shared to be indexed by the social media network.

So, now that you understand the basics of the #hashtag, it’s time to break down its use on the most popular social media platforms because social media hashtags are more important than you think.

Facebook

Hashtags aren’t as common on Facebook, but they can still be beneficial for your business. By using a hashtag or two in a post, you can extend your reach. People will be able to click on that hashtag and explore other posts that include it. So, if someone’s looking at the #smallbusiness hashtag, they might run into a post from you.

If you decide to use hashtags on Facebook, don’t go overboard. It’s better to use one carefully-chosen hashtag than to try to reach everybody with tons of hashtags. Studies show that engagement actually decreases, the more hashtags you use in your posts. So, use them strategically and sparingly.

Instagram

Instagram has gone through a lot of changes, but through it all, one thing has stayed consistent: the importance of hashtags. These can either make or break your Instagram strategy. Even in 2021, using relevant, targeted hashtags is one of the best ways to get discovered by new audiences.

You can use up to 30 hashtags on a post and 10 hashtags on a story. That being said, just because you can use that many hashtags doesn’t mean you should. The consensus is that about 11 hashtags is a good number to start with when posting.

When posting, make sure you’re carefully choosing your hashtags just like Facebook. If you’re the owner of a restaurant, you won’t want to use hashtags related to web design. So, make sure you’re using hashtags that make sense for your business.

LinkedIn

Most people think hashtags can’t be used on LinkedIn since it’s a “professional” site. Wrong! Hashtags can still be used on the platform and users are encouraged to use them. Although there’s really no limit to how many you can use, the professionals suggest using only three. If you have way too many in your post, people will just keep scrolling since it looks like spam. No one wants that.

Twitter

Twitter is the birthplace of the hashtag and it’s had such a powerful influence on other social media platforms. When using hashtags on Twitter, it’s important not to use too many. Just like LinkedIn, three is the magic number. Sure, you can use more, but with only 280 characters, you don’t have much room to talk. Carefully select your hashtags beforehand so you’re not wasting space.

We’ve seen social media hashtags almost everywhere at this point. They’re useful for those interested in boosting their engagement and reach, so we recommend you incorporate a few into your social media efforts. Be sure to strategically select the hashtags you want to use before going crazy on social media. Using the right hashtags and the right amount is just half the battle!