Over the past three years, I've helped tens of thousands of business owners market their business. That gives me the unique opportunity to see what trends are happening for small business owners on social media and distill it into digestible portions for you.
Why? Because sometimes as business owners, we put out content and it feels like we're invisible or that everything seems to fall a little flat.
>>And you, sweet soul, have something of value to offer and you deserve to stand out.<<
So, if you are looking for a strategy to increase your discoverability and be seen on social media, I have just the thing: hashtags.
Now, I know the most common question on the topic is “Jasmine, are they still necessary?”
To be clear, you do not need to use hashtags to get seen in the algorithm, but it certainly helps.
- People want to discover you.
- People want to hear what you have to say.
- People want the thing that you're selling.
So, why not make it easier for them to discover the thing that you're selling?
In order to do that, I want to share with you the Social Curator 4-Step Strategy for Hashtags. This strategy enabled the @socialcurators account on Instagram to grow from 0 to 10,000 in only two months. Now it’s your turn to grow, too!
Identify Your Ideal Client
Most people will say they don’t have the time to spend developing a clear ideal client profile, but I need you to understand that you can’t afford not to.
The only way to create content that resonates is by knowing the person on the other side receiving it.
Your ideal client is going to be the thing that will move your business forward, and it’s important to understand them completely.
As silly as it may sound, give them a name, a place they live, and a backstory. Aim to understand what they are feeling and how you want to transform their lives. Once you have those key elements, you are primed to serve them well!
Create Hashtag Categories
I often talk about seven categories you should use for captions, and you should have a set of hashtags that coincides with each.
The hashtags you use for each category can be used interchangeably with each post in that category based on the topic that you are talking about. This allows you to work smarter, not harder. #yesplease
Ultimately, these hashtags will be tethered to what it is you do.
Create Visual Hashtags
Visual hashtags center around the graphic of the post and also coincide with where your ideal client may be looking.
This takes a little creativity. Let’s say you have a photo of a clock.
What you don’t want to do is simply use #clock.
That hashtag is too broad and likely not one someone is searching for. Instead, you might use something more searchable like #timefreedom.
Create Content Hashtags
The content hashtags will be directly related to the topic of your caption and the message you are sharing.
To put it into perspective, let’s use an example for a life coach. Maybe the topic of the caption is personal growth and development. A hashtag you might use would be #timeforchange.
Bonus: Engage
Last, but certainly not least, remember that hashtags help you get discovered. They don't guarantee engagement, and they don't guarantee a sale.
So, how then do you guarantee engagement and sales?
>>Engaging on the hashtags that you use helps your account get discovered by people who are likely your dream customer.<<
If you are ready to create content that is both engaging and discoverable, Social Curator has your back! With resources that make creation simple and ongoing education to keep your marketing game sharp, Social Curator is like a digital marketing agency in your pocket. Click >>HERE<< to learn more!
