Ten years ago, “hashtag” was a new term coined by Twitter to describe a way of pushing certain words or phrases to popularity on its site. Today, almost all social media sites operate on hashtags, to the point where if you ever want one of your posts to go viral, it’s all in knowing how to #hashtag it.
Hashtags can boost your visibility and your popularity. They show how in-tune you are with popular online groups and communities, what you have to offer, and why people should be excited about you. And you don’t need to be a teenage influencer on Instagram to take advantage of this strategy, either.
What does hashtag marketing mean for writers?
It means that you can boost news about your books fast and easily if you master the core tenants of hashtag marketing--a skill that involves researching and using specific hashtags to connect directly to your readers and reach the communities you want to reach.
Getting Started
Hashtag marketing comes in different forms, and understanding the different strategies involved in choosing and using your hashtags can help you get the most out of it and grow your author following for free.
Here are some stats right off the bat. According to some numbers crunched by the Digital Agency Network and Comparecamp.com, here are some things you need to know about hashtags.
Using a hashtag in your posts can boost engagement anywhere from 12.6-21%.
Tweets with hashtags are 55% more likely to be retweeted.
Depending on your platform, the most effective number of hashtags to use ranges from 2-10. Less is often more.
Accounts with 5000 or fewer followers can see a boost of 36.9% more visibility when they use hashtags.
Hashtag usage varies from site to site. Instagram posts typically include a long string of hashtags in the end while Facebook posts will often include only one. Including too many hashtags will look cheap and spammy, but using a few effectively will tremendously grow your appearance online.
Choosing Hashtags
There are several different types of hashtags, and using a blend of all of them can bring your posts and tweets to life. Here are the more popular types.
Emotive Hashtags
Examples: #shareacoke #letsdolunch
These trendy hashtags usually pull on feel-good sentiments such as living life to the fullest and sharing your compassion with the world.
Popular Hashtags
Examples: #amwriting #authorlife
There’s a broad family of hashtags specifically used by authors to signal to the greater writing community. Throwing these in can help you connect with other writers and expand your network.
Unique Hashtags
Examples: #Digiornoyoudidnt #icebucketchallenge
Why not create your own hashtag? If you want your writing to stand out and develop a new audience instead of following others, using a site like walls.io to check for uniqueness.
Seasonal/Trending Hashtags
Examples: #Christmas2020 #FridayFollow
Current trending hashtags mark the top talk of social media. Use these if you want a sudden boost in your visibility.
Advanced Hashtag Tricks
Follow other writers and see what hashtags they use. This can give you a great idea of what hashtags are working and what other communities are available.
Before jumping on board with a popular or trending hashtag, check to make sure you know what it’s about. Otherwise, you could accidentally sabotage yourself by misinterpreting the context.
Keep a list of your favorite hashtags so you can cycle through them. A good list should include at least one unique hashtag and several mainstream hashtags in addition to any niche hashtags you like.
Follow your gut. If a hashtag doesn’t “feel” right in your message, then don’t use it. There are plenty more to sift through!
Monitor and review your hashtags. Keep them updated and keep track of which ones bring you the biggest boosts. Then you can use the best.
As always, I’d love to hear your tips! Please share what you’ve learned about hashtag marketing for authors in the comments below or join my Facebook group for self-publishing fiction authors for further discussion.