4 Hashtag Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to hashtags… I see the same 4 mistakes over and over and over again.

Heck, I’ve been guilty of each of these from time to time too! It can be tempting to slap a couple generic hashtags on to your post and call it a day.

But taking the time to really understand the value of hashtags and identify ones that are key to you and your business isn’t something to overlook.

4 Common Hashtag Mistakes to Avoid: 

ONE:: Using hashtags that have nothing to do with your post/brand. 

This happens ALL the time, although usually I see it most frequently committed in terms of location-specific hashtags. People in Germany posting with a Chicago hashtag (and not about a recent trip either!) Yes, using a hashtag that isn’t specific to your brand or post might get the image in front of more eyes, but that isn’t going to result in future customers. Using a hashtag like that is really just about vanity metrics. And Vanity metrics don’t build businesses. 

TWO:: Utilizing hashtags that are too large.

When you use a hashtag that has millions of other posts, the chances of your image being seen is slim. VERY SLIM. For me, when I first started diving into hashtags for my lifestyle blog I realized this was my biggest mistake. 

At the time I was using hashtags like: #chicago (47 million), #ootd (309 million), and #fashionblogger (119 million). With all that noise, no wonder my posts weren’t being seen! 

I got creative and did a little research. In the end, I replaced: #chicago with #chicagoland (799 thousand), #ootd with #summerootd (210 thousand), and #fashionblogger with #wearthisnext (447 thousand).

Yes, these are subtle changes, but they give your post a chance to actually be seen. And they therefore give your potential customers a chance to find you! 

THREE:: Picking hashtags that are too small.

When you opt for hashtags that have very few posts to their name, you are dooming your post. A small hashtag, unless it’s a specific one you created for a campaign, means no one is searching for it and no one is posting about it. It’s basically a wasted hashtag. By small, I mean anything less than 5,000 posts. 

Using those same large hashtags I needed to replace mentioned above, it would not have made sense to replace them as such:  #chicago with #chicagometropolitanarea (609), #ootd with #ootdwomens(3.2 thousand), and #fashionblogger with #wearthisnow (3.6 thousand).

FOUR:: Thinking hashtags don’t matter, and therefore not using them.

I’m always amazed at the number of businesses who don’t use hashtags at all. Yes, it takes a little bit of a trial and error to get it right, but by avoiding them altogether you are choosing to not reach potential customers in this way. If you had the ability to post an ad for free somewhere with a couple clicks, wouldn’t you do it? What about somewhere that you knew was full of people who would love your product? Of course you would! Hashtags are the same. Avoiding them because they are difficult means less potential for growth and profits.

Want more hashtag help? You can snag my FREE Create Your Own Hashtag Collections worksheet and get to putting these tips into practice.