Understanding the nuances between hashtags and keywords can significantly impact your client’s visibility and engagement. Both serve as essential tools to help users discover content, yet their applications and effectiveness vary across different platforms.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the distinctions between hashtags and keywords, as well as how they can be optimised across popular social media platforms to enhance your client’s online presence.
#s Explained
Hashtags, denoted by the ‘#’ symbol, are powerful metadata tags that categorise content and facilitate its discovery on social media platforms. When users click on or search for a hashtag, they’re directed to a feed of all posts containing that specific tag.
Doing so enables them to explore related content and engage with like-minded individuals. Hashtags serve as virtual signposts, guiding users to relevant discussions, trends and communities within the vast social media landscape.
Keywords Explained
Keywords, on the other hand, are specific terms or phrases that encapsulate the core topic or theme of a piece of content. Unlike hashtags, keywords are not preceded by a symbol and are seamlessly integrated into the content itself.
Search algorithms on social media platforms scan through the text of posts, captions and profiles to identify relevant keywords, thereby influencing the visibility of content in search results and news feeds. These are becoming more and more useful on social media.
Now, let’s explore how hashtags and keywords fare across different social media platforms:
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TikTok
TikTok, renowned for its short-form video content and viral challenges, heavily relies on hashtags to categorise and curate content. Incorporating popular and relevant hashtags into video captions can significantly boost discoverability and engagement.
However, while hashtags play a pivotal role on TikTok, incorporating strategic keywords into video descriptions and profile bios can enhance content visibility in search results and attract followers with specific interests.
Facebook, as one of the oldest and most widely used social media platforms, employs a hybrid approach to content discovery, utilising both hashtags and keywords. While hashtags are not as prevalent on Facebook as they are on platforms like Instagram or X, they still serve a purpose in grouping related content and facilitating discussions around specific topics.
LinkedIn’s search algorithm prioritises profiles and content that align with specific keywords, making it essential for individuals and businesses to incorporate relevant industry terms, skills and expertise into their profiles and posts.
Although hashtags have gained traction on LinkedIn, particularly within niche communities and industry-specific discussions, keywords remain the cornerstone of effective LinkedIn marketing strategies.
YouTube
As the world’s largest video-sharing platform, YouTube relies on a combination of keywords, tags and descriptions to index and rank videos in search results. By conducting thorough keyword research and incorporating targeted keywords into video titles, descriptions and tags, content creators can enhance their video’s visibility and attract a larger audience.
Researching trending hashtags and incorporating a mix of broad and niche tags relevant to your content can significantly enhance discoverability and attract new followers. However, integrating targeted keywords into post captions and profile bios can further optimise content visibility in Instagram’s search and explore features.
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