A social media presence is imperative for the growth of any small business.
Having a large following has various profitable benefits and is overall an extremely rewarding endeavor.
Still, getting attention isn’t as easy as it seems, and it’s most likely going to take some time and effort.
Fortunately, there are hashtags tailored for small businesses that allow them to express themselves and more easily gain an audience.
Hashtags are bits of user inputted metadata that increase the searchability of social media posts by appealing to relevant audiences.
They are usually indicated by the “#” key and represent a collective group of related posts with related content.
For example, an Instagram user could post a cat picture with “#cats” in the caption.
Within this Instagram hashtag are a collection of images and videos relating to cats.
This Instagram hashtag allows this content to appear more frequently to users who enjoy cat-related content.
Don’t underestimate the capabilities of hashtags; they’re there for very good reasons.
Trying to build your success without hashtags is a fruitless endeavor, especially if you lack a preconceived audience.
Here’s why you should probably be using hashtags in your business’s social media posts:
Expand Your Audience
As previously explained, hashtags increase the findability of your social media.
Increasing discoverability will inherently help you expand your audience and bring attention to you and your business, especially if you provide something people are interested in, which hashtags also help with.
Get Wider Outreach
Only people following your business’s social media will be able to see what you post if you don’t use hashtags.
Using tags allows you to show up to people who aren’t following your accounts and gain a broader audience.
Your goal shouldn’t be to build a following and remain stagnant.
Instead, the best way to constantly see exponential growth is to make yourself an intertwined community of supportive customers, related businesses, and fans of your content.
Once you begin to gain a broader outreach, you’ll start to truly realize your potential as a business as a whole.
Get More Customers
It should be a given, but a more extensive audience equals more customers.
People’s search histories indicate their wants and needs, so if you offer a product/service that someone is interested in, you’re more likely to appear to them.
When you advertise your business with social media, it’s different than a banner ad or a sponsorship.
Your followers aren’t just random people you’re trying to sell something to.
They’re supportive customers interested in the growth and development of your business.
If you’re running a small or local business, use it to your advantage by using small business hashtags.
There’s actually a good amount of merit to using small business hashtags, and you’ll find yourself in a more favorable position when using them.
Capture a Niche Audience
Niche audiences are small yet dedicated followings that support their cause more generously than casual ones.
You won’t be appearing to quite as many people, but you will show up to the people who care.
As a result, you’ll see lower views but a much higher conversion rate of views/followers to sales.
Sometimes it’s better to find devoted customers by appealing to your niche through small business hashtags than trying to capture the attention of everyone through general hashtags.
Advertise Yourself as a Small Business
In most cases, people prefer to pay a little more to support a local business.
You can translate this sense of community into larger profits by advertising yourself as a small business.
By promoting your company as a small business, you’re avoiding the stigmatization of corporate greed and identifying yourself with the public.
As a result, people are more akin to a company they can relate to as it’s run by someone just like them.
Many social media platforms use related hashtags as a form of user-generated tagging, but there are two you should pay attention to as they are hotspots of digital marketing and e-commerce.
Instagram followings can be the make-or-break social media platform for your small business.
They’re a massive hub of interconnected companies, many of which are mini, sole proprietorships, and the perfect place for a small company to make a name.
Viral sensations can happen overnight here, and a popular hashtag or trending hashtag can increase your overall chances of gaining an audience.
The modern-day use of relevant hashtags was brought into the world by Twitter back in 2007, so you can probably guess that you should be using them here.
Twitter makes posting easy since they’re usually short text-based quips with the occasional picture or video.
Given the simplicity and effectiveness of making Twitter “tweets,” you will want to capitalize on hashtags to accelerate your growth.
Branded hashtags aren’t meant to be too complex.
The keywords in the branded hashtag of a subject are predictable and exactly what you’d expect.
This form of simplicity makes it easier for users to utilize and find specific content without using complicated metadata and algorithms.
That said, here are six hashtags you should be using because they’re optimized to help you grow your small business.
#shoplocal
Remember the statement about how people prefer to support small, local businesses over big corporations?
You can appeal to people near your area with this business hashtag and promote a healthy sense of community.
#smallbusiness
Sell yourself as a small business by using #smallbusiness.
When trying to create a company image, you’re not just selling products and services: you’re selling your business as well.
#entrepreneur
In addition to marketing your business’s image, you’ll want to market yourself.
People are more likely to back a business if there’s a face behind it.
For example, if you sell yourself as an ambitious go-getter, people will associate that with your business.
#startup
Using the startup hashtag is a great way to gain recognition, especially if you have an innovative product or service to sell.
Many people love new, creative ideas, which is an excellent way to appeal to them.
#smallbusinessowner
This one is a variation of the entrepreneur hashtag.
Using altercations of crowded hashtags allows you to avoid obscurity and be seen more.
The smallbusinessowner hashtag can also be more advantageous than the entrepreneur hashtag because it directly promotes you as a small business owner.
For instance, Bill Gates is an entrepreneur, but he’s certainly not a small business owner.
#smallbusinesslove
Lastly, #smallbusinesslove is the perfect rallying cry to bring in support for your company.
A great way to build up nichefollowings is to build upon the support of your customers and express gratitude to your followers.
Understanding that people are willing to give love and support is essential for your company’s growth as long as you know it’s a mutual exchange.
Your supporters will expect a great amount of dedication and effort from you.
Small business hashtags are easy to implement into your social media posts.
You simply implement whichever hashtags you wish to use in the text portion of your social media post.
It’s recommended to accompany these hashtags with a short description about the post.
Be sure to use numerous hashtags and be consistent with which ones you use.
Being all over the place seems like a good idea in theory, but it’s more like handing out flyers to random people on the street in practice.
Now it’s time to go over the benefits of specifically using small business hashtags.
Better Conversion Rates
By using hashtags, you’re appealing to your target audience.
Since you’ll constantly be showing up to people interested in your business, you’ll almost certainly see a higher conversion rate of views to customers.
New Supporters
There’s no reason for people to support big-name corporations, but they love supporting small businesses.
Hashtags make it possible for these small businesses to be found and supported by loyal followings.
More Followers
Having followers means a bigger audience.
People can find and follow you way more organically if you use hashtags, so don’t miss out on the opportunity.
Once you begin to amass a following, there will be a snowball effect indicated by a steep climb in growth.
Greater Out
Having more followers and supporters ultimately means having a greater outreach.
When the public favors you, there are usually many opportunities that follow, such as business relationships, supportive customers, and better finances.
Wrapping Up
So, all things considered, you’re going to want to use hashtags to get your company’s name out there.
Furthermore, you’re going to want to crack down on your target audience and use hashtags relating to small businesses.
In the end, it’s up to you how you grow and develop your business, but having a devoted following of people cheering you on can help in more ways than you think.
