It’s been years since the hashtag first appeared in the digital world – in fact, more than a decade. Although it took a while for these trendy creations to gain popularity, today you can find them almost everywhere you look. Of course, despite their prevalence, not everyone uses hashtags the right way.

If you’ve been thinking of upgrading your social strategy with hashtags, here’s what you need to know.

A hashtag is something you can use to bring context to your posts or make specific audiences aware of what you’re saying. For instance, the hashtag #SocialMediaMarketing would grab the attention of people interested in social marketing campaigns.

When used correctly, hashtags can make your company more searchable. When someone starts looking for information about your company, they can use a hashtag to look you up. If someone wants to give your brand a shout out, they can use a hashtag to draw attention to your company name. Of course, it’s important to make sure you know how to use hashtags before you put them into everything you do.

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for the ultimate hashtag campaign, but there are a few golden rules to keep in mind before you get started:

• Never use spaces: Spaces destroy your hashtag, so make sure that you don’t use them.

• Numbers are fine: If you want to make your hashtag shorter and easier to remember, you can use numbers. For instance, “Twodays” could become “2days”.

• Forget punctuation: You don’t need any commas or periods in your hashtags – in fact, they won’t work. Stick to words and numbers only.

• Limit your use: While it’s tempting to assume that the more hashtags you use, the better your posts will be, it’s important to limit yourself. Too many hashtags can make your posts seem cluttered.

• Use them on different channels: While hashtags might have originated on Twitter, they can also work on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social channels.

Like most social media marketing strategies, if you have trouble with your hashtag campaign, you can always turn to a social media manager for help. Click here to find out more about why you should hire a social media manager today.