Hashtags - Do you actually use them as a consumer?

I use them occasionally if I want to see photos in a specific location or from a certain event. Or when I’m looking for updates about a current topic in the news. 

I can’t remember the last time I used one. 

I use hashtags in my own posts, depending on the platform, and I occasionally use them to surface content or a trending topic I’m on the hunt for. 

The main time I use them is when I’m traveling and want to learn more about a specific hotel or area. And honestly, for my use case, I could also use the location instead (the hashtag is usually just more reliable and curated). 

I feel like most of the time when I search, I just type the phrase or keywords in and get what I want without hashtags. 

I search hashtags a few times a month, because I’m looking for something. So I hate it when people say “hashtags are dead” - no, overusing hashtags (30 of them) and hashtags that are too general or too specific are dead, but used as actual social SEO? I believe they are still useful.

As a user, I pretty much only use hashtags for research. Mostly for travel but sometimes related to events or conferences. 

Using hashtags is so millennial, speaking as a millennial. I haven’t used them in ages personally, and we stopped using them on our feeds over a year ago. Our content does well, nothing really changed when we stopped using them. I’ve learned that locations and search terms are more relevant to users searches. 

GREAT question. It gave me a chuckle, because you’re right! I’ll have to admit that I rarely click on them (maybe only at trade shows to get the vibe?), but I still do read them. Maybe that’s a reflection of how I use them? I find hashtags give me quick context, tone, community signals.

Making up some examples here: 

• #EventName → OK, this is tied to something timely

• #MadeInBoise → oh hey, local!

• #5GSASE → niche, probably for insiders

• #MondayMotivation → not for me, keep scrolling 😝

So while I don’t really click on them for search, they still jump out of the copy because they’re hyperlinked and help to shape my perception of the post in the feed.

(Putting my SMM hat back on)… I do think search has advanced where hashtags aren’t needed for discovery as much as we used to rely on them for. I do use them to sprinkle in some flavor. Whenever I’m talking about our partner ecosystem, I use #BetterTogether to keep that vibe alive in their hearts. A recent fun example is we had a robot dog on a trade show floor and I’d find something playful for each post, like #FetchingTheFuture (our brand voice definitely has a punny dad joke vibe). I don’t expect anyone to click on those, or have my company be discovered by someone clicking on that hashtag elsewhere… it’s really just to sprinkle in some personality. 

Check out a recent LinkedIn post that also discussed hashtag strategy… the comments are well worth an extra coffee break to scroll through! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessica-m-slattery_my-face-when-someone-asks-about-hashtag-strategy-activity-7325951734063714305-J70c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAADKgB-ca8EERuap5DcMStCQBSFZwd_ss

I use hashtags in my personal life a lot. But I am also someone who cycles through hyper fixations, so if one week all I want to think about is #watercolortechniques or #grilledcheese, I can easily access a variety of content on those subjects.

I do sometimes like to engage with hashtags that are event or project specific, like #EventName or #ProjectTitle. Again, just an easy way to easily access related info, especially if the brand or creator posts a lot and/or a variety of content.

I also like the idea about gauging the vibe of a post based on the hashtag(s).

I’d love to see some real experimentation with this! For example, it’d be interesting to see if posts tagged with #BookTok had more attention than posts that just said BookTok, and how that varies by platform (ex. compare the book lovers tag/community name for each group). 

I know at least anecdotally (because I haven’t run a formal experiment) is that Instagram posts seem to do better when they have them, but LinkedIn posts do better without them.