Do you use hashtags in your posts? On popular social networks, they are an essential part of the navigation system. Many users search for content by them. That is why using relevant hashtags increases the discoverability of your posts.
Do you want to define the best hashtags for your posts? Start hashtag monitoring!
The benefits of hashtag monitoring
Tracking hashtags helps you do the following marketing tasks:
- find popular hashtags described what your post is about
Many companies use the same hashtags on different social platforms. However, it is better to check whether they are equally popular on Facebook and Twitter. Maybe, you will find more appropriate ones;
- analyze competitive campaigns and industry hashtags used on social media
To keep up with competitors, you need to track their activities on social networks. Do they run a giveaway or sales? Stay up to date and steal good ideas like an artist!
- track how your campaign performs
If you mark the posts with dedicated branded or campaign hashtags, monitoring shows you the results. You can see whether they are popular, who mentions them, and the like.
- monitor your post dedicated to events
Tracking event hashtags, you can be aware of any updates around it. You can answer questions or reply to comments immediately.
- discover trendy topics that users interested in
Social media marketing is constantly asking for ideas for new posts. Besides, a topic should be interesting for your target audience. If you have no ideas, learn what people are talking about now;
- identify the sentiment of your posts (neutral, positive, or negative)
Tracking what emotions your hashtag evokes helps you to avoid reputation crises and public scandals.
- measure your brand awareness on the social platform
Do people use your branded hashtags in their posts? If they do, as a marketer, you did your work well.
How to monitor hashtags
Of course, you can do it manually. However, using tools with a hashtag monitoring feature gives you more insights and saves you time. Tools with strong analytical options are usually paid but many of them have a free trial.
Besides, you can start monitoring with free ones. For example, there are a lot of free Twitter analytics tools.
Let’s take a look at the hashtag monitoring process. I used Awario as an example of a tracking tool. All you need is to type in hashtags you want to monitor and set up location, date range, language, and so on.
After a while, the tool brings you the results. For instance, these recognizable Coca-Cola hashtags that I tracked have more positive than negative sentiment, Awario revealed. Besides, people use them in their posts. It seems the company has a good hashtag strategy.
Additionally, monitoring hashtags around your brand or campaign with tools like Awario helps you:
- estimate your brand popularity on social media (what reach your hashtags have, how many times they are mentioned);
- find your industry influencers who use your hashtags in their posts;
- see customers attitude to your brand, product, or service — are they love or hate it;
- analyze your target audience — people who use your hashtags — by age, gender, location, type of account;
- explore hot topics around your hashtags or brand;
- choose general and industry hashtags relevant to your next posts.
Final thoughts
As you can see, hashtag monitoring reveals tons of useful information for marketers and social media managers. Tracking hashtags, you can not only estimate your campaign performance but also improve your customer service or even redefine your content strategy on social networks.
