Keywords vs. Hashtags: A Dynamic Duo for Social Media Marketing

In the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, businesses are constantly seeking effective strategies to boost their online visibility and engagement. Two powerful tools that have proven their worth in this pursuit are search engine optimisation (SEO) and hashtags.

Our marketing team have noticed more discussions circulating based on whether keywords are overshadowing hashtags in the realm of social media marketing. In this blog, we will explore the relationship between keywords and hashtags and shed light on how they can work together to amplify your brand's reach and impact.

The evolving role of SEO in social media marketing:

Understanding social media algorithms can be difficult enough (don’t worry we’ve got you covered, click here to decode the social media algorithms) but now they’re becoming more sophisticated.

Personalised algorithms

Social media platforms strive to deliver personalised content to users. As a result, SEO elements such as keyword optimisation, and creating a high-quality keyword list has become increasingly important. By integrating relevant keywords into social media strategies, businesses can enhance their chances of appearing in search results, expanding their reach beyond their immediate followers.

Content strategy

According to RealytViews, incorporating effective keywords into social media posts and content creation is crucial for increasing the discovery of your content. By aligning content with relevant keywords and user intent, businesses can increase their visibility and attract organic traffic.

The role of hashtags in social media marketing:

So, do we still need hashtags? The answer is YES. While SEO has gained traction in social media marketing, it’s important to recognise the continued value of a good hashtag strategy.

Immediate visibility

Hashtags provide a means to categorise and organise content on social media platforms. They enable users to discover relevant content and connect with like-minded individuals.

Growing engagement and community building

Hashtags foster engagement by encouraging users to participate in conversations and join communities with shared interests. They enable businesses to connect with their audience on a deeper level and build brand loyalty.

The synergy between keywords and hashtags:

Strategic keyword integration

By incorporating relevant keywords into captions and content, you can optimise your posts for both search engines and users.

Hashtags as content boosters

When users engage with your hashtagged content, it generates social signals such as likes, shares, and comments. These social signals contribute to improved search ranking of content within the social media platforms.

Targeted campaigns and trend riding

Hashtags enable businesses to launch targeted campaigns and leverage trending topics.

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing, keywords and hashtags play distinct yet complementary roles. As a digital marketer, it’s crucial to strike a balance between SEO and hashtags. By strategically integrating keywords, leveraging trending hashtags, and nurturing community engagement, businesses can create a comprehensive social media marketing strategy that harnesses the power of both SEO and hashtags.?