A Quick Guide to Effective Hashtag Use [Infographic]

While they’ve been a part of the social media landscape since pretty much the beginning, many people still don’t understand the use or value of hashtags, or how to choose the right tags to include in your posts.

Many still hashtag random words (#happy) or create their own custom hashtags within their post text (#IDontLikeHashtags), both of which serve little purpose. Effective hashtag use requires research and consideration, and a more measured approach to applying tags to ensure optimal discovery with your target audience.

So how do you go about conducting such research, and making the most of your hashtag opportunities? We recently asked our #SMTLive Twitter chat community for their thoughts, which lead to the creation of this essential overview of basic hashtag strategy.

Worth keeping handy for your process.