I Went From 0 to 50 Million Impressions After Ditching These 7 Mistakes!
(You must know about them.)
“A hashtag is a conversation waiting to happen.” — Chris Messina, the inventor of the hashtag.
Hashtags are one of the most powerful tools in the digital world.
No platform is untouched by their significance.
Whether we’re following a current trend or trying to make our own way, we deliberately try this method of choosing the right hashtags hoping that this is the simplest way to get more eyeballs.
Isn’t it?
Generally speaking, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the ‘#’ symbol, used on social media platforms to categorize content and make it discoverable by users interested in that specific topic.
The primary reason for using a hashtag (as you may know) is organizing and filtering content, allowing users to find relevant posts easily.
Now, if you’re a content creator, you must agree with me — that hashtags work more appropriately or effectively if we use them as per the suggested guidelines.
But what are these guidelines?
Though the hashtag related guidelines vary from platform to platform, what I’m going to share with you today might surprise you as well.
If you’re a part of my clan (don’t mind if you’re not, it’s still OK😊), you may know I’m a Pinterest creator, and as a creator I come across a lot of things.
The usage of hashtags is one of those primary things.
When I started my Pinterest journey, I was a complete newbie, so, I was doing everything just to make sure that my content would find a place on the Pinterest feed.
As a result of this, I was using random hashtags that don’t have any relation with my content, and other sorts of stuff like this.
You can say, I have made hundreds of mistakes.
They may be designing my pins, doing the SEO, but most importantly in using the HASHTAGS.
But as they say you’ll never LEARN if you’ve never made any MISTAKES.
So, these mistakes have taught me different lessons and the results I got were incredible!
If you haven’t checked the other value-packed articles related to Pinterest, you can check them here:
In this content piece, I’ll be unveiling 7 Don’ts of Using Hashtags on Pinterest, knowing them would definitely make you a better creator.
If that sounds a bit interesting, do follow along.
First of all, look at the flowchart to get an idea how hashtags impact the Pinterest algorithm.
- Increased Searchability (50%)
- Wider Reach (20%)
- Impact on Algorithm (15%)
- Engagement & Community (10%)
- Other (5%)
Now, let’s begin!
1. Hashtag Hoarding: Less is More
Less is More when it comes to using hashtags on Pinterest.
Like any other platform, Pinterest prioritizes user experience.
Don’t overwhelm your content with too many hashtags.
It’s considered spammy and can actually hurt your reach.
Instead, choose 5–10 highly relevant hashtags specific to your Pin’s content and target audience.
Think of them as keywords that accurately describe your Pin’s essence.
Pro Tip: Research trending hashtags related to your niche alongside long-tail keywords for a balanced reach. Utilize tools like Pinterest Trends and Tailwind to discover relevant and popular hashtags.
Check this article to know the best ways to get keywords!
2. Avoid Going Off Topic
As I’ve told earlier, hashtags play a crucial role in categorizing and discovering content on Pinterest. When users search or follow a particular hashtag, they expect to find content that aligns with that theme.
For example, if I type in ‘Home Decor’ in the search bar I’d expect that I’ll see content related to ‘Home Decor’.
Right?
Now, if I, as a user, see something related to cooking, instead of home decor, I’d have a bad user search experience.
And Pinterest doesn’t want its users to have a bad experience while surfing.
Not only this, using irrelevant or overly broad hashtags may lead to your content being seen by users who are not interested, resulting in a lack of engagement and reduced visibility among your target audience.
So, the key is to make sure that your hashtags align with the specific theme or topic of your pin.
3. Don’t be a Copycat
Being a copycat won’t lead you anywhere!
You may get that initial traction, but if you’re looking to go a long mile, you must be UNIQUE.
Be it your content, presentation style, execution, anything.
Seeing another account successfully using specific hashtags might tempt you to mimic their strategy.
But don’t do that!
What resonates with one account might not work for yours.
It’s crucial to develop your own hashtag mix.
4. Quality is King, Hashtags are Guides
Quality is undoubtedly the most crucial aspect of content creation.
I know, if you’re a beginner, you may not be good at everything, but trust me, if you stay consistent, learn on the job, implement your learnings in the next stage, you’ll see that increase in your quality quotient.
Shift your focus on creating content that is valuable, engaging, and resonates with your audience.
You can implement the 5 Hacks Strategy, that I personally use.
This way you’re more likely to get user interaction, such as likes, comments, and shares.
Always remember, hashtags are like guides, they may navigate a user to your content, if you use them properly, but ultimately it’s your content that hooks the audience.
Using a popular hashtag won’t help if your content isn’t good.
But if you put effort into making quality content and add the right hashtags, you’re more likely to catch people’s interest and get them engaged.
Conclusion — Good Content + Right Hashtag = Winning Combo
5. Skipping the Research Stage
Research is of utmost importance!
People often overlook this fundamental step and throw some random hashtags with their pins, which is absolutely not RIGHT.
You should dedicate some time to research for specific tags.
Let me explain it with the help of an example.
Say, you’re looking for some ‘Home Decor’ related hashtags, you type in the keyword and then these related keywords just pop-up.
Now, you don’t have to just copy and paste these keywords as it is in your pin.
Instead, think logically, combine these keywords with your hero word i.e. Home Decor.
You can try something like — Home Decor Ideas, Home Decor Inspiration, Kitchen Home Decor, etc.
6. Say ‘NO’ to Tricky Shortcuts
Using shortcuts is actually fun!
Why?
They save us time and we love saving our time.
But, on Pinterest, this move may not be a right choice for YOU.
You may have seen various abbreviations being used on this platform such as DIY.
While shortening words can save space, using too many abbreviations in hashtags might confuse people.
For instance, instead of #DIYCrafts, using something like #DYCRTS can make it harder for others to understand.
Remember, the goal is to be clear.
So, stick to hashtags that everyone can easily get without needing a secret code.
7. Skip the Gaps
Hashtags don’t recognize spaces as valid characters.
Yup!
That’s true.
If included, the hashtag would only apply to the first word.
To make sure that your hashtag encompasses the entire intended phrase or concept, it’s crucial to connect the words without spaces.
Example 1: Correct Use of Hashtags
Example 2: Incorrect Use of Hashtags
If you notice, you’ll find that the last hashtags of the second example have spaces in them and consequently the algorithm doesn’t recognize them as a hashtag.
So, these were the 7 hashtag mistakes which you should avoid.
By avoiding these blunders, you can go a long way and that too in a short span of time😊
Happy Pinning!
Hey, pals! 👋 I’m Sweta — An Editor Turned Digital Content Creator.
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PS: I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
If you want me to make a Pinterest Hashtag Guide, feel free to drop a comment or message. 🌟
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