Hashtags are powerful pieces of metadata that allow your content to be discovered depending on what platform you use. While they are useful, not every platform is suited to utilize them. In this post we are going to discuss examples and comparisons between Medium and Blogger, as well as Instagram and Facebook.




Blogger.com vs Medium 

Medium is the new platform on the block that allows you to post blogs, articles, and other types of creative content, specifically driven by written content. When pitted up against Blogger, it doesn't take long to realize that Blogger is a relic that shouldn't be utilized any longer. 

When it comes to writing Blogs on Blogger.com, the sole issue is that the platform isn't designed to reach the masses, where as Medium.com is. Usually, when you optimize a branded website or blog for SEO, you would include useful keywords hidden within the page, which is usually seen in the technique of the content on the page, as well as the labels of the photos used on the platform as well. Blogger doesn't capitalize on any of this and it arguably wont be long before Blogger is no more. 

Medium, however, showcases trending articles and posts from writers that are more easily discover able to it's website visitors. No one has ever been able to highly saught after keywords and has been able to stumble across a well SEO curated and hashtagged blogger site. But in retrospect, Medium has begun to become more searchable. Such details can be verified by visiting this latest blog on Medium. 

Because of this, it would be best to keep in mind that Blogger sites wouldn't be able to utilize hashtags. Even Medium, with its platform utilizing SEO doesn't showcase hashtags either. So when it comes to these particular mediums, you can leave the hashtags at home. 



Facebook vs. Instagram

Many old school Content Marketers would swear by using Hashtags on Facebook, and the issue with this is that they fail to realize that it Facebook doesn't pin wholehearted focus on obtaining metadata from just hashtags. The algorithm that Facebook uses is completely different in nature than that of Instagram. 

According to a 2016 article written on Social Media Today "If you're already using hashtags in an advertising campaign through other channels, you can amplify these campaigns by including your hashtags in Facebook advertising. The same creative best practices on Facebook still apply." With most of the focus on Brand Awareness and Audience Engagement happening on IG, you begin to realize that most campaigns begin on Instagram. Period. Sure, hashtags can become clickable hyperlinks that lead you to similar or relevant content, that's pretty much all the use they have when it comes to Facebook.

Instagram's entire algorithm for how posts are discovered lie within the power of their Hashtags, it's how they obtain and use their metadata. Your chances of gaining hundreds and thousands of likes and views are becoming more viable on Instagram rather than Facebook, especially with how rapidly IG is growing with their new features, and their abundant amount of current users.  

While all this is being said, I'm not entirely saying to abandon using Facebook Hashtags altogether. Although the new meta seeks Instagram as the first course of attack, there are options to share everything you post on IG on Facebook as well. It would be best to mirror Hashtagged content from your IG onto your Facebook using the share option from now on. Hashtags can be used on Facebook, but merely for categorical purposes, since you wont be able to depend heavily on their algorithm pushing your content as far as it would've done if you were using them on IG. 

So, how many Hashtags should I use then? 

Depending on the platform, it can range anywhere from 5-30. 

Medium and Blogger: Most likely none. As stated before, these sites aren't exactly driven by this form of meta data. Don't believe me? You should do some deep diving. 

Facebook: You can use some hashtags, but since their algorithm doesn't exactly drive discoverability this way, you should only use your FB to mirror content from Instagram with the share button. Most likely use up to 5 at most. 

Instagram: Recently Instagram upped their hashtag count to 30 hashtags. When it comes to hashtags, the more specific and related to your content it is, the better your content will do. Even if you place the full amount of hashtags allowed, there is no guarantee it will be productive. So make sure that the hashtags you use are relevant. Current meta dictates you use 15-30, so numbers like 20 and 25 should suffice. If you'd like to learn more about how this works, you should look into whats called "Growth Hacking." I'll most likely make another post about that next week. 


We'll make a sharpshooter out of you yet!


Interested in finding out more about the topics listed? Check out the links below:

www.blogger.com
www.medium.com
www.facebook.com
www.instagram.com
https://medium.com/s/powertrip/the-50-50-murder-a3832f587bee
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/should-you-use-hashtags-facebook-heres-what-research-says

Or you can go out and do your own investigating on the multi-platforms. Search for the hashtags before to see first hand how others are capitalizing off this knowledge: 

#blogger
#Medium
#facebook
#instagram
#socialmediatoday
#growthhacking