For May, I'm keeping this month's blog post pretty light but still touching on topics that can help inform the moves you make with your own acting and modeling careers moving forward.
Because of social media, the concept of using hashtags in captions is nothing new. However, there are still many out there who either don't use this nifty symbol or don't quite realize their importance when it comes to posting and sharing content.
BENEFITS OF USING HASHTAGS
Helps You Appear in Searches
Did you know that a lot of people use hashtags to search for content according to their interests? If you're a freelance model and/or actor, this is an easy way to promote yourself and what you do. When you post content on sites like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and similar sites, leaving out hashtags greater reduces your visibility. Think of how you use keywords when looking things up on search engines. Hashtags on social media work the same way.
Filmmakers, photographers, casting directors, agencies, and other industry professionals are on the same platforms you are. It isn't unheard of to get networking opportunities and appear on people's radars as a result of discovering your content via hashtags. I've even seen accounts for modeling agencies conducting "New Face" model searches that instruct aspiring models to use specific hashtags and tag their accounts in order to enter.
Does that mean you'll magically get connected to a big time film director or A-list celebrity? Not exactly but something as simple as getting into the habit of using hashtags can help expand your circle and we all know this is still a business that operates on who you know.
Boosts Engagement
When your content is associated with hashtags, especially widely used ones, it encourages more eye balls to check out your profile. This leads to further engagement that could result in new followers, comments, and likes. All of these factor into enhancing your presence online.
Enforces Your Brand
For actors and models, branding is everything. One of the fastest ways for audiences to understand who you are and what you do is to understand your brand. Hashtags are quick ways to get them on the same page. When someone comes across your content, one of the first things they're going to look at are any hashtags you include. Yes, the other caption text and of course the image/video you post is the main factor but the hashtags help to round everything out. When your hashtags are consistent along with the rest of what you post, it further enforces your brand and the elements related to it.
TIPS FOR USING HASHTAGS
Keep It Simple
Not everyone who uses social media loves it and if you're not an enthusiastic user, the idea of doing hashtags might seem daunting. But if you want to make things more convenient, all it takes is a little planning ahead.
For example, I have a notepad doc I keep on my Dropbox (so it doesn't matter where I am or what device I'm using) that contains a list of hashtags that goes with certain posts. Instead of trying to come up with hashtags each time I want to post content, I simply go to that notepad doc and copy/paste the corresponding hashtags. Saves time and effort.
Use Relevant Hashtags
While you can use whatever hashtags you want, it's ideal to only include the ones that are directly related to your brand and what you do. Remember my example about using keywords in search engines? Do the same thing with your hashtags. You wouldn't use random, irrelevant keywords to get search results online, right?
And don't go overboard. It's about quality over quantity. While there aren't any hard and fast rules as to how many hashtags you should use, it's best to avoid a paragraph of them. On a similar note, your hashtags shouldn't be an entire sentence. Keep it short and sweet.
Pick Hashtags That Are Trending
Have you ever started typing a hashtag into Instagram and noticed a dropdown list of suggestions with numbers like "850 posts" next to it? That's a really useful feature that shows how many posts are using that hashtag. Try drilling down and selecting the ones that not only apply to your brand and content type but that have a large number of existing posts using them.
Although it might feel like you're a needle in a haystack, it does increase the odds of your content getting onto people's feeds and algorithms, especially if they like, comment, and/or repost what you've shared. Can you use hashtags that no one has used before or that's only appeared in maybe 15 posts? Sure! Just mix it in with widely used options to cover all your bases.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When done right (and consistently!) , you will notice a change in the activity on your posts and the ways people engage with your content over time. This doesn't happen overnight, which is why you need to stay consistent. Freelance models and actors looking for ways to improve their visibility and engage people with their brand will find the implementation of hashtags to be one of the quickest ways to accomplish this.
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