Best guide to using music hashtags

Although sometimes irritating and overused, hashtags are now integrated into almost all social media platforms and, when used correctly, can be a powerful marketing tool. In this guide, we look at how to use them effectively.

Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

Just about all social platforms now accommodate the use of hashtags, and as a tool they’re more powerful than ever – if used correctly. The biggest problem is that most people aren’t aware of the best way to use them, especially when it comes to music hashtags. Here’s a list to keep in mind the next time you post, regardless of the platform.

What Are They Good For?

First realize that hashtags have 2 very definite purposes.

• To increase your social visibility, discoverability, and brand awareness
• To allow the platform to categorize your content so it can be included in feeds

That’s why using a vanity feed like #theNameOfYourAlbum or #hashtagsarestupid are a waste of time. No one will see them, and no one will probably use them, and the platform won’t index it.

What Should I Use Then?

Consider this strategy before selecting hashtags for your next post:

• Check the platform for activity to be sure that it’s current being used. Just do a search for the hashtag and see what comes up.
• Then select a few broad hashtags that are regularly used in. For instance, it might be #musician, or #songwriter, or #bands. IMPORTANT: Make sure the hashtags you choose are relevant to the post, otherwise they won’t help you much. As an example, you wouldn’t want to use #coffee when the post is about your gig last night.
• Now select a few that are a bit more nuanced, but apply to your specific niche. For me, I always use #proaudio, #musicproducer, #musicstudio, and #musictech, among others.
• Combine the use of both the broad and nuanced hashtags in your posts.
• Keep a list of different hashtags to use on different platforms. Yes, they won’t necessarily be the same, so best to have a list to pull from.

If you want to do a deep dive into finding music hashtags, you can try hashtagify.me, the Hash Me app, AllHashtag, and about a dozen more hashtag-specific search sites (ask Google).

Bobby Owsinski is a producer/engineer, author and coach. He has authored 24 books on recording, music, the music business and social media.