As social media plays an integral role in most companies’ marketing strategies in today’s digitally connected society, the implementation of hashtags in social posts brings great opportunities to marketers. For those who are new to social media, hashtags are keywords that connect a collection of related information from the entire internet into one feed on a given web platform. Displayed as a single word with no spaces, placed behind a hashtag, or pound sign, hashtags bring content that displays that specific tag together into one easily-scannable place. Examples of hashtags that vacation rental companies might use include #vacationrentals or #bookyourncvacation.

Hashtags are useful in marketing because they provide a way for people to search through specific content that is relevant to what they are looking for. They act as filters, collecting desired information into one specific category. They also guide strangers to the social media updates your company is making, hopefully turning them into followers and potentially into customers. Although hashtags originated on Twitter, their popularity has spread across many social networks and they are also useful especially in Google+ for businesses, but are also used on Pinterest, Instagram, and even Facebook.

Why Should You Use Hashtags?

Hashtags are essential tools for attracting people who aren’t already followers of your social media accounts. By connecting to other information that is relevant to yours through hashtags, people who are searching for similar information that you offer will be able to better locate your company on social media.

Hashtag Ideas for Twitter and Google+ for Vacation Rental Companies

To optimize your posts with hashtags on Twitter, consider choosing one of the trending tags located on the home page under “Trends.” Although these tags might not pertain to your company, they are what people are currently talking about the most, so using one to make a post that is applicable to both the subject and your vacation rental company could drive a lot of traffic to your website, bringing in more opportunities for potential customers. For example, if the hashtag #TGIF is trending, post a tweet saying “Every day of an Outer Banks vacation feels like a Friday! #TGIF #OBXvacation.” This will drive more people to your page. Concurrently, do not overdo trending hashtags, as this could make your posts start to appear “spammy” or unreliable advertisement. For more ideas on what hashtags are trending on twitter, check out www.hashtags.org.

As a vacation rental marketer you should also focus on hashtags that include the name of the area in which your company is located and the towns, landmarks, and sites that make up that vacation area. For example, #oregonbeach, #cannonbeach, and #haystackrock would all be great hashtags for a vacation rental company on the coast of Oregon to use to attract people who are online interested in the area to direct them to their website and encourage them to book a vacation in the destination in which they are already interested. Develop a consistency with your hashtags and make sure to keep them relative to your brand.

Using hashtags as a social media tool for your vacation rental company is an important part of your inbound marketing strategy. With more than 70% of all internet users active on social media, it is crucial to take advantage of the opportunity to reach thousands of potential followers by following a few simple procedures.