I know what you're thinking, hashtags are confusing enough, so "what on earth is a 'lifestyle hashtag'?" I mean, come on, you're a tour operator, not a database engineer!
To keep the use of hashtags as simple as possible, just think of them as a basic organisational tool, like a label on paper folders.
Social media users can find or organise information on a given topic by adding '#example' to an entry, and easily finding relevant information later in their own entries or discovering it in shared posts by others.
The best question to ask when using hashtags is:
What are people looking to discover through social media and what do I have to offer them?
Many hashtags give the literal Who, What, Where, and How (#mountaineering, #interlaken, #tobystours), while lifestyle hashtags express a way of life. Usually, the latter are short phrases or catchy taglines, like '#exploremore' or '#lifeofadventure'.
(These example tags have too many uses to be effective: keep reading to learn why having more posts associated with a hashtag is not always a good thing.)
Okay, makes sense so far, but why should you use them to promote your walking tour on social media?
A lifestyle hashtag automatically carries more engagement because instead of telling details of trip, it expresses meaning for a user. A brand or business can benefit from a lifestyle hashtag because this type of hashtag is a signpost for the way of life their service represents.
So, are you on board yet?
Here are 5 currently-trending lifestyle hashtags to use for walking tours
#likealocal
#getoutsidemore
#theslowdowncollective
#slowliving_explore
#wanderings
(and another 5 more because we felt like it!)
#exploretocreate
#slowlived
#embracingaslowerlife
#letsgoexplore
#forgeyourownpath
See how each of these phrases expresses a way of life? That's digital-connection currency!
Now, combine the lifestyle hashtags above with the literal 'Who, What, Where, and How' hashtags of your walking tour and you’ll be on your way to Instagram engagement.
Some examples of literal hashtags:
#byfoot
#takeawalk
#goforawalk
#walkeverywhere
#walkingtour
#walkingtours
#yourcityname
#yourtourname
#yourtoursubject
Why isn't it a good thing if a hashtag has too many posts associated with it?
If a hashtag has too many posts associated with it, over 1million, you're likely to get lost in the crowd. If it has too few, under 5,000, it may take some time before someone who uses the hashtag finds your account.
It's important to note that a hashtag will change in its effectiveness over time, as its popularity rises and falls. Every few months, check on the number of posts linked to the hashtags you use to make sure each one is within that range.
To do this, type the hashtag into the search field in Instagram, and the number of associated posts for that tag will appear beneath it in the search results.
If you're a serious Instagram user, consider a professional analytics tool, like Iconosquare, for advanced tag tracking and reports.
See you all back here soon for more in the latest trending tags, picked expressly for you.
Happy hashtagging!
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