What are hashtags?

Picture this: you’re scrolling through your social media feed, and you come across a word preceded by a # sign. No, it’s not some secret code or a form of hieroglyphics – it’s a hashtag!

Hashtags are used to categorise and organise content on social media, allowing users to search for topics they are interested in and for us to broaden our reach to new audiences.

Why do we use hashtags?

Believe it or not, hashtags have been around longer than avocado toast and TikTok dances. They’re used as a way to join conversations and increase our visibility on trending topics or searched for themes. They are most popularly used on Twitter and Instagram, although can also be used on Facebook, and even LinkedIn.

You can think of hashtags as the Google of the social media world. Using relevant hashtags in our posts can help increase discoverability and expand our reach to a wider audience. When travellers search for or click on hashtags, they’re taken to a page that displays all the posts containing that particular hashtag, making it easier for people to find and engage with content they are interested in.

What are our official hashtags and best practices?

While it once thought that adding as many hashtags to your posts as possible would gain you maximise reach this is no longer the case. It also isn’t a great idea to include too many words in one hashtag. #Stoprunningasmanyhashtagsintoeachotherasyoucanitsconfusing

Experts agree that between 5 and 10 hashtags is now the optimal amount to use, and besides you don’t want your posts looking like Swiss cheese.

The key to successful hashtag usage lies in choosing the right ones. Be cautious not to jump on every bandwagon that comes along. Quality over quantity is the mantra here. For our official Wilderness social posts we like to stick to between 6 and 9 hashtags – with a mix that represents our brand, our content pillars, audience types, and destinations. The below list has been carefully curated not only to represent those terms most important to our business, but also to garner the maximum reach possible.

How you can use hashtags?

Adding hashtags to your personal posts not only makes your post reach new audiences but also makes it easier for the marketing team to find and explore content that aligns with the Wilderness brand.

In the vast ocean of social media, hashtags act as signal flares, guiding us towards your content. Hashtags are best added at the end of your post, rather than in the comments section or incorporated into your text. If you only want to use one or two hashtags in your posts the most important ones would be our brand hashtags which are #Wilderness #WildernessDestinations and #WeAreWilderness.

Why should I share my images?

Hashtags help foster a sense of community and help alert us to anything exciting happening in your own world of Wilderness. Additionally, other staff, clients and like-minded individuals will engage with your posts, whether it’s through comments, likes, or even collaborations.

It’s all about joining the conversation, igniting ideas and sparking discussions.