Going to the zoo today! #zoo #animals #daytrip #cantwaittoseelions #dayout # giraffe #elephant #savetheanimals #animallover

Yes, hashtags can be super annoying. BUT, they can be an easy way to expand your reach beyond your followers. Let’s check out the wonderful world of hashtags.

What is a Hashtag?

In simple terms, a hashtag is a hash or pound sign immediately followed by a keyword or phrase. By adding the # symbol to the beginning of your keyword or phrase, you are instantly turning it into a searchable link. This allows you to categorize the content you share by keyword.

Say you share a post about your new giveaway and tag it #giveaway. Your post will now show up in search results for #giveaway, on that platform.

On Twitter, you can join chats and conversations using hashtags. You can click on the hashtag for a twitter chat and see all the tweets related to that topic in real-time.

How do I use Hashtags?

There are a couple ways to use hashtags. You can use them as a word in your copy – “New post on the #blog today!”

Or you can put them at the end of your post – “New post on the blog today! #blog #blogger”

They key is to make sure you’re using words that your target audience would be searching for. You want them to be popular keywords for your niche, not just popular words.

For example, I write about online business and blogging, so I might use the #ladyboss hashtag instead of just #blog.

At the time of this posting there were over 16,000,000 posts tagged with #blog on instagram and a little more than 800,000 tagged with #ladyboss.

Using a vague and popular hashtag like #blog, you’re post is more likely to be lost in a sea of other posts than it would be if you used the more specific #ladyboss tag.

Where can I use Hashtags?

Hashtags started on Twitter, but have spread to other social media platforms over the years. Here’s a quick rundown of how to use hashtags on different platforms.

Twitter – Data from Buddy Media shows that tweets with hashtags received 2 times more engagement than those with out hashtags. BUT… only use one or two hashtags per tweet. Buddy Media’s data also suggests that tweets with more than 2 #’s showed at 17% drop in engagement.

Instagram – Love #hashtags? Instagram is your jam. Research shows that posts with 11 or more hashtags receive the most engagement. Hashtag away, my friend!

Facebook – I personally don’t usually use hashtags on Facebook. Maybe one #, once in a while. That’s it. The general consensus, backed by this report from BuzzSumo, is that posts without hashtags perform better and get more interaction.

Google+ – You can add hashtags to posts and comments on G+, which doubles your chances of being found in a search. Plus, Google automatically adds them to your posts, based on the content. You can edit them or add your own.  

Pinterest – There’s no need. Pinterest is basically a search engine and will display results for the tagged keyword whether you use the # or not. Pinterest actually recommends not using them.

Time saving hashtag tips

Especially if you’re active on instagram, these time-saving tips will be super useful.

Tip #1 Check the list below to find the hashtags you think you’ll use most. Then, create a note in your phone with these tags. Instead of trying to remember and type every hashtag every time you post, you can just copy and paste the whole list and you’re done!

Tip #2 If you’re an iPhone user, you can use your phone’s Text Replacement feature to create a shortcut that, when typed, will insert all of your hashtags. Here’s how:

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement

You’ll have two sections to complete. Under “phrase”, enter all your hashtags. Under “Shortcut”, enter your simple shortcut text. I used SMChashtags.

Hit Save and you’re done!

Which hashtags are best for my blog or biz?

Methods for finding hashtags – one simple way to find hashtags relevant to your niche is to check out the posts of other influencers in your niche and see which hashtags are they using.

Or you can use hashtag tools to find and track which hashtags perform best for your blog or biz. Check out Hashtagify.me, Keyhole, and RiteTag.

Gaining Followers – I don’t recommend using these tags. While you will most likely gain a few followers, they won’t be part of your target audience and may unfollow you if they realize they’re not really into the type of content you share.

#f4f #follow #followme #ff #like4like #likeforlike #followforfollow #follow4follow #instafollow #follows

Most Popular – I’m not a big fan of these either. Just because a tag is popular doesn’t mean it performs well. Think about what your target audience is searching for. Would they search for #cute? Probably not. Move on.

#love #instagood #hot #cute #selfie #photooftheday #fun #tbt #beautiful #happy #blessed

Blogging

#blogger #bloggervibes #blogsociety #blogbffs #bloggersofinstagram #bloggerlife #ontheblog

Entrepreneurs

#entrepreneur #ladyboss #girlboss #bosslady #bossbabe #boss #business #ladypreneur #fempreneur #womeninbiz #entrepreneurlife #womenwhohustle #savvybizowner #dowhatyoulove  #sayyestosuccess #solopreneur #smallbiz 

Creatives

#creativebiz #makersgonnamake #calledtobecreative #chasinglight #flashesofdelight #creativepreneur #designingthedetails #makersmovement #puruepretty #thatsdarling #ohwowyes #livecreatively #etsy #etsyshop #etsyowner #handmade #supporthandmade #createmore #iamcreative 

Travel Bloggers

#travel #wanderlust #fromwhereistand #beautifuldestinations #tasteintravel #instatravel #travelgram #tourism #passportready #ilovetravel #travelblogger #travelwriter #traveltheworld #postcardsfromtheworld #getaway #travelblog #travelpic #aroundtheworld #traveler #darlingescapes #girlswhotravel #travelgram #lovetotravel #traveldiary #viewfromthetop #simplyadventure #ABMTravelbug #WeAreTravelGirls

Food Bloggers

#food #foodie #yummy #yum #noms #nom #nomnom #delicious #forkyeah #foodgasm #foodoftheday #eats #indulgence #instayum #dairyfree #veggie #vegetarian #vegan #fooddiary #recipeoftheday #foodporn #chefmode #hungry #cleaneating #eatclean #glutenfree #paleo #healthyfood

Mom Bloggers

#momblogger #mommyblogger #mompreneur #wahm #sahm #momlife #parentingblog #pregnancyblog #momitforward #letthembelittle #motherhoodunplugged #momproblems #mommyproblems #mytinymoments

Fashion Bloggers

#style #fashion #swag #fashionista #ootd #outfitoftheday #fashionblogger #instafashion #fashionaddict #styletips #lookbook #streetstyle #styleinspiration #outfit #outfitinspiration #stylefile

Beauty Bloggers

#beautyblogger #beautyblog #beautytips #beautyguru #instabeauty #makeup #nailart #makeupartist #makeupaddict #makeupmafia #makeupfan #instamakeup #hairgoals #hairinspiration

Fitness Bloggers

#fitness #fitnessblogger #fitnessblog #trainhard #fitspo #getstrong #fitspiration #transformationtuesday #girlswholift #training #personaltrainer #noexcuses #fitnessgoals #nopainnogain #gainz #youcandoit #crossfit #exercise #yoga #yogi #running #girlswhorun #marathon

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The post Understanding Hashtags | How, when + where to use them appeared first on Summer Mae Consulting.

I personally use (or have used) all of these plugins, tools and resources for my own blog and business.

At the bottom of the post you’ll find a list of my favorite bloggers and Facebook groups for bloggers and ladypreneurs.

I hope you find them as helpful and amazing as I have!

Website Tools

WordPress (self-hosted, not wordpress.com)

Studiopress Themes with Genesis Framework for premium WordPress themes (this site is built on Genesis framework with a Studiopress child theme)

Pretty Darn Cute Design for feminine WordPress Themes

GoDaddy for domains and hosting – I purchase all my domains here and host all my websites here. Love their customer service!

WordPress Plugins

Yoast SEO 

SumoMe

Woocommerce

301 Redirects

Simple Custom CSS

Simple Social Icons

Jetpack

Affiliate Networks

Shareasale – A few of the affiliate programs I’m part of include Blurb, Ashley Brooke Designs, StudioPress, + Pretty Darn Cute Designs

Amazon Associates

AWIN -I joined AWIN so I could be an Etsy affiliate, but the big bonus is that they’ll pay you cash money for every referral you send their way that signs up for AWIN.

Graphics + Design

Canva for creating pins and graphics for my website and social media

PicMonkey is another great (free!) tool for creating blog graphics

Creative market for…everything! Seriously – stock photos, wordpress themes, icons, graphics, social media templates, AND… they have brand new FREE goods every week.

Canon DSLR for amazing photos. Sometimes the iPhone just doesn’t cut it and I have to bust out the DSLR

Wonderlass Stock photos – Most of those beautiful, crazy-colorful images all over my website? I got them fo’ free by signing up for Allison’s email list – she’s awesome. Go check out Wonderlass. Right now… Seriously.

Social Media Tools

Boardbooster and Tailwind for scheduling Pinterest

Hoostsuite for scheduling Twitter and Facebook. Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Hootsuite Pro.

Bitly for shortening links and tracking individual link analytics

Later for planning and scheduling Instagram

Business Organization + Planning

Trello for business and life organization,  and project, virtual assistant, and team management

Macbook Air is the BEST laptop I have ever owned. I purchased it from Amazon and it was delivered 2 days later (thank you, Prime!) Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Blog + Life Planner for business planning, setting goals, blog tracking and more

Quickbooks Online for bookkeeping and accounting. Need help with your bookkeeping? As a quickbooks ProAdvisor, I can help, and offer my clients deep discounts on Quickbooks products.

Google G Suite – Drive, Docs, and Voice

IFTTT stands for If This Then That. Use their Applets to bring services you’re already using together with other services, to do awesome stuff!

Ashley Brooke Designs for cute office supplies and accessories

Welcome Packet and Contract for virtual assistants

Pricing Perfection Guide + Workbook – Teaches you the step-by-step system to price your products and services for maximum profit

Favorite Ladypreneurs

Sarah Morgan of XO Sarah

Allison Marshall of Wonderlass

Christie Vachon of Living for Naptime

Mariah Coz of Femtrepreneur

Paulie Cabrera of Twelveskip

Favorite Facebook Groups

Online Biz BFFs – Update: This group has been archived and no longer accepts new members

Naptime Nation

Creative Superheroes – My favorite!

Creatives Corner

Blog Loft

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The post The Ultimate Blog + Biz Starter Kit appeared first on Summer Mae Consulting.

Here are the exact Pinterest strategies I used to more than double my website traffic and gain over 4,500 followers.

Switch to a business account and verify your website

Verifying your website gives you access to Pinterest Analytics, promoted pins, and so much more. In order to verify your website, you must have a business account. Don’t freak out if you don’t have one. It’s super easy to confirm your website. Learn how right here.

Set up rich pins

Rich Pins add extra details to your pins using data pulled from your website. After setting up article pins for your website or blog, your pins will always include the name of your website or blog, your logo (favicon), the title of your post, and description. This will help direct readers back to your blog – win! Make sure you include keyword rich ALT Text descriptions when you upload images to your posts – this is where Pinterest pulls the description for your pins!

If you sell products, the product pin feature allows you to include real-time pricing on your pins and will even notify users of price drops.

Rock your profile

Upload a professional and friendly image of your face. I recommend using a photo vs a logo – this makes you more relateable to your readers. If your profile doesn’t have a photo, I’m not followin’.

Next, add keywords related to your niche after your username. Mine looks like this:

Summer Mae | Blogging + Social Media Tips

For your profile description, write a couple of sentences about you and your biz. You can even use this space to promote a post or product like i did:

Helping bloggers and virtual assistants kick start their blogs and biz.
Need a welcome packet for new clients? Get ours here –> http://bit.ly/2driZE4

Use keywords in your board and pin descriptions

More and more people are using Pinterest more as a search engine than just another social network. When you’re looking for a new recipe, where do you go? Pinterest!

So, think of the things you search for — are you searching for words like “yum!” or “love” or “cute”? Nope… you’re not, and neither is anyone else. If you use words like “yum” to describe your pins, chances are your pins won’t be found because people aren’t searching for “yum”.

Be descriptive and specific, and your chances of having your pins found by other users will increase greatly.

Brand your board covers

Use eye-catching cover photos for each board and choose covers that are in-line with your brand. This can be as simple as choosing photos that have the same colors or fonts as your brand. Or you can even create custom covers for each board using a design tool like Canva or Photoshop. The current board size is 236 x 111 px.

Showcase your best content

Start by creating a board for your website and make that the first board in your profile. Create several pinnable images for each post and pin them all to this board (not all at the same time! More on that later…). Arrange the rest of your boards with your best content and images at the top of your profile.

I recommend removing boards that aren’t relevant to your target audience or, better yet,  making those boards secret. Your readers probably follow you for a specific reason – they love your travel tips or awesome recipes, and wouldn’t be interested in your pins for say… Disney Princess birthday party ideas. Making these boards secret allows you to still use your account for personal use, without boring your followers with stuff they don’t want. Win!

 Pin eye-catching images and amazing content

Pinterest is all about beautiful images.  Vertical images take up more real estate in the Pinterest feed and are more likely to catch your readers’ eye. I create my pins using Canva with a template that is 735 x 1102 px. I try to use a consistent theme with my images by using the same fonts and colors, and I always add my URL to the bottom of my pins.

Make it easy for others to pin from your site

Add a Pin It button to your posts and images (I use SumoMe) and a widget to your sidebar. You can easily create a widget of your profile or a single board or pin. Visit the Pinterest Widget Builder to get your unique code, then just paste it into a text widget on your sidebar.

Join group boards

Join a few group boards with large following.  By pinning your content to these group boards, they’ll be seen by a wider audience. Your pin will show up in the feeds of the entire audience of each contributor. You could potentially have your pin show up in hundreds or even thousands of users’ feeds.

Use a scheduling tool and spread out your pins

Pin a lot.  I mean a LOT.  The more you pin, the more your pins will be seen. I try to pin at least 50 images a day.  BUT…

The fastest way to lose me as a follower is to flood my feed with pin after pin after pin.  Your readers most likely don’t really care about your obsession with all things pink, cute kittens, or Sonic the Hedgehog (True story – I actually unfollowed someone who pinned over 20 Sonic images in just a couple minutes).

So how do you pin 50+ images a day without flooding your followers’ feeds?

I use BoardBooster to schedule my pins. It’s free to try and plans start at $5 per month after your free trial. In my opinion, this one is absolutely worth the small expense.

Here’s how it works: your select which boards you want it to schedule pins for and it creates secret boards for each one. You then set a schedule for each board – I set each board for 10 pins a day, dripped out between 7am and 11pm. Now you can sit down for a pinning session – say half an hour – and pin all your pins for the next few days in one sitting. Bam! Look at you, being all productive and stuff

Okay… but where do I come up with all that content??!

I know 50+ pins a day seems like an impossible task. It’s not, I promise. If you’re following quality influencers in your niche, you should have a Pinterest feed FULL of amazing stuff to share with your followers. I follow the 80/20 rule – about 80% of the content I repin comes from other influencers in my niche – from my Pinterest feed, or while I’m checking out their blogs. The other 20% come from my website – new blog posts and pins, and old content that is recycled using Boardbooster’s looping tool.

Can you tell that I’m a boardbooster fanatic? It has seriously been a game changer for me!

Still have questions or need some Pinterest help? I got you.

The post 10 Pinterest Tips For Beginners | Plus a free Pinterest cheat sheet! appeared first on Summer Mae Consulting.