Hashtags are a social media convention in which the pound symbol (#) is used in front of a word or phrase in a post. Hashtags are searchable, meaning that anyone who’s interested in what the social media conversation around engagement rings might be, for example, simply has to do a search for #EngagementRing. You can use hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Google +.

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Selecting which hashtags to incorporate into your social media postings is both an art and a science. In the case of bridal jewelry, there are the obvious choices: #EngagementRing #Diamond #Solitaire #WeddingBand as well as hashtags affiliated with the designer’s name: #LeVian #KirkKara #GabrielCo and so. When you’re promoting a designer’s ring or work in the post, there’s no reason not to mention them by name – many of the best bridal jewelry brands have strong name recognition, and brides to be do searches by designer name to familiarize themselves with everything that’s available on the marketplace.

Other popular and relevant hashtags may not be as tightly focused on the bridal jewelry element yet still are searched regularly, such as #bridetobe, #weddingplanning, #wedding, #bride, #weddinginspo, #obey, #vows, #engaged, #engagementphotos, #romance. Try cycling through these hashtags in your social media, testing which ones have the most resonance with your audience. There can be tremendous variations in how effective a hashtag is based on who your customers are and where you’re located geographically – #obey draws lots of positive attention in some markets, and not nearly as much in others. It pays to know your customers!

Finally, there are some unique hashtags that have developed as part of social media culture. #WeddingWednesday is one; #HowHeAsked, which is focused on proposals, is another. As you spend time on social media, preparing your own content and surveying what your competitors and other jewelry retailers are doing, keep your eyes open for these one of a kind hashtags – they might just have a role in your next campaign!