For years, hashtags have been seen as a crucial tool for increasing visibility on social media platforms. These little symbols have helped users find the exact content they were searching for, by turning simple words and phrases into searchable links. But are hashtags relevant on Pinterest anymore? They were, until February of 2022. And yet, despite this change being over a year ago, I still see hashtags being used on new pins every week.
Why Pinterest Ditched Hashtags
So, why did Pinterest break up with hashtags? Well, it’s all about understanding how we, the users, engage with the platform. Unlike Twitter or Instagram, where hashtags are used to direct us to the content we want, Pinterest is a search engine. We type in what we’re looking for, just like we would on Google. That’s why keywords in descriptions are now so important on Pinterest.
In June of 2022, the Pinterest for Business YouTube channel posted their Idea Ads Webinar. In that webinar, this question was asked about hashtags, “Are hashtags out of from recommended best practices?”
Amy, one of the presenters, answered with, “Hashtags aren’t really a prevalent thing on Pinterest… So, if hashtags are part of your larger campaign strategy or campaign message, include them, but they are not going to drive anywhere. So, stay away from hashtags because it’s not an authentic functionality or feature on Pinterest.”
The Shift to More Organic Discovery
With hashtags out of the picture, Pinterest decided to focus more on organic content discovery. This shift has made Pinterest more user-centric, putting content and context at the heart of discovery.
For businesses and creators, this means less hashtag brainstorming and more crafting of enticing, keyword-rich descriptions. This means we need to focus more on the quality of the Pin and how relevant it is to us. A well-thought-out description with the right keywords can be amazing for a Pin’s visibility.
What is the community saying?
Most of us are finding the absence of hashtags a breath of fresh air. It’s like spring cleaning for our feeds – no more hashtag clutter, just the stuff we love. By focusing on top-notch content and keyword descriptions, you are now able to connect with a more engaged crowd.
While hashtags may still rule the roost on other platforms, on Pinterest they’ve become yesterday’s news. So if you are still using hashtags and trying to figure out the best ones to use for your business on Pinterest, you can take a break and just focus on making your descriptions have keywords that work for you.