Tags are an important part of social media and the online world. When you add a tag to a post, photo, or other content, you are categorizing it with a keyword that is relevant to the content. This allows the content to be more easily found by users searching for that keyword or topic. Tags can also help content spread further when others discover it and share it with their own networks. So in that sense, tagging content helps it to be shared more widely. However, tagging alone does not automatically share the content – other actions need to be taken to actually share or repost content to new networks and audiences.
What is a tag?
A tag is a keyword or term that is assigned to a piece of content like a social media post, photo, video, or blog article. Tags are added by the creator of the content and help to categorize and describe that content. Here are some key things to know about tags:
- Tags are added manually – Content creators choose tags that are relevant to their content.
- Tags make content more findable – Adding tags helps the content surface when people search for those keywords.
- Tags unify content – Content with the same tags can be grouped together.
- Tags help spread content – When people search for a tag, they can discover new content to share.
Overall, tags are a way to organize content and make it discoverable by relevant audiences. Tags bridge content to people who may be interested in it based on shared keywords and topics.
Popular tag types
Some popular types of tags used on social media include:
- Topic tags – Broad keywords that describe what the content is about (e.g. photography, travel, business)
- Category tags – Specific niches or categories within a broader topic (e.g. landscapes, resorts, entrepreneurship)
- Brand tags – Names of brands, products, or services mentioned
- Location tags – Physical locations referenced in the content
- Event tags – Names of events associated with the content
- Metadata tags – Descriptive details like names of people featured
Do tags automatically share content?
Simply adding tags to content does not automatically share or repost that content. Tags optimize the content to be found by relevant audiences, but they do not distribute the content anywhere new. Some key points on why tags alone do not share content:
- Tags are invisible to users – Tags are metadata that users do not see unless searching for them.
- Tags only help discovery on the original platform – Users still have to visit the original site/page to see the content.
- Tags do not repost or embed content – The content itself does not appear anywhere new.
- Tags are searchable but content may lack visibility – Highly tagged content can still have low visibility if not promoted.
While extremely helpful for optimizing content, tags themselves will not make content go viral or get picked up by new audiences automatically. Further sharing and promotion is needed to spread content more widely.
Actions beyond tagging that share content
To actually share and repost content to new networks and audiences requires taking additional actions beyond just tagging the content. Here are some ways to share content beyond tagging:
- Manually sharing posts – Proactively posting content across your own social networks.
- Tagging other profiles – Mentioning others so it shows up to their followers.
- Using viral hashtags – Adding trending hashtags to help content be discovered.
- Running promotions – Contests and giveaways to incentivize sharing.
- Paid distribution – Boosted posts and social ads to reach more people.
- Pitching influencers – Having influencers share your content organically.
- Embedding content – Adding the content to other sites and blogs.
A successful strategy will utilize both detailed tagging for optimization plus active sharing and distribution tactics to maximize the spread of content to new networks. Tags provide the foundation, but true outreach is still needed.
Benefits of tagging for sharing
While tags alone do not distribute content, there are some key benefits to tagging content with the intent to share it more widely:
Makes content more findable
Accurate, relevant tags help ensure your content surfaces when users search for related keywords. The better optimized the content is for search, the easier it will be to find and share organically.
Targets interested audiences
Tags can attract new audiences already passionate about a certain topic and prime them to engage with the content and share it.
Provides valuable metadata
Detailed tags give viewers context about the content before they even click on it, helping them decide if it’s worth sharing.
Shapes content categories
Tags characterize content into specific categories that users seek out, follow, and share content within.
Sparks discovery via related content
Platform algorithms can recommend related tagged content to viewers, leading them to discover and share new content.
In summary, while tags themselves do not share content directly, they make content more primed for sharing by making it findable, categorized, and discoverable by target audiences seeking out related topics. This provides an important foundation for a successful sharing strategy.
Best practices for tagging content to be shared
If your goal is to have content shared more widely, here are some best practices for tagging it:
Use multiple specific and accurate tags
Aim for 5-20 tags per piece of content using very specific words and phrases relevant to the content. Avoid vague, overly broad tags.
Include tags that target sharers
Think about what words your ideal sharing audience would search for and use those as tags.
Use trending keywords and hashtags
Research what popular keywords and hashtags are trending related to your content and incorporate those.
Tag for different platforms
Optimize tags for the platform the content is on, not just one platform like Google.
Mix common and unique tags
Blend popular tags that get search volume with longer-tail niche tags.
Use tools to find tag ideas
Keyword research tools can generate tagging recommendations and help identify high-volume search terms.
Refine tags over time
Review tag performance and double down on tags that are working well at driving shares.
Tagging with sharing in mind takes strategy but pays dividends in expanded reach. Start tagging content today with relevant keywords to help it get discovered and shared by new audiences.
Real-life tag strategy example
Here is an example of optimizing a blog post for sharing using tags:
Blog Post
How I Grew My Instagram Following to 10K in 6 Months
Target Keywords
- Instagram growth tips
- Growing Instagram followers
- 10k followers
- Instagram strategy
Resulting Tags
- #instagramgrowth
- #growingfollowers
- #10kfollowers
- #instagramstrategy
- #instagrowthtips
- #socialmediamarketing
- #smmgrowth
These relevant, high-volume tags make it very likely Instagram users and social media marketers searching these keywords would stumble upon the post and share it if the tips are helpful.
Tips for sharing tagged content
Once you’ve optimized content with strategic tags, here are some tips for taking the next step and actively sharing it to spread reach:
Share across your own platforms
Post the content natively on all your owned social media accounts to expose it to your existing audiences.
Mention others by tagging their accounts
Target key accounts with audiences who would value the content and tag them in your posts.
Hashtag bigger conversations
Research relevant viral hashtags to tap into larger discussions and share content with those.
Run social media contests/giveaways
Offer incentives for users to like, share, and engage with content to increase diffusion.
Use quotes/stats from influencers
Quote and tag influencer opinions on your topic to gain their amplification.
Promote on multiple channels
Expand beyond social media to share content on blogs, email newsletters, paid ads etc.
Make it easy to share
Add share buttons and make content embeddable so people can quickly share and repost.
A mix of organic and paid distribution tactics ensures your content gets in front of the right audiences primed to share it widely based on your strategic tags.
Potential challenges of tagging for shares
Tagging content focused on driving shares comes with some potential challenges to be aware of:
Over-tagging
Too many irrelevant or repetitive tags can seem spammy and cause content to underperform.
Chasing trends
Tags that trend today may become quickly outdated, requiring constant adapting.
Misleading tags
Inaccurate tags that don’t match the content can lead to poor engagement.
Niche tags with low search volume
Hyper-specific tags might not have enough search volume to drive discovery.
Competing with other content
Popular tags have lots of competing content you need to outperform.
Spam and abuse
Tag stuffing and other shady tactics can get your account banned.
Be mindful of these risks when developing your tagging strategy. Focus on accuracy, moderation and adapting to what performs best.
Tools to help manage tags
Tagging content manually can be time-consuming. Using the right tools can help streamline the process:
Keyword Research Tools
Find high-volume, trending tag ideas based on search volume and difficulty.
- Google Keyword Planner
- Ubersuggest
- KeywordTool.io
- SEMRush
Tag Managers
Automate tagging on social media using keyword libraries.
- Socialert
- Display Purposes
- Postfity
Analytics Platforms
See tag performance data to optimize efforts.
- Google Analytics
- SproutSocial
- Hootsuite
Leveraging tools like these can create efficiencies in executing a tagging strategy at scale across platforms and content types.
Conclusion
In summary, tagging and sharing work best together in harmony. Tags are not a direct distribution method but rather optimize content to be found and shared virally. To maximize reach, meticulously tag content targeting specific sharing audiences. Then actively distribute using both organic promotion and paid distribution. With this full funnel approach, tagged content can reach its full sharing potential and spread to the maximum number of relevant viewers.