Tagging is one of the most effective tools that marketers have to generate organic attention and engagement on their social media posts. And yet, so many marketers neglect opportunities to tag. Here’s why tagging is important:

First and foremost, tagging puts your posts in front of more people. As soon as you tag another account, they’ll see your post. In many cases, this can lead to them sharing your post, putting it in front of an entirely new audience—one you normally wouldn’t be able to access.

If the account you’re tagging is related to yours, as is often the case, then there’s a good chance that this new audience will be receptive to your message. That results in not only more engagement on your post, but potentially new followers as well.

While this is the main benefit of tagging in your posts, it isn’t where the benefits stop. Consider this: if someone is searching for a brand that you tagged in your post, tagging them will boost the chance that your post shows up in their search results. It’s a small opportunity for more engagement, but nonetheless still results in your post being in front of more people.

Let’s take a look at the difference between a post with tags and one without.

Say you are an Austin, Texas-based pharmacist who owns a range of pharmacies in the area. Here is an update that you might share with your audience.

“If you are located in the Austin, Texas area – I’m sure you have heard about the wave of sinus infections that have been making the rounds lately. It is always good to keep up with the latest pharmacist-recommended health products. Here is a list of all of the pharmacist-recommended health products of 2022: ow.ly/OowWp”

Now this is a terrific update. It targets the appropriate local market, talks about a current event, and offers a list of engaging, helpful information for the target consumer. But it might only be seen by a small few. Why don’t we enhance it so that it can get more views?

Take two:

“If you are located in the @Austin, Texas area – I’m sure you have heard about the wave of sinus infections that have been making the rounds lately. It is always good to keep up with the latest pharmacist-recommended health products. Here is a list of all of the pharmacist-recommended health products of 2015, brought to you by @Yahoo Health: ow.ly/OowWp”

Since they are tagged, this version will be seen by the city of Austin and by Yahoo! Health. Since the update contains relevant health information for the local area, there’s a good chance that the city of Austin will share it. Suddenly, your post is being seen by a far wider audience than without the tags.