Did you notice that the hashtag used in marketing via social media is shared across all platforms? It does not matter if it is a startup or a large company. Everyone is running social media marketing hashtag campaigns to boost customers to their businesses. The marketing campaigns of brands have been taken up a notch with the effectiveness of hashtags.
Domino’s is undoubtedly one of the most reputable multinational corporations. Domino’s UK had a great marketing campaign a couple of years ago. They have introduced the hashtag #LetsDoLunch, and it was specifically targeted for their pizza on Tuesdays. All they needed to do was send a tweet using this hashtag to enjoy a discounted Domino’s pizza.
The hashtag was immediately met with a response and started trending on Twitter. It is not only Domino’s; other companies have begun to adopt innovative strategies to increase their social media presence in the present, and it is undeniably the most important strategy.
It was 2007 when the hashtag became popular. The hashtag first came into use in 1988 during the Internet Relay Chat, and it was designed to identify messages, pictures, videos, and messages at the time.
In 2009, hashtags became more familiar to the general public and were officially created using the “#” sign. Then, shortly after, people began using hashtags on Twitter and other platforms.
With the increase of social media awareness and social media tools, now it has become an essential part for a smart business to manage important channels in their routine with correct uses of marketing strategies with proper hashtags.
What’s the Meaning of a Hashtag, and what can you do with the Hashtag?
In simple terms, the word “hashtag” is a way to draw the attention of social media users. In general, the significance of hashtags in social media marketing is making it easy for people to find them, follow them and join in a specific conversation or activity.
The hashtag has become a vital part of every digital platform. For personal or commercial use, adding hashtags can generate a following on social media. The trending hashtags can signify a practical marketing approach using social media. The use of social media marketing hashtags on an online platform comes with various advantages.
- The increasing use of social media marketing hashtags makes it simple for social media platforms to locate certain topics by searching for specific hashtags.
- Alongside the results of searches, hashtags boost the click-through rate. Different surveys show that tweets that have hashtags gain more attention than tweets that do not have hashtags.
- Hashtag-related campaigns are a fantastic method to participate in social media campaigns. In addition, brands engage in social media to increase awareness. Instead, it’s a global movement. For instance, Tommy Hilfiger has been quite famous for its social media-driven campaigns over the last couple of years. While recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020, they launched a campaign, the #MovingForwardTogether. The idea was to support both the creative and fashion industries. It was a huge trend and was immediately noticed.
Today, social media marketing is nearly impossible without hashtags. Hashtags are a part of popular platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. These social media platforms have trending hashtags, which anyone can follow or be a part of. Additionally, users can make their hashtags to gain new followers.
The Types of Hashtags used in Social Media Marketing
The value of hashtags in social media platforms is broad. It is possible to use them anywhere, and hashtags are the most straightforward, simple, and efficient method in social media advertising. Before we get into the details of hashtags used in advertising on social networks, look at the different types.
Trending hashtag
Trending hashtags are easily found on any social media platform, and they are the most-followed hashtags. Your social network will reveal the number of people discussing the trend. You can, for instance, look up the most popular hashtags on the Twitter feed’s sidebar.
However, hashtags that are trending aren’t the most secure! They are a temporary phenomenon and unpredictable. Sometimes, jumping in a hot hashtag can be extremely risky for brands. It is best to stay on top of a trend only when relevant to the business. For instance, the well-known Instagram hashtag #instagood is trending and has approximately 1,233,347,938 posts. However, the question is, does it match your image?
Hashtag With Brand Name
It’s been a while since brands’ hashtags have been used. Brand hashtags are simple and are accompanied by the brand’s name and the hashtag. The companies typically develop customized hashtags to promote their products through social media. For instance, Unilever uses #StaySafe to increase brand awareness and connect with its followers.
Brand hashtags are created by companies frequently. But, users can also speak about the product or create a new hashtag. These hashtags can be the most efficient way for users to contact the brands with any questions. Businesses can create a variety of hashtags for their brands.
- Product launch
- Promotions
- Targeting
- Campaigns
- Social awareness
- Opportunities for career advancement and much more
Large enterprises to small-scale startups Every business has a hashtag strategy for marketing using social media to propel their business forward.
Campaign Hashtag
The hashtag used for campaigns is a different hashtag type that companies use to succeed in their field. The potential of hashtags in social media marketing opens enormous possibilities for businesses to enhance their business.
The term “campaign hashtag” refers to a term used to describe an Instagram hashtag created by companies for a special event, launch, or event. Hashtag campaigns can generate word-of-mouth advertising to your target audience. For instance, Domino’s has created a promotion to celebrate pizza month using the #NationalPizzaMonth. All you have to do is follow the hashtag and retweet the Twitter hashtag.
This type of hashtag is essential to keep on top of your followers. Additionally, companies can evaluate their previous campaigns regarding the success rate.
Why are hashtags important on Social Media?
Have you noticed brands discussing their offerings on social networks with no hashtag? Hashtags can help highlight the content on social media to the public. Facebook hashtags are not limited, which means that anyone from all over the world can connect with brands with no obstacles.
In the beginning, Twitter was the only platform that used hashtags. But other social platforms quickly adopted it, and hashtags became an integral element of marketing via social media. What is the motive for the popularity of Instagram hashtags? We will explore this in more detail below.
Expand Customer Engagement
If brands use relevant and interesting hashtags, this creates an instant buzz with customers on any platform. People will be naturally attracted to the hashtag, and prospective customers will notice immediately.
The use of hashtags on social media has a huge potential to attract customers. Higher engagement with users increases the likelihood of business success. Businesses such as Coca-Cola, Dominos, and McDonald’s employ strategies for user engagement to stay ahead of the market.
Hashtag’s Power can Create a Brand’s Worth
Social media sites have an abundance of content which are easily accessible. But how can your company stand out from the crowd? Offering quality products and services does not mean that you can present your audience to the masses of customers, which is where the power of hashtags comes in.
Hashtags are the most effective method to draw attention to brands and ensure that audiences are lost. Some brands will create an entirely new social media marketing hashtag for each festival. For instance, Starbucks is one of the most frequently-used businesses in social networks. To celebrate the Halloween season, Starbucks is launching a brand new hashtag #StarbucksCostume to help increase the brand’s recognition.
Encourage Social Awareness
Nowadays, brands are focused on making money, but they strive to make a positive contribution to society and build social awareness. The effectiveness of hashtags is a fantastic way to increase the potential for brand recognition.
We all know that hashtags help to increase brand engagement and visibility. Companies actively involved in social media activities often develop hashtags that allow people to follow their activities.
Airbnb is the most popular lodging service. It has introduced the hashtag #WeAccept immediately following US Trump was elected president. Donald Trump signed a petition to shut down American borders to refugees for a short time.
The ad aired showed people from different regions of the globe with the words, “We believe no matter the person you are or where you’re from, the people you love or whom you are, you are part of the same family. The world becomes more beautiful when you are willing to accept it.” The hashtag #WeAccept was the top trending hashtag on Twitter, and the campaign received more than 33k tweets during the Super Bowl.
How To Use Hashtags
Do your Research
As we’ve already mentioned, social media hashtags for business can be compared to keywords used in SEO. To put it simply, as you would in the case of your SEO approach, you’ll have to conduct some research first.
In the beginning, you’ll need to locate something pertinent to your area of expertise. In the end, you don’t wish for people to come across your social media account while looking for food recipes when your business’s focus is a web design, and it could damage the reputation of your business. Learn how to effectively use hashtags in your social media marketing campaigns from the experts of PIMS.
In addition, you’ll have to examine your competition. Look at the hashtags they usually employ and the number of social media marketing hashtags they include in their posts. This will allow you to understand the way your competitors interact with their target audience.
Finally, you’ll have to be aware of what’s trending. There’s no reason to use social media hashtags that no one has searched for, and that’s why it is necessary to research social media marketing hashtags before using them.
Be Careful not to Utilize Excessive Hashtags
Do not over-package the content of your blog with social media hashtags for business. That’s a costly error, and you don’t want to be perceived as a spammer to your readers. The amount of social media advertising hashtags that you must utilize varies depending on the platform.
For instance, studies have revealed that you should only use two hashtags for Twitter, while on Instagram, the best number is approximately 11.
In the end, Remember that the primary purpose behind hashtags is to organize your posts to ensure that they’re easier to locate, not to try and attract the maximum number of people you can. You can also create a social media hashtag calendar.
Keep it Simple
When selecting your social media marketing hashtags, be aware that they must be easy to spell. There’s no need to use long hashtags that aren’t easy to pronounce, as this is unlikely to bring you positive results. However, that doesn’t mean you have to employ generic hashtags, either.
Your hashtags must be concise and relevant, simple to read, and relevant to your industry. You can also create a social media hashtag calendar. Choosing a topic that your target audience is likely to be interested in or is the most popular topic within your field is important.
In terms of what length your hashtags are, you should strive for something up to 18 characters since these are the ones that get the most engagement.
Hashtag- The Ultimate to Build Brands
While hashtags are the most effective method of showcasing the products, brands have to be mindful when selecting the right keywords. Hashtags have a lot in common with search engine optimization; therefore, an appropriately researched keyword can increase the chance of gaining more audience.
In this age of social media, hashtags have become a power source for companies. In addition, consumers are using hashtags to look up anything online. But social media is important; however, not every social media platform is equally appealing to its users. Therefore, keeping this in mind, companies should focus on the appropriate methods to utilize hashtags.
Alongside other social media tools for marketing, hashtags are also flourishing. When used in conjunction with a carefully planned strategy for social media, the effectiveness of hashtags has demonstrated tremendous growth for brands and helped boost sales.
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