Hashtags are a relatively new social media tool. They are used as a label or tag to collect certain images or messages with the same content. Any user can create or use a hashtag simply by placing the symbol “#” before the word or phrase.
The uses of hashtags cover a wide audience. For example, a parent could make a hashtag to keep all the pictures of their child on social media in one place such as #johnjohnsmith1. By using this hashtag on both Instagram and Facebook, it keeps the pictures organized and in one area for the rest of the family to browse at their leisure. Or maybe an entire group could use the same hashtag to tag all the pictures of a vacation they took together. For example, #bestvacationever2016. This way each member of the group could click on the hashtag and easily share each other’s pictures.
However, this tool is not just for the individuals. Charities, corporations and businesses also use the hashtag to promote themselves, events, conferences and also to market their company. Many times when there is a charity run or event, they will create a hashtag for the participants to post their own pictures with the hashtag in order to promote the event further.
The actual word, hashtag, was added to the English dictionary in June 2014 because of how much it had caught on. If you look at the actual hash mark is the second explanation. The first explains the tag used on social media.
The businesses that have caught on to hashtag marketing are really keeping up with the times as well as finding it very successful to their campaign.
Although creating a brand new hashtag that has never been used before is difficult, it is not impossible. You do have to be careful when creating a tag for hashtag marketing because if the correct branding is not used and then it catches on, you are stuck promoting something that has nothing to do with your business; there are many horror stories regarding this out there! This is avoidable as you will see below.
Let’s go over some strategies for hashtag marketing.
Brand hashtags
The best way to make your own brand hashtag is to use your company name or motto that people recognize is from your business. Or it could be a motto that you are beginning to implement in your advertisements and such that people will soon be familiar with. Just keep in mind that doing it that way may take a little longer to catch on. It must be unique to your company. Before deciding on the tag, search for it on all social media sites to make sure it is not already being used.
Make sure your brand hashtag is fairly short and easy to spell so that customers will be able to remember it and use it properly.
A good web design will use your hashtag consistently on your website and across all social media outlets.
Trending hashtags
This is when a hashtag has grown in popularity and become one of the most talked about topics. Hashtag trends can change by the minute and come and go quickly. However, the best way to use a trending hashtag in hashtag marketing is to pay attention to the trending tags because if you use a tag that is trending in a minute by minute update, your message will be seen by a huge audience. Have someone constantly monitoring Twitter, Instagram and other sites that use hashtags to find out in real time what is trending.
Content hashtags
These are the tags that you use in your posts that are not necessarily branded or used by your business and they are not trending. They are common and simply related to the post.
Using content hashtags can improve the search engine optimization of your articles as well as being seen by people who would otherwise not look up your business.
Hashtag marketing can be a very beneficial technique and SEO strategy. Digital marketing is really where it’s at now and the best part is, it’s free!