The use of the hashtag in marketing is credited to Twitter for its origin, but nearly every other social media channel has adopted the functionality. Hashtags provide brands with the opportunity to increase visibility and engagement for branded social campaigns. The biggest challenge many brands have is finding the right hashtags for their social strategies. Below are 4 ways to leverage the right hashtags in your marketing.
1. Check local hashtags. The best way to increase visibility for a local business is by leveraging location-based hashtags. Search Twitter, Instagram or whichever network you are using to find local hashtags that are relevant to your business. Using local neighborhoods in your area can be useful for people that may be searching the hashtag to find local events and news.
2. Join the conversation with trending topics. Brands can increase their reach by participating in common hashtags. These hashtags are easy to find on Twitter and Facebook since they feature a “trending” section with popular hashtags and topics. Some hashtags that widely used are #ThrowbackThursday, #OOTD (outfit of the day), #ManCrushMonday, #TravelTuesday and many more.
3. Create a unique hashtag campaign. Creating a hashtag contest on social networks that give consumers the chance to enter by using a specific branded hashtag is a great way to increase your visibility and promote engagement. When a user makes a post using your hashtag, it goes out to all of their followers, creating a larger reach for your branded hashtag.
4. Utilize emoji hashtags. Instagram recently announced that the social network supports emoji hashtags. Brands can now use these image-based hashtags to increase visibility across the globe. Emojis provide a universal way for people all over the world to express themselves.
Some of these ideas may not work for every brand. Find out which ones work best for your business by testing them out and monitoring the results and analytics. Need help with your social media strategy? Contact the marketing experts at Off The Wall Media to help your business be more social.