While scrolling through social media we commonly see the use of hashtags with each post we view. Many of us don’t think much of it. Importantly, do you know exactly how powerful that little number sign is? Do you even really know what a hashtag is or why it’s used?
If you’re asking what language I’m talking in right now, rest assured you’re not alone. By the end of this blog, you’ll be up to speed on the effective brand marketing feature coined the hashtag.
WHAT IS A HASHTAG?
First and foremost, the hashtag is a label all users have access to when posting on social media platforms. You can create a hashtag by using the # symbol followed by whatever word/s, without using spaces, the user chooses next. Those words of choice group similar content associated with those same words together.
WHY USE HASHTAGS?
There are a plethora of reasons to start using hashtags. If I listed them all, you’d be reading for days. We all know there’s a better use for that resource. Instead, I will inform you of the most important aspects:
Businesses and brands looking to boost their online presence should use hashtags to increase visibility and support their branding efforts.
TARGET A VERY SPECIFIC GROUP
Hashtags can assist in putting your brand in front of your intended audience. With the fast-paced growth of social media, more and more users are joining every day. Combine a massive number of users with certain algorithms, and you’ll find it very difficult to reach your intended audience. Here’s where the hashtag steps in.
The hashtag helps the social media platform categorize your post and puts it in front of the right people. With that comes the visibility of your brand, business, and content. The platforms do the hard work for you. All you have to do is use that little number sign and follow it with a few words related to your content, or strategically use the words of interest to those you want to reach. And there you have it. You immensely boost the chances of reaching exactly who you intend to.
ENGAGE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE
“Trending” is a familiar term in the world of social media. People, songs, events, and topics trend on social media constantly. For something to be trending means a great deal. We’re talking about massive amounts of people who engage with it. Using a trending topic as a hashtag gets your brand in front of a tremendous number of users by grouping it with the trend. If I was unsuccessfull in convincing you to join a trending topic thus far, know that this massive amount includes everyone on social media: those who are a part of your usual audience and those who would have missed your content. Putting your content in front of a high number of users therefore means your brand, business, and other information surrounding your company reaches more users. By joining a trending topic, you build better brand awareness and a higher level of brand visibility.
IMPROVE AND SPREAD BRAND REPUTATION
Have you ever heard of the spread of information through “word of mouth”? It is the oldest form of communication known to date. As time went on, so did the ways we receive information. In the digital world, information spread on social media is the translation of information spread through word of mouth in the real world.
When a user hashtags your company, mentioning a positive review or interaction with your brand, they are assisting in your marketing success. Their followers are now exposed to your content via hashtag’s grouping capacity. You’ve now reached a larger amount of people than you otherwise would have. Consequently, not only does using hashtags increase brand awareness and visibility; it also helps to support your brand’s positive reputation. Over time, more people become interested in your brand based on the level of credibility and high reputation. And they can easily interact with your profile holding all your brand’s information through that little number/pound sign.
WRAP UP
Seeing a hashtag on social media is underwhelming comparing it to the impact it has on your brand. Using the hashtag boosts a business or brand’s online presence to a significant number of social media users. Three main effects using a hashtag has for your brand are:
- Increasing visibility
- Supporting brand efforts
- Attracting new followers
Hashtags are a vital feature in social media communication and if you use them wisely, you’re bound to benefit.
Be sure to leave a comment below on how you implement hashtags in your content! And if you do not, I highly recommend trying it out. Strategically use hashtags on your next post and you’ll be amazed to reap the benefits produced by such a small number sign! If you want to learn strategies that will be most effective for your brand, book a free 20-min Brand Strategy Breakthrough call with our team. We’d love to work with you and watch your business succeed as you master brand strategy!
Written by Julia Casey, Color of Thought Creatives Team
Sources:
https://socialistics.com/are-hashtags-important-anymore/
https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/how-to-use-hashtags
www.mention.com/en/blog/hastag-marketing-how-to-use-hashtags-for-better-marketing-campaigns/
www.returnonnow.come/2018/01/hashtag-marketing-boost-social-media-effectiveness/
