Chances are sometime in the last week you or someone you know has hashtagged something. Think about it for a moment. YUP. You know it’s true. #winning
The hashtag has become ubiquitous across our digitally-infused culture — we legit hashtag everything these days. We use hashtags when we talk to people in person. We use them in text messages. We carefully craft hashtags for weddings and events. And yes, brands use them too.
Why? Because hashtags, when used strategically, can be a great addition to any campaign.
Why Use a Branded Hashtag? #WHYNOT
Branded hashtags, if you don’t already know, are hashtags created by brands for a specific purpose. These most often include:
- Brand Launch
- Product/Service Launch
- Charitable Initiatives
- Awareness Campaigns
- Contests
- Events
Using a branded hashtag for any one of these aforementioned situations has three major benefits:
#MEASUREMENT
When you launch a campaign you’ll naturally want to see if people are talking about it and what better way to do that then with a branded hashtag that’s all your own. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram make it easy to see how many times your hashtag is being used, and the prevalence of social listening tools has made it even easier to see where else your hashtag may be showing up. There’s nothing better than looking at your campaign and realizing that your hashtag was shared over ONE MILLION TIMES!
#AMPLIFICATION
Branded hashtags are a great tool to amplify your content to a larger audience. While the trick is to ensure your branded hashtag is clever and unique — simply having one allows you to build an audience around a rallying cry that’s important to your brand. When a hashtag catches on, it’s amazing the amplification your brand will experience as a result.
#AWARENESS
What better way to draw attention and awareness to a particular topic than with a branded hashtag. Ever heard of the #icebucketchallenge? Yeah, that one worked out really well. A branded hashtag based around a particular awareness play, most often something philanthropic or charitable, is a great way to get your brand involved in something bigger than itself and show consumers you’re in it for more than just their money.
Want to see a branded hashtag that we came up with one of our biggest clients to help them spread the word around their annual philanthropic campaign? Check it out!
