Is there any real value in attaching a hastag to your posts? Do they provide any value in terms of reach or branding? Are your hashtags actually reaching your desiered audiences and attracting more customers? When done properly. strategically and consistent with the organization’s tone and brand, a hashtag campaign can be effective for a number of reasons outlined below.
Building brand-name recognition: New brands can use their name in a hashtag to gain recognition and build equity. Brand-name hashtags provide an easy way for people to find and follow a brand. As customers begin using the name hashtag, it builds rapport for the brand and its users.
Finding your target audience: Concurrently, new brands can participate in trending hashtag conversations, which grants them exposure to already existing audiences and topics. Brands should be respectful and only join in conversations where they can be relevant and authentic. This develops their brand voice and trust among communities. Within these conversations, brands can begin to research and study the community affinities and hone in on what truly matters to them. Ultimately, this empowers brands to learn more about their target audience and cater to them.
Read: Tapp Network Nonprofit Social Summit 2017
Hashtag campaigns: Once equity and recognition are established with users, brands can roll out campaign hashtags with less overt branding, based on the target audience affinities and marketing initiatives. Brand engagement is built as brands speak directly to their target audience affinities and results in valuable content.
Tools like Sprout Social can help organizations monitor and understand which hashtags are most valuable and which ones need rethinking.
While organizations must tread with caution, the benefits of using hashtags must be considered as part of the overall social and digital strategy, especially by those that rely on content as pat of their marketing strategies. The key is ensuring that hashtag strategies are built on solid research and accompany content that actually adds value to the target audiences’ lives.
