Our office is located on the 4th floor of a 6-story building, the first floor is retail and the remaining floors are filled with technology startups and design firms. The building is gorgeous and the thoughtfully designed retail storefront on the first floor is equally beautiful.
Oddly though, the retail storefront has it’s own #hashtag…
#[storename]windows.
Every time our team walks in or out of the building and that #hashtag catches our eye, we find ourselves wondering and discussing;
Why is this retailer asking every stranger that walks by their storefront to #hashtag it?
What are the goals and objectives behind the #hashtag?
How do they measure ROI on their storefront #hashtag?
What insights will the retailer with over 200 locations glean with their storefront #hashtag?
How do they “control” the type of UGC that’s being tied to their storefront #hashtag by complete strangers?
So many questions when we walk in or out of our building…
Is it time to rethink the #hashtag campaign?
While we’re not suggesting brands go back traditional media platforms where the one-sided communication is the standard, walking by our building every morning is a constant reminder that #hashtag campaigns on platforms like Instagram and Facebook (that encourage two-way communications) can pose a real risk for brands. Especially when asking a stranger without an emotional connection to your brand to #hashtag a tweet or an IG post.
Is it time for brands find a replacement to the #hashtag campaign?
About BYLINED.
BYLINED.ME is an on-demand photography platform built to drive customer engagement by bridging the gap between the brands and businesses that are eager to own authentic, user-generated content with the fans and customers creating great content everyday. Check us out at www.bylined.me.
