Using #Hashtags for Your Business
Firstly what ever your business, using hashtags in ur posts is a good idea. It will help a great deal in spreading your brand to those that may have interest. On Instagram, Twitter and Facebook it will increase the chances of customers landing on your post whilst exploring a topic of their interest. Although great for brand exposure, this isn’t ‘your brand’ you are using pre existing trends and interests.
Running a ‘Brand Campaign’ using a branded hashtag is harder to pull off yet the results can be on a much larger scale. So that you know what we are talking about heres an example…
#ShareACoke is possibly the best executed branded hashtag campaign. In order to boost sales and brand exposure across all networks Coke began printing #ShareACoke with (and then one of the countries 250 most popular names). People began searching for their and their friends names in shops and then often would post on Social Media with the #ShareACoke and tag their friends. On many occasions this got the #ShareACoke trending which again helps boost brand exposure.
We know that not everyone has the funds and power of Coke Cola, so what can you do. Although Coke is operating its marketing campaigns on another level we can still take from them. The #ShareACoke campaign works as its personal, it hits customers with their own name and their friends. The hashtag is easy to remember and easy to share.
You need to think how you can market people on an emotional and personal level rather than a sales level. What hashtag is easy enough to remember and use on Social Medias but also represents your brand.
One that we have created and used for a client is #RondosMoments. We began sharing the hashtag with Rondos own posts and enticed players and parents at the academy to use the hashtag when sharing Rondos images. We saw people sharing their ‘Rondos Moments’ eg. images of games and events, such as the trip to Stamford Bridge and using the hashtag. This resulted in other interested individuals landing on Rondos pages through exploring their friends and families posts.
It was well executed and still used to this day and it comes down to that sense of community and ease of use.
Try something yourself, just remember it needs to be easy to use and have a reason beyond promoting your business. Hashtags are all about community but people may share hashtags that give images a funny context etc.
If you have any questions feel free to send an email over to hello@codeboxmedia.com and we will try to help out the best we can.
Alternatively hit me on twitter @baileymhorler
Visit our website at www.codeboxmedia.co.uk
