#Effective: How to build a solid hashtag campaign

Hashtags have become a part of everyday culture–and just like most elements of social media, they are now an essential part of operating an effective social media campaign for your business. In terms of social media, hashtags originated on Twitter. However, the concept is so elegant and simple that the hashtag concept has been adopted on a variety of additional platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, and Vine.

What is a hashtag?

Hashtags are a fast and easy way to aggregate information on a topic, and the concept allows your audience to engage with social media marketing campaigns. They can range from simple topics to very specific items. For example, someone who plays video games might tag a selfie on Instagram with the hashtag #gamer. Or, someone showing off an outfit might add the hashtag #ootd, shorthand for “outfit of the day.” Hashtags can also connect people who are interested in the same topic, so someone tweeting about politics might tag a post with #GunControl or #ClimateChange.

What does this mean for your business? Businesses may leverage hashtags by creating their own. A successful hashtag campaign can create brand awareness online for your company and also has the ability to “go viral”–exponentially increasing your visibility. Hashtags can be used to promote contests, events, or brand visibility.

Elements of an Effective Hashtag Campaign

• Effective hashtags are short and sweet. For example, if C7 Creative were hosting a community open house, we might promote the event with #C7OpenHouse. Or, to punch up how interesting our hashtag is and make it even shorter, we could use #MeetC7. This amps up the quality of the tag because it contains a call to action.
• As soon as you have a prospective hashtag, check to make sure it’s not already in use. If you don’t check first, you risk becoming associated with a movement or concept that could be embarrassing for your business or simply irrelevant. Try a tool like tagboard.com to check the status of your hashtag.
• Once you launch your campaign, monitor it attentively. This is important for two reasons: one, you should engage anyone who uses the tag and two, you should keep an eye on the campaign in case you need to do damage control. By engaging users quickly, others will be encouraged to use the tag and you will maintain an engaged audience. Keeping an eye on your campaign will also allow you to effectively deal with any negative trends that start with your hashtag before they go viral.

As always, I hope this tidbit will help you to create a more compelling social marketing strategy. If you want to create amazing content that will help you increase your search engine presence then get in touch with C7 Creative today, your local Jacksonville search engine optimization experts.

by Calvin Bryant
Digital Marketing Geek

Calvin Bryant

Calvin is a digital expert with clients in the U.S., U.K., and the Caribbean Islands. As the founder of C7, he has worked with Joel Osteen, Carlos Santana, the FBI, and the NBA. He resides in Ponte Vedra, Florida, and is a proud father and husband of 28+ years to his wife, Krista.