When you use the hashtags, you can reach more people than just the people who follow you directly. Hashtags let you start new talks on social media, join existing ones, and take part in them. If your social media marketing posts get a lot of retweets, comments, likes, shares, etc., people will see your brand more.
Loved by many, little understood by others, and even abused by thousands, the hashtag has gained an important space in the online world (and the offline as well). We see it on social networks, on television, and even in magazines.
Do you know what the origin of the hashtag is?
Its origin, something particular, dates back to 1978 when the hash symbol (#) was introduced in the “C” programming language to be able to highlight keywords that must be processed before any other element by the C preprocessor.
There was also another important moment that I calculate was leading to the spread of this element even more, and it was the famous IRC chats where, thanks to the use of the numeral, chat rooms were created according to the theme. For example #Singles #Teens #Love
In any case, it is with the arrival of Twitter that the symbol of the numeral is transformed to become what we know today as hashtags, an element that would mark a before and after in the world of online marketing.
The 10 reasons to use the hashtag in online marketing.
- To label messages or conversations
As told in the history of the hashtag, the numeral was always obtained to label or highlight certain keywords.
Therefore, it is important to use the hashtag in online marketing to “tag” the messages that are published and thus give it a context.
- To create a trend
Surely you have ever heard of Trending Topics, those topics that are all the rage on Twitter and that everyone is talking about. Using the ideal hashtag within a message can trigger it to become a trend for some reason.
- To find influencers
Using the hashtag in online marketing, when looking for profiles on some social networks that allow it, can be of great help to find influencers.
Usually, influencers understand the importance of using this tool and therefore it becomes part of their day to day.
- To find specific content
Just as thanks to the hashtag we can find influencers, we can also find content on different social networks.
Today, people have become accustomed to including the hashtag in their posts to tag the content and thus make it more striking and relevant. But from the side of the searcher, this becomes a fundamental tool.
- To find out what is being said about the competition
As the hashtag in online marketing is being used more and more and in different social networks, an excellent idea is to use it to see what is said about our competition.
For example, when searching on Facebook, we can see what our contacts are talking about a certain brand. Depending on the type of social network, the results will vary, but everything works for the marketer who is researching the competition.
- To create or join a chat
Believe it or not, you can chat on Twitter (Well, something like that).
For this, many people began to use #TwitterChat so that anyone can participate and join the conversation. From the point of view of online marketing, this can be a very good resource to interact with our followers or favorite accounts.
- To find “target audiences”
One use that we can give to the hashtag in online marketing is to be able to find certain segments of users of our interest. Remember that many people use the hashtag to tag the message they are posting, but many also use it to show which “tribe” they belong to.
For example, searching for a national or international event could show those who share the same tastes.
- To curate content
When searching for a topic, using the hashtag as a content curation element can be an excellent idea. Since you know that many people use it and that the more “twitter” one is, the more one understands its importance, then you can take advantage of this.
For example, if I’m researching Growth Hacking, simply using different hashtags could help me a lot.
- To customize your campaign
Although using the typical hashtags in different social networks can serve to give a message a context, there is a much better idea:
Use the Hashtag in Online Marketing to Create a Unique Campaign
As simple as inventing your own hashtag and promoting it in many ways.
For example, Baileys promoted the hashtag #ThisBook to promote the award for best women’s fiction, encouraging people to share their experiences.
- To encourage your community to participate
Not everything is about using the hashtag in online marketing so that they find you.
It is also about motivating your users to be interactive and participate with your brand, creating content, in a raffle or simply for fun. A very interesting example is the case of the clothing brand Levi’s, which motivated its Instagram users to use the hashtag #IAmLevis in order to find the new face of the brand.
Hashtag types
- # of companies: Also called corporate, business… Company hashtags are essential to give visibility to the brand on social networks and attract an audience through the keyword with the aim of creating positive trends. This is only possible when you want to learn how to succeed in social networks.
- # of content: In this case, the content hashtags are related to the content being advertised in a post. These # improve the SEO strategy, since users will search through that keyword.
- # of events or campaigns: they are very effective in obtaining virality and diffusion. Event or campaign hashtags should be short, original, and directly related to the event. You have to implement them a few weeks before the event, and also after, so that they have a correct diffusion.
- # viral: to use viral hashtags, you must be up to date with news and trends that affect the content you want to publish. So, if we identify a # related to our sector, niche or company, it can be used to increase visits to our content with the aim of generating impact.
- # of Places: Place hashtags are very useful for building close relationships with your local potential audience. They are of great help to local businesses and companies that have just been born and are not yet known.
