A Guide to Hashtag Campaigns

It’s no secret that hashtags have an influential role on social media. According to The Small Business Blog, 125 million hashtags are tweeted daily. Because of their success, brands have used hashtags to their advantage for marketing efforts. Thus, hashtag campaigns were born. But what are they? And why should I care? Here is a quick guide to hashtag campaigns:

What is a hashtag campaign?

A hashtag campaign is a marketing campaign that is promoted through hashtags. In many of the most popular hashtag campaigns, a brand will create a hashtag and encourage its followers to participate by uploading their content using the hashtag.

Why are hashtag campaigns successful?

These campaigns are an excellent way for brands to increase their visibility. If there is an exceptional amount of audience participation, the number of people the hashtag will reach is exponential. When followers of followers see hashtags, your brand’s name and trending hashtag will reach more screens, giving your brand more recognition.

With more eyes on your brand, brands can see growth in sales. More exposure for your brand can lead more people to find and try your products.

Additionally, user-generated content is great for your brand. One perk of this particular marketing strategy is the increase in audience participation. Another great outcome is the ability to recycle UGC and save time and effort in your social media efforts.

There are some things to keep in mind.

Make sure you keep it catchy but unique. You want the hashtag to be intentional enough that people won’t accidentally use it but catchy enough to stick in people’s minds.

Make sure it matches your target audience. If your hashtag isn’t on brand, your user participation will be low, which defeats the whole point of starting a hashtag campaign.

Be present while your campaign happens. Make sure to like and comment on those who use the hashtag across social media platforms. Your interaction will drive participation. Additionally, ensure you keep track of the numbers regarding how many people have used the hashtag.

Here are some examples of the most successful hashtag campaigns.

1. The #ShareACoke campaign

Started by Coca-Cola Australia, this hashtag campaign prompted users to share a bottle of Coke with their name on it with the hashtag “#ShareACoke.” This campaign got audiences involved and raised sales because everyone wanted to get in on the fun of snapping a picture of a bottle with their name on it.

On Instagram alone, the hashtag has over 620 thousand posts.

2. The #MyCalvins campaign

The famous brand Calvin Klein started a trend to show off your Calvin Klein merchandise using the hashtag #MyCalvins. Audiences around the world participated, and even celebrities with large followings used the hashtag, like. Calvin Klein prompts consumers to use the hashtag for a chance to be featured on their website, driving participation even more. Unlike many hashtag campaigns, #MyCalvins has maintained popularity.

The trendy CK hashtag currently has over 870 thousand posts on Instagram.

3. The #DoUsAFlavor campaign

In 2012, Lay’s chips brand launched a campaign to crowdsource the next new chip flavor. The winner would receive a one-million-dollar cash prize and their chip flavor in stores all over the US. Since then, Lay’s has rolled out a few more rounds of this campaign and kept their huge prize incentive.

The original launch of this campaign got 3.8 million submissions in just ten months.

Your brand’s hashtag campaign doesn’t need to blow up this large to be successful. As long as there is some incentive, it matches your brand’s style, and you acknowledge participation, your hashtag campaign will likely show promise.