In my day, hashtags ─ #s ─ were used when I wanted to dial into customer service. Now, hashtags mean how significant your impact in the social media world is.

This is the age when marketing has all the technology to help and to make the best of it, and in the marketing world, it’s time to realize that creativity plays a prominent role, as it always has.

People don`t use hashtags like they did when hashtags started back in 2007. Today, big-name corporations are launching their own hashtags so people can search for their specific brand.

The power of social media, while using hashtags, gives us the ability to search recommendations from close friends and influencers by using the simple hashtag, which is like a digital signature.

Today, in the earliest stages of the buying process, searching is done by hashtag advertising — the social proof offered by hashtagged photos which can help convert buyers in stores and on checkout pages, showing a little extra social proof can go a long way.

I do it too when searching for something before a purchase. People don`t look at ads anymore; they are searching for real proof and experiences.

The First Steps

Hashtags first appearance was on Twitter and with only one purpose ─ as a collection tool. Hashtags collect all the conversations with the same hyperlink and put them in one place, which allows users to find what they are looking for from other people by using the hashtags.

Everything started with a reality show, called The Bachelor, when the network that broadcasted the show made the hashtag, #TheBachelor, encouraging the viewers to comment live about the show.

This was a big success; people loved the opportunity to see all the conversations in one place.

The Purpose of Hashtags

Maybe we don`t want to agree, but we live in the era of Millennials, and they are big consumers, so everything is moving around them, from marketing to sales to advertising. You have guessed it – Millennials uses hashtags with almost every phrase they use.

Big branded companies see that opportunity, and of course, they added a hashtag to their campaigns. For every marketing campaign, today, a hashtag is a must, but the most important thing to know is how to use it and to be unique.

Over the past few years, we have been witnesses of brilliant hashtag uses for marketing. One of them was Red Bull’s #PutACanOnIt, Coca Cola’s #ShareaCoke, #RunningManChallenge and many more.

If you haven’t seen these campaigns, that means that you were living on a deserted island, because these campaigns have had big success and enormous sales, which was the goal of all the hashtag campaigns.

This worked quite successfully, and consumer brands, products and marketing campaigns use hashtags if they want to get noticed by Millennials.

The Less, the Better

To be recognizable in the social media world, and for people to easily find you, you need only one hashtag. Why? If you have several, people will not be sure which one is yours, and your company will have several hashtag conversations, instead of one.

A hashtag is a tool that when used correctly, it can help a brand to drive users and sales, as well as awareness of their brand.

In addition to digital habits, Millennials have a big impact and habits of buying online and their shopping habits and buying power is shaping the market today.

Final Thoughts

The power of social media marketing relies on your ability to create an engaging conversation between your company and your audience.

A hashtag provides your audience with more significant insights about your brand, your business and your history, which will help you to increase loyalty from your consumers.

The hashtag is a part of everyday marketing plans and social media platforms. It’s a way to show your marketing creativity and edge.

Posted by Maya S.