Best Practices for Hashtags in Marketing Campaigns

Hashtags have always been synonymous with Twitter and smart brands make sure to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. As we've seen in the world of sports, hashtags help embody an experience and marketers are wise to tap into that feature. As Google+ (and now Facebook) has embraced the use of hashtags, these tools aren't going away anytime soon. Here are five best practices for hashtags to consider for your next marketing campaign.

KEEP IT SHORT

Twitter, Google+ and Facebook allow different character amounts. Since hashtags are mostly associated with Twitter, it's important to be considerate of Twitter's 140-character limit when creating your hashtag. You don't want your hashtag to be so long that it impedes on the length of Tweets. Your campaign’s hashtag should also be short enough for today’s short memory spans.

MAKE IT UNIQUE

If your campaign's hashtag is similar to a hashtag that used in another campaign or in another context, you run the risk of your hashtag not being used for its intended purpose. Even worse, your hashtag could get lost in the mix. Be unique and your hashtag will have a better chance of reaching a trending status.

Along these lines, do you know who really excels at coming up with unique hashtags?  Jimmy Fallon, that’s who.

CONSIDER PARODIES

Can the letters used in your hashtag be rearranged to spell out a vulgar or unintended phrase? If you’re not sure, you better believe that social media trolls will be happy to make this determination for you. Having someone play on your hashtag could negatively overshadow all the other great elements of your campaign. 

USE IT OFTEN (AND EVERYWHERE) 

If you want your hashtag to catch on, it’s got to be seen often…and not just in Tweet form. Include your hashtag on all of your campaign’s printed materials, on your website, on promotional items, on business cards, in your email signature…the opportunities are endless.

AVOID NUMBERS, IF POSSIBLE

Some may consider this last practice to be a little nitpicky. I only suggest it because numbers can be easily transposed by Tweeters sharing your hashtag, which would point follwers in the wrong direction. If your hashtag is associated with an annual event, the use of numbers would be acceptable when indicated the year of the event in your hashtag.

I hope these practices help your hashtags or at least give you something to ponder. Please feel free to tweet some of your hashtag tips to me - @nick_baggett. Thanks for reading!