#doyougetwhatimsaying

When used correctly, hashtags and social media campaigns can elevate a brand. On the flip side, if they’re poorly written, they can have the opposite affect. I often find myself looking at longer hashtags and having to carefully read them to understand what they’re trying to say. Although hashtags seem like a minuscule part of a marketing strategy, they have the potential to make a large impact.

As a business owner, I understand the importance of this as I drove all of my business through social media- Instagram and Facebook. My Instagram username, Bamabina_Bakes, ties into my hashtag #BambinaBakes. I also encourage anyone who posts my work to use my hashtag in order to gain more visibility.

Just as there are strategies for large marketing campaigns, there are for small social media campaigns as well.

You’ll want to make sure you’re using your hashtag on relevant content. I wouldn’t post a picture of my incredibly cute dog and add #BambinaBakes.

If you’re using your hashtag on Twitter, be prepared for discussion. Good and bad. There are always people who may not like what you post. Larger corporations often see negative feedback on social media campaigns because the audience knows someone is reading it and running damage control.

Instagram and Facebook did not used to have an edit feature, but luckily for most brands they do. I read about Sephora’s social media mistake: They left out the U from their #CountDownToBeauty campaign… woops.

Have you witnessed a hashtag gone wrong?

Hennessy, R. (2016). Your Hashtag and Your Brand go Hand in Hand. Entrepreneur Media, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/282109.