Hashtag Marketing

A new marketing phenomenon has taken over. Thanks to Twitter, Hashtag Marketing is becoming the new norm for companies to advertise.

According to Ask A Mad Man's Matthew Adam Dugow, Twitter users created Hashtags as a way to categorize their individual tweets. This allows other users to measure the amount of engagement a specific Hashtag receives. Once a Hashtag has received enough engagement, it becomes a trend, and from there it goes viral.

Companies are now putting high emphasis on Hashtags in their advertising. As Dugow stated, this now allows a company to measure their Hashtag's engagement with the public. According to David Berkowitz, many companies have been running into problems with their Hashtag's being hijacked. McDonald's created a Hashtag campaign that was taken right out from under them as well as Research In Motion's #BeBold.

Once a Hashtag has made enough noise, it becomes susceptible to being "Brand Jacked." Berkowitz discusses how to go about Hashtag Marketing in a way that avoids disaster.

First, a company must figure out why they are using a Hashtag. Are they trying to create more awareness of a product or service, or are they trying to create a centralized discussion? Knowing what you would like to get from using a Hashtag can avoid a lot of problems down the road. Once you've decided to create a Hashtag, it is important to assess the risk. Hashtags are put out in the public and can be stolen. Knowing these risks can avoid panic in the case of Brand Jacking.

When determining your Hashtag, make sure that it is cohesive with your goals. Using your brand name in a Hashtag can turn people away because they may not want to put your brand name in their message. Research In Motion's #BeBold allows for a much wider use, yet will all still be categorized as one. It is also important to be true to your brand as you create your Hashtag. Berkowitz uses the example that a fast food burger chain that has a salad on the menu should not lead their campaign with #BeHealthy. One should also avoid "piggybacking" on popular and funny Hashtags such as #ThingsWomenWant or #WorstMondayEver. One must remember that people are still able to say mean and crude things in their tweets with your Hashtags. This now connects your Hashtag to negative messages.

Once you've created your Hashtag, monitor it religiously. This is even more so the case if you have created a Hashtag that has never been used. It is important to see what type of activity and engagement the Hashtag has created to see if it has potential to be successful.

Finally, have a crisis plan. If your Hashtag campaign goes poorly or gets Brand Jacked, have a team ready for crisis control. Berkowitz stresses the importance of each team member knowing their role and what to do in a bad situation. Once your team has been established and roles have been assigned, you must spring into action. Follow through with your crisis plan to avoid further damage.