A symbol (#) that changed the face of modern communication

It is really beguiling to realize how an inconsequential symbol on our ‘landline’ telephones came to be the face of modern communication #WondersOfSocialMedia! #SocialMedia is a wonderful representation of the diversity and creativity that takes place across the world… It is fascinating to see how digitization has evolved over the years and what stuck since the early years. One such trend that most of us will recognize is #hashtags.

In today’s world, hashtags are synonymous to the on-going trends, conversations and are used in the form of keywords, phrases, sentences etc. We all love #SocialMedia and spend hours searching for the perfect hashtags that define our content. Apart from this, we even use hashtags to track conversations or topics of interests.

Let’s take a deep dive in understanding the wonder tool of digital communication:

#PopularityIsTheKey

It is essential for brands to plan communication which is unique and strikes conversations with the audience. For example, #AskMeAnything, comment with an #emoji etc. can be inculcated in regular or topical posts. On the other hand, brands can also use hashtags in their marketing campaigns to make them popular and a talking point in the market. For example, #ShareACoke campaign by Coco-Cola; #givesyouwings campaign by Red Bull saw huge popularity among the people on social media networks. When such hashtags become popular, people tend to use them to show their response on the campaign, which further plays a critical role in establishing brand awareness.

#Engagement and #Attention

Hashtags leverage engagement, which grabs attention and directs people towards a particular page. Imagine – while you are browsing your social media, your eyes will tend to grab attention on words which have hashtags such as #MondayBlues, #FridayFeels etc. rather than if they were written in simple words. Brands must spend enough time to plan hashtag strategies to figure out exclusive hashtags, trending hashtags, number of hashtags to be used etc to make the brand prominent on the digital platform. For example, Instagram allows to use 30 hashtags on the post, but brands should use up to 28 to 29 hashtags. It is this one symbol that attracts the users to the posts and makes them come to your social media pages.

#DiverseAudience

It is interesting to know that hashtags work like search engines, when they are used, it makes the post reach broader audience. While creating posts, you should research on the trending hashtags relevant to that topic, to reach to people beyond just your followers.

#Value, #VastReach, #Visibility

Hashtag mentions in the posts, makes the content even more valuable. This not only increases the visibility but also helps people who are looking out for that particular hashtag. For example, if you are a vegan brand and have used hashtags like #Vegan #VeganFood etc, it makes the job of the people easier when they are looking out for vegan dishes, making your content pop-up, relevant and informative to them.

It is interesting to see how a symbol on which we used to play tic-tac-toe can become a part of our communication. If you are yet to incorporate hashtags (#) in your digital marketing activities, now is the right time to start using them.

So, #LetsGoForIt and make the most of this symbol in your communication plans.