Hashtags are no longer just tools for categorization — they’re core elements of digital strategy. Whether launching a global brand campaign or engaging niche communities, the right hashtag can shape conversations, build reach, and amplify content across platforms. But not all hashtags are created equal. What works on Instagram may flop on Twitter. Facebook hashtags often underperform, while LinkedIn is only beginning to embrace them. To succeed, marketers must match their hashtag strategy to the platform, the audience, and the content format. By late 2018, some of the most successful brand campaigns are those that go beyond virality and tap into purpose-driven, community-led, or story-rich messaging.
Strategic Insight
What’s your story? You’re trying to be more than visible — you want to be memorable. Hashtags give your story a handle. They let audiences find you, join your movement, and amplify your voice.
What do you solve? You solve the noise problem. In crowded feeds, hashtags segment the chaos. They align your brand with a message or a mission. A well-placed hashtag invites discovery, fuels participation, and extends the life of your content.
How do you do it?
- Use branded hashtags to anchor campaigns (e.g., #ShareACoke)
- Join trending hashtags selectively to show relevance (e.g., #MondayMotivation)
- Create community hashtags to engage user-generated content (e.g., #MyCalvins)
- Research cross-platform behavior: Hashtag use is different on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube
- Avoid overstuffing — Instagram’s 9–11 hashtag sweet spot isn’t the same as Twitter’s 1–2 optimal tag model
- Monitor performance with tools like RiteTag, Keyhole, and Sprout Social
Why do they care? Because hashtags are bridges. They help audiences connect with ideas, communities, and brands that reflect their identity. The right hashtag strategy turns passive viewers into active participants.
Cross-Platform Campaign Highlights
1. Coca-Cola – #ShareACoke
Coca-Cola’s legendary personalized bottle campaign used #ShareACoke to drive social participation across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Users shared photos of bottles with friends’ names, tagged the hashtag, and spread the brand’s personalized message. The hashtag became a hub of user-generated content and emotional storytelling. Coca-Cola tracked success by engagement volume and brand mentions across platforms (Coca-Cola Company, 2018).
2. Calvin Klein – #MyCalvins
Calvin Klein’s campaign encouraged everyday users and celebrities to post photos in CK apparel with #MyCalvins. It thrived on Instagram where visuals and community identity drove momentum. By blending influencer content with customer posts, the brand created a high-trust loop of visual validation (Calvin Klein, 2018).
3. Always – #LikeAGirl
This campaign challenged stereotypes and turned a phrase used negatively into a message of empowerment. The hashtag first launched with a YouTube ad but gained traction across Twitter and Instagram as users shared stories, images, and commentary. It’s a prime example of a purpose-driven hashtag that crosses platforms with consistent tone (P&G, 2018).
4. Apple – #ShotOniPhone
Apple leveraged a simple concept: encourage iPhone users to post their best photos using #ShotOniPhone. The best were featured in global ads and billboards. This long-running campaign worked particularly well on Instagram, where stunning photography and simple tagging made users feel part of something bigger (Apple, 2018).
5. Nike – #JustDoIt30
To mark the 30th anniversary of “Just Do It,” Nike launched #JustDoIt30 with Colin Kaepernick’s ad as the centerpiece. Controversial yet powerful, it drove huge engagement on Twitter and Instagram, spurring both support and debate. Nike owned the conversation with strong messaging and follow-up content tailored to each platform (Nike News, 2018).
Platform-Specific Strategy Tips
- Instagram: Best for visual campaigns, lifestyle branding, and UGC. Use a mix of branded, industry, and community tags. Place hashtags in the first comment for a cleaner look.
- Twitter: Ideal for real-time trends and fast news. One or two hashtags per tweet are optimal. Join trending tags for visibility, but stay brand-aligned.
- LinkedIn: Still growing in hashtag use. Use professional and topic-based hashtags (#MarketingStrategy, #LeadershipTips). Avoid humor or pop culture unless relevant.
- Facebook: Minimal hashtag usage. Best to use only branded campaign tags or none at all.
- YouTube: Hashtags in titles and descriptions are clickable. Use sparingly and avoid over-tagging to prevent penalties.
Fictional Ideas
Jasmine is a marketing manager for a small travel agency launching eco-tourism packages. Instead of broad tags like #travel or #vacation, she creates #EcoEscape and encourages customers to share their trips. She features posts on Instagram Stories and compiles highlights monthly. On LinkedIn, she shifts to #SustainableTourism to target B2B travel partners. On Twitter, she jumps into World Tourism Day using #Tourism4SDGs. The campaign gains modest traction, but her email open rate increases after running a giveaway tied to the hashtag use — turning visibility into leads.
References
- Coca-Cola Company. (2018). Share a Coke campaign. https://www.coca-colacompany.com/news/share-a-coke-history
- Calvin Klein. (2018). MyCalvins campaign highlights. https://www.calvinklein.us/en/mycalvins
- P&G. (2018). Always #LikeAGirl case study. https://us.pg.com/blogs/always-likeagirl/
- Apple. (2018). Shot on iPhone campaign. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/06/shot-on-iphone/
- Nike News. (2018). Nike celebrates Just Do It. https://news.nike.com/news/nike-30-years-just-do-it
- Sprout Social. (2018). How to use hashtags by platform. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/hashtag-strategy/
- Later. (2018). Best hashtag practices for Instagram. https://later.com/blog/instagram-hashtags/
- Hootsuite. (2018). Hashtag marketing guide. https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-use-hashtags/
- Social Media Examiner. (2018). Hashtag research tools. https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/hashtag-research-tools/
- HubSpot. (2018). How to create a branded hashtag. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/branded-hashtag
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