By now, you have heard about or you have witnessed the phenomenon that is hashtags (words with a “#” symbol in front of them that appear as links) on Facebook. The trend started with Twitter, which uses hashtags as a way to group conversations around certain topics or events.
Many users have been employing hashtags on Facebook for a while, but until recently, they didn’t serve any real purpose. They were just an extension of the online culture of Twitter and social media in general. Now, Facebook has activated the feature so that hashtags actually mean something. A hashtag on Facebook is quite similar to a hashtag on Twitter; it groups all users together who use that particular hashtag so that you can follow conversations across the network.
Just like on Twitter, this is good news for brands. Tracking campaign reach and user engagement is easier. It also allows for cross promotional campaigns and tracking between Twitter, Facebook and other social networks that use hashtags, like Instagram.
Outlined here are three brands that have integrated Facebook hashtags into their overall marketing campaigns in creative and effective ways. Learning about how these brands have found ways to extend Twitter conversations, link conversations between social networks and include their brand into broader topics (like holidays) may spark some idea for how you can utilize Facebook hashtags for your campaigns.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, more commonly known as KFC, has a good grasp of how to use hashtags that make sense for their particular brand. For example, KFC ran a Father’s Day contest for one dad to win a trip to Las Vegas. Any posts about the contest or Father’s Day were accompanied by the hashtag #FreshFathers.
The fast food chain also ran some posts and images with the hashtag #Iatethebones, an extension of TV ads the brand ran for it’s new boneless chicken in which actors worried they had eaten the bones of their KFC chicken. The #Iatethebones hashtag was not only an extension of the TV ads, but also a tie-in to Twitter. The accompanying images were sometimes illustrated renditions of their followers' Tweets.
Through their use of hashtags, you can really see that KFC understands how the hashtags on Facebook help to tie all their social media and advertising campaigns together.
Luxury car brand Porsche has been using hashtags for one of their best purposes: connecting followers at an event. Recently, the brand has been involved with the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Followers were directed to watch the hashtag #porschegoodwood for photos during the event.
Prior to the festival, Porsche ran a photo contest and encouraged followers to submit photos with the hashtag #lovePorscheFofS of the Porsche 911. Users could then follow the submissions through the hashtag and eventually to a site where their could vote on their favorite. Winners received two tickets to the Goodwill Festival of Speed.
The coffee chain giant Starbucks is dropping hashtags all over their Facebook page. Probably the most creative and engaging is the play on words hashtag, #strawsome. If you have ever been on any social network, ever, you know people love to snap photos of their Starbucks cups. The brand is playing into that by highlighting their cool drinks for summer with the #strawsome hashtag.
The chain also uses another hashtag tactic by capitalizing on popular phrases users are using for other posts like #aloha and #pickmeup. By co-opting these popular hashtags, Starbucks inserts themselves into the conversation.
