Why are #Hashtags so important for Public Relations?

A “hashtag” is a word or phrase preceded by the pound symbol (#) — as in #hashtag, #PR, etc.  This is a quick way of grouping messages on social media platforms like Twitter,Instagram, Facebook and Google +.  Simply put, hashtags bring e-conversations together into one thread.

Consider a recent study by RadiumOne, which found 58 percent of consumers say they use hashtags regularly, while 43 percent say they’re useful, 34 percent use them to search, and 41 percent say they use them to communicate ideas or feelings.

For marketers and professional communicators, hashtags are potent tools for boosting a campaign’s online visibility and have the potential to sync multi-platform social media and traditional media programs. It could prove – at least for now – to be the ideal means of bridging all social media platforms. This is why we’re seeing an increasing number of organizations include their hashtag, as opposed to an unwieldy list of URLs, into traditional advertising and marketing information. In addition, hashtags are particularly well suited for tradeshows, special events, and  entertainment-related communication.

Hashtags are also a way to gain attention to your brand or cause.  For example, including #hunger into your social media post and/or news release about your company’s support of a local food pantry will link your brand to the broader conversations about #hunger. If your company is launching a drug to treat glaucoma, use “#glaucoma” to add your voice into the discussion.

Photo by LG Patterson, courtesy of MLB.com

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