#HashTagThis, why don’t you

by Zaida Granados

You must be familiar with them, or have at least seen them all over your News Feed and Tweets
(does #aprendí or #tumundo ring a bell?). I would even venture to say that you’ve made up
your own and possibly used others’ (#ILoveCats or #Winning). They come in all lengths and
languages, but they have one common variable: they all begin with a hashtag.

This hashtag trend is nothing new; it all began with techies and early adopters of Twitter, and
has progressively gained its foothold among celebrities, tweens, and even brands. This is where
my fascination – or more importantly, blessing – of the hashtag lies.

Brands have a greater impact and lead in social media when they effectively use trends that
their target audience will easily adopt. One perfect example is #OldSpice, which spiked as a
result of the Old Spice Guy campaign with Isaiah Mustafa. Is it possible that a hashtag was a
catalyst for its popularity? It’s certainly something to consider.

The possibilities are many with a hashtag. I noted “blessing” earlier because it’s a valuable tool
for tracking users’ use of a brand’s hashtag – positive or negative – for agencies/marketers to
respond to. It’s also a viral source, a means to promote and be promoted.

Should you be intrigued by such a simple symbol that has taken social media by storm, check
out The New Yorker article about the hashtag phenomenon.

Personally, though, #IAmCurious…what is your #favorite hashtag