Hashtag holidays are an integral part of the digital landscape. Many small businesses are hesitant to participate because they aren’t sure that it’s worth their time or energy, but believe us: it is! If used correctly, the benefits of participating in a social media or hashtag holiday are boundless. Here are a few of the reasons why your company should be actively taking part!
Visibility & Brand Awareness
As with any trending hashtag or topic on social media, participating will exponentially increases your opportunity to reach people. This includes current followers, customers, and prospective leads.
This also creates an opportunity to collaborate with other companies or organizations. For instance, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer research foundations and nonprofits are partnering with businesses in order to optimize impact and reach. Social media for social good. Many of these campaigns are taking advantage of the hashtag #PInktober to expand their reach and solicit online donations.
Engagement
People are using social media to reach out to brands. Take the opportunity to respond and interact with current and potential customers! Create a campaign that encourages participation. For instance, ask people to post a photo, tagging your company and using the trending holiday hashtag!
Conversion
Create a sale or promotion using the holiday hashtag and encouraging engagement! Whatever your call-to-action is, take the opportunity of prospects paying attention to make the ask.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Is this holiday relevant to our brand and message?
According to Sprout Social, 41% of people will unfollow a business that posts things that are irrelevant. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to participate in everything. Make sure that your brand meshes with the holiday.
What is this holiday, exactly?
Don’t attempt to participate in a holiday that you may not know the origins of or what exactly it means. There are so many holidays to choose from that it doesn’t do you any favors to create a campaign that will leave people scratching their heads, or worse yet, offended.
Check your dates!
Don’t assume that the holiday is the same date, each year. This can leave you with egg on your face. Make sure to see when the day falls, in addition to the date, so as to avoid confusion and embarrassment.
Remember to be smart and discerning in choosing social media and hashtag holidays to participate in. And of course, have fun!
Are there any tips you have? Any horror stories of hashtags gone wrong? We’d love to hear them!
The team at Ortho Marketing are the experts in orthodontic marketing. At Ortho Marketing, we serve orthodontic practices on the international level. If you have any questions pertaining to website design, social media marketing, SEO, reputation management, Google Adwords, or PPC campaigns, or would like to get started marketing your orthodontic practice, contact Ortho Marketing at: 914-788-1555
