Your Thoughts: Is the Hashtag over?
This article was published last week and is quite interesting. Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with using hashtags.
Is the Hashtag over? Researchers reveal Super Bowl ads have abandoned them (and Facebook and Twitter) for URLs.
- Out of 66 ads only 30% of them had a hashtag - while 41% included a URL
- This year had a 15% decrease in number of hashtags used in commercials
- Twitter handles were only shown in 5 commercials and Facebook in 4
To me, this is no surprise. We've been talking about the evolution from the Google Era to the Social Era and now to the Community Era (article).
Hashtags don't drive customers to websites - URLs do. Hashtags do relatively nothing, except a mediocre job at organizing content. And hashtags are not owned by anyone, so a "hashtag takeover" is always possible - by another brand or by people posting porn to that hashtag. Not a good look when trying to trend something in your brand's favor.
One of the bigger fails in years past was using #CFP for the College Football Playoffs. If you go out to Instagram now and search on #CFP, you'll see a bunch of stuff - football, but more cross-fit professionals.
Also, I just posted on my LinkedIn timeline about the current #oreodunksweepstakes campaign currently happening. Several commercials last night during the Grammys and in-store pop-ups features pictures of Christina Aguilera and Shaq. Can't believe how there is a positive ROI to this one. You either already purchase Oreos or you don't, right?
Many of you are much smarter than I am, so would love your thoughts when you get a moment. Would also love examples of using hashtags for campaigns which have actually driven measurable ROI for a brand. Thanks much!
#gratitude