Hashtags are a great source of engagement on social media.

Using popular hashtags helps people discover your brand organically and drives traffic to your social channels.

However, if you want to maximize the potential hashtags can have on your social media marketing efforts, you should really consider using branded hashtags.

In this post, you’ll learn what branded hashtags are, why you should use them, when to use them, and tips for creating your own branded hashtag campaign.

Tips For Creating Branded Hashtags

Using branded hashtags incorrectly could annoy your audience. However, used correctly, they can be a powerful tool.

By following these tips, you’ll be sure to create a branded hashtag that resonates with your public.

Reference Your Brand

The whole point of creating a branded hashtag is to promote your brand.

Therefore, you should be sure to mention your brand’s name in your branded hashtag.

If your branded hashtag goes viral, lots of new potential customers will be exposed to your brand’s name and hopefully begin working their way down your sales funnel.

Make Your Hashtag Short and Memorable

You’ll want to make sure to keep your hashtag concise and simple. 

This will be easier for users to remember and make them more likely to engage with the hashtag.

You should also be sure to avoid commonly misspelled words.

This will make sure all of the user-generated content is organized in one spot, making it easier for you to judge the social sentiment of your campaign.

If possible, and depending on the voice of your brand, you should also try to incorporate humor.

This will make the hashtag more memorable for the user and encourage them to post content with your hashtag.

It’s kind of wild how some of the most successful branded hashtags came out of almost nowhere—think Lay’s #DoUsAFlavor or Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke. If you scroll through old Twitter (well, X now, but let’s not get distracted), you’ll notice a bunch of these started with a simple, relatable idea rather than a fancy, big-budget campaign. The really sticky ones just clicked with people and kept popping up in posts from folks who honestly seemed amused or excited to take part. That’s something worth keeping in mind: cheesy brand speak tends to flop, but a touch of realness travels far.

And look, you don’t have to chase virality every single time. There’s actually value in smaller, ongoing hashtag campaigns that speak to regulars, not just drive-by viewers. Maybe it’s a seasonal tag or something that celebrates your quirky company culture. If your audience feels like they’re “in on it,” the hashtag can become a little club of its own—and that low-key loyalty is gold when most folks are scrolling past at the speed of light. Sometimes it’s the steady background noise, not the flashy one-hit wonders, that sticks long-term.

Research Your Competitors

By paying attention to what your competitors are doing, you can see what is working for them and strategies you may want to consider incorporating.

If something seems to be working for your competitors and you’re not doing it, perhaps you should be.

If you want to succeed, you need to make sure you’re doing everything and more that your competitors are doing, but do it better than them.

Just be sure to make your campaigns unique.

Consider Your Broader Marketing Strategy

If you really want your branded hashtag to succeed, you should promote both on and off social media.

Including the hashtag in an email newsletter and print marketing is a great way to drive even more engagement for the hashtag. 

By promoting your hashtag on and off social media, you create a more holistic marketing strategy.

Include a CTA

Incorporating a CTA into your branded hashtag is a great strategy to help drive engagement.

By including a word like “share” or “create” in your hashtag, you encourage users to take the action you want them to take.

Wrap Up: Branded Hashtags Are Great for Driving Brand Engagement

While you should continue using popular hashtags to generate more awareness for your brand, branded hashtags allow you to create a unique hashtag with no competition.

By driving engagement for your brand, they help boost your social media presence.

However, to really improve your social media presence, you’ll need to consider strategies beyond branded hashtags.

To learn more, check out our guide to social media presence!

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