One of the most important aspects to running successful promotions on Twitter and Instagram is the selection of your hashtag. Let’s take a look at the first 3 questions to answer when choosing your campaign hashtag.
- Am I running a contest or sweepstakes? The FTC updated their guidelines for running contests and sweepstakes on social media requiring brands to include “contest” or “sweepstakes” either within the promotion hashtag or as a it’s own hashtag. For example, if we wanted to run a sweepstakes called #VotigoTrip we would also need to include #Sweepstakes in order for entries to be eligible. Another option would be to use the single hashtag #VotigoTripSweepstakes. Your brand can use either option with our multiple hashtag promotion builder
- Is my hashtag easy to remember? When promoting your hashtag you’ll likely only have the attention of your potential entrant for a brief moment. Having a long or complex hashtag could result on misspellings or the user forgetting it all together. If you are giving away a big trip, it can be tempting to use #BrandHonoluluHawaiiTripOfALifetimeContest but you’ll be much better off simplifying that to #BrandHawaiiContest
- Has someone already used my hashtag? There’s nothing worse than launching a social promotion only to find out that another brand already used your hashtag. If you’re using a simplified hashtag, we suggest including your brand’s name to ensure a competitor hasn’t used it previously.