The importance of using hashtags in TV ads

No longer just a thing for Twitter, hashtags are supported by almost all social media platforms these days. They drive conversation, helping people to share and discuss various topics with friends, strangers and everyone in between. As businesses become more and more involved in the social media world, they are reaching out to a ever-widening audience. You may have started to notice hashtags appearing regularly in the marketing campaigns of various companies; not just on the web, but in a huge variety of media. They're present in competitions, print ads, radio, celebrity appearances and, especially, in TV ads. Hashtags are everywhere. So what is it that makes the hashtag so successful, and why is it so important for TV advertising?

Nowadays, we're never alone. As the smartphone and tablet craze has grown, you won't often find people without their technological friends. From dinners out, trips to the movies or even a cosy TV night at home, it's a dead cert that a lot of people are interacting online and offline all at the same time. Although this has caused many to grumble at the 'deterioration of society', lots of others can't help but take advantage of this multi-media age. According to The Guardian, eDigitalResearch/IMRG (2012) has discovered that "80% of smartphone owners, 81% of tablet owners and 73% of laptop owners use their devices in front of the TV". Furthermore, "41% of people have used one of these devices to browse for a product after seeing it in a show or advert". Evidently, taking advantage of these "dual-screeners" could result in a huge return in investment for marketers. The wider use of the hashtag is continuing to grow in the social media world, and incorporating this into marketing campaigns increases a companies chance of an ad going viral. 

There are tons of benefits for companies who decide to incorporate hashtags into their adverts. If hashtags drive conversation, it goes without saying that they have the potential to accrue more interest in a product and drive traffic to your website. Featuring them in a TV commercial makes it easier for consumers to discuss thoughts on any particular product, whilst sat comfortably in front of the box. Very often, users resort to Twitter to get more information about the show, the news, the commercial or sporting event they may be watching. Quite often, you will find companies take advantage of any big event going on. Wimbledon, the Chinese New Year and the Superbowl have all featured adverts that incorporate great hashtags in their campaigns. In the Superbowl, 16,231 people tweeted using the GoDaddy #TheKiss, following their saucy nerd-model kiss advert.

A hashtag essentially enables a company to demonstrate its social media-ability by confirming their web presence. It allows them to make it very clear that they are generating conversation about a particular event, issue or product. If done cleverly, it can boost a companies reputation, or show off different sides to any particular brand. Take, for example, the recent #clydesdales Bud Light ad campaign during the Superbowl, which featured a picture of a Clydesdale horse, encouraging users to come up with a name for the foal featured their ad. Now, beer isn't something that would immediately come to mind when looking at a horse, but the ad campaign generated a lot of user interest.

It goes without saying that the hashtag is a great tool for any tv campaign. It's all about proportion though, and a hashtag overkill could put off potential consumers. If done well, a good hashtag campaign can boost your brand and help you make your own mark in the social media world.

Charlotte Callaghan

Charlotte is a trainee journalist, who loves writing about anything and everything. Currently an intern at Social Media Frontiers, you can follow her @charlotteatsmf and @CharlotteR_4

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