Why is the # so popular?

Hashtag is ubiquitous and increasingly popular on social media platforms and culture. Thus far, Facebook, Pinterest, Instalgram, Twitter, and Tumblr have offered hashtag to build larger conversations who are interested in the same topic. Below I will examine the factors behind Hashtag's rapid adoption and popularity.

First, on the consumer perspective, hashtag is an easy way for people to set a context and follow a specific topic. Essentially, consumers can tap into a broader community across multiple social media platforms and connect with others who have the same interest.

Second, on the brand standpoint, hashtag provides brand exposure and integrated campaign to track and influence conversation about business in real time across multiple sectors and marketing channels. As a result, brands can engage and drive conversation with the right fan with the right message at the right time. For example the Super Bowl ad spot, hashtag could effectively and quickly gauge the TV ad impact and reach as the spot goes live. Brand can conveniently join a real time online conversation as the TV ad is on the air.

Third, hashtag is a big data where brands can harvest consumer trends and deep insight to focus on important and relevant issues. For example, using hashtag, a company was able to see sentiments and opinions about the conference. By applying filters on key words, the company is able to determine consumer perception and opinion on product announcements.

But not every hashtag offers value to brands and advertisers. To create a successful hashtag campaign, brands first need to have a memorable, differentiate tag preferably something short and they need to share it across platforms so it can start trending. Below are some trends and campaigns that have been successful.