The Instagram Weekend Hashtag Project is a fantastic way of encouraging creativity and customer engagement with your brand.
By helping you think outside the box and pushing your creative boundaries within the brand identity the #WHP can help you harness the art of connecting emotionally with your audience whilst developing amazing imagery for repurposing throughout other social media channels.
Christine Watson of Watson & Co Chartered Marketer explained: “Hashtag marketing can help your business or service to be found through your use of social content. Not just that but by using the right hashtags you can expand your reach to new audiences as a result of the engagement and reposting that can come off the back of having engaging and interesting content.
“If you have your own hashtag for your brand, service or campaign then this is a great way of encouraging user generated content and talkability around your business.”
So now you’re convinced, how can you really make #WHP work for you? Here’s a few tips to get you started:
1. Be authentic
Make sure the images are your own, not only is it part of the rules for taking part but it will help you be authentic and genuine about your participation. People who follow #WHP want to see the effort and creativity you’ve put in to your contribution.
2. Timing
When we are time starved and low on resources we tend to skimp on the things we think that don’t matter. Don’t be tempted to hunt out an old picture that you think might do. Try to be fully engaged with the process otherwise you won’t maximise the potential.
3. Perspective & Composition
Most of the #WHP featured pictures have stunning composition and textured perspective that gives their photos depth, take a while to research what is successful and think about how you can recreate those elements with your brand.
4. The Story
Imagery is important, yes! But having a great story behind the picture is a big part of the #WHP. Think about what your photo says about you, your brand, your customers etc…and try to avoid direct selling and cheesy sales chat up lines.
5. Be Natural
It’s important that your content creation “feels” natural to anyone who sees it. Savvy social media users can sniff out a contrived or awkward message in no time. Only do what is natural to you and your brand.
6. Link Your Content
Think about how you can use hashtags to link your content to other brands, movements, lifestyles and people that your audience have an affinity to. For example, you might sell hot chocolate and your audience might be children, so why not depict your product in a Spiderman cup or have fun with kids in superhero costumes and use your hashtags to link to #marvel #comicbooks #spiderman etc….
7. What Works?
Look at what has worked for you in the past. There’s a reason it worked… Could you use his premise or idea to build upon, create an ongoing campaign, update, tweak or rejuvenate? Think about what your audience has already responded to and play to those strengths. Don’t forget to have a bit of a stalk of your competitors and the Instagram featured #WHP posts, you’ll be surprised how many unique ideas come out of seeing what other people are doing.
8. Make It Fun
There really is no point getting involved in something like the #WHP if you’re not going to enjoy it. It is your weekend after all.
9. When To Move On
It’s alright to admit when some ideas just aren’t working. Don’t give yourself brain damage by trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. If it’s not happening and doesn’t look right – move on to something new or focus on something you can achieve.
10. Be Emotional
Whether it’s through your photo or the story you tell, being able to invoke the emotions of your audience is absolutely key to getting engagement. Thing about what you can say that will tap into how your audience is feeling and use that to your benefit.
11. Teambuilding
Think about how else you can use #WHP in your business. For example, could you turn it into a Friday afternoon brainstorming session with your team? Using it as a way to increase their creative thinking and sending your staff home over the weekend on a high? Could you incentivise them to come up with something that can be used over the weekend on the brand channel?
12. Brand Culture
Use the #WHP to show off your brand culture, this isn’t about selling particular product or service but more about demonstrating the lifestyle or culture of your brand or service. Ie, what life could be like if your audience used your product or service.
For more information about the forthcoming Instagram For Businesses Bootcamp training by Watson & Co Chartered Marketing and Training Matchmaker supported by Excalibur Press on Thursday June 21 from 9am – 5pm in Belfast go to www.excaliburpress.co.uk/instagrambootcamp
Journalist specialising in showbiz, entertainment, business, trade, human interest and lifestyle.
