• PRODUCTS
    • Radarr
    • Command Center
    • Sentiment API
  • PLANS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports & Whitepapers
    • Webinars
    • Radarr Blog
  • COMPANY
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Media Coverage
  • SUPPORT
    • System Status
    • Contact Us
  • ACADEMY
    • Radarr Academy
  • TOOLS & API
    • Sentiment API
  • BOOK A DEMO
  • LOGIN/SIGNUP

8 Hashtag Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make

  June 12, 2014
  peter.allmer
  Case Studies

As all social media marketers are aware, the “hashtag” can be a very powerful tool, whether it is used on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or any other such platform. However, as the age old adage goes, with great power comes great responsibility. We will be taking a look at several big name brands who made some irresponsible (and even just plain silly) hashtag mistakes when utilizing the promotional power of these keywords.

McDonald’s: #McDStories

Recently, McDonald’s launched a Twitter campaign prompting followers to share personal stories about their McDonald’s meals using the hashtag #McDStories. Unfortunately, this hashtag quickly became hijacked by jokers and dissatisfied patrons, who began slinging horror stories about food sickness and such.

Lesson: Keep in mind that your followers will not always say what you initially intend and a harmless prompt can quickly backfire. Remember that using a hashtag on social media is essentially initiating an open forum discussion, trending on your hashtag keyword.

Entenmanns: #notguilty

Snack and pastry company, Entenmanns lost some serious PR points when they employed the #notguilty tag (intended for the Casey Anthony trail verdict, which had been reached earlier that day). Needless to say, the tweet was removed when followers expressed their disdain for the distasteful use of a trending tag

Lesson: When using a trending hashtag that you or your company may find clever because of its relevance to current events, think first! The last thing you want to do is to come across to your followers as insensitive.

Celeb Boutique: #Aurora

This is one of the more tasteless hashtag failures that we have come across. Following the tragedy of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, Celeb Boutique attempted to use the trending #Aurora tag to promote their new line of dresses.

Lesson: Pretty straightforward on this one, folks. Don’t abuse a tag meant to promote awareness of a current tragedy just because it is trending. The PR nightmare that it is going to cause will do you much more harm than good.

Newsweek: #MuslimRage

Here we have a prime example of social media users hijacking a well-intended hashtag and running wild with it. #MuslimRage was meant to promote conversation about the September 2012 issue of Newsweek magazine, but thanks to immature jokers, things rapidly got out of hand.

Lesson: Expect the unexpected. Before using a hashtag, be aware that you will have little to no say about the conversations that will spring up around your keyword.

BlackBerry: #RIMjobs

If you don’t know why this hashtag is both hilarious and inappropriate, I am not going to explain it here, but it is nothing that you cannot figure out in 4 seconds with a quick Google search or trip to www.urbandictionary.com.

This initially innocent hashtag was intended to promote awareness for jobs with BlackBerry (RIM stands for Research in Motion, the original patent name of the company). Unfortunately, by some means unknown, the entire marketing department of BlackBerry failed to realize that their hashtag had a very different meaning which made countless adolescents and immature adults giggle uncontrollably.

Lesson: Not much to say here in terms of a retrospective lesson–just do your homework and make sure that your promotional keyword doesn’t also double as a niche sexual act.

Kenneth Cole: #Cairo

Another PR disaster occurred when clothing company Kenneth Cole linked the release of its spring collection of clothes and accessories to the trending #Cairo tag, in response to the unrest and rebellion in Cairo, Egypt. Again, a move like this is just plain insensitive.

Lesson: Same as before–don’t ruin your public opinion by distastefully using a current event to promote your posts. There are plenty of other ways to generate hype for your brand.

Urban Outfitters: #frankenstorm

Sometimes, a company won’t even wait until a tragedy has subsided before trying to hop on the hashtag bandwagon. This is the case with Urban Outfitters, who, during the onset of super-storm Sandy, promoted free shipping from their website with the #frankenstorm tag, referencing the devastating hurricane.

Lesson: Be sensitive with your tweets, and think about how others may react to a questionable post, because more often than not, it will be negatively.

TacoBell: #dream

Although this last one isn’t directly a hashtag, it still follows the same principles as what we have been discussing. Now, out of context, you may think that there is nothing wrong with this tweet, and out of context, you would be right. However, the issue arises when you realize that this tweet was posted on Martin Luther King Day, presumably linking dreams of tacos with MLK’s dream of racial equality. Sorry Taco Bell, your food may be delicious, but it is certainly not on par with King’s “I have a dream…” speech.

Lesson: I am probably starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but this factor cannot be stressed enough. When you are using a hashtag, you are opening up a public conversation, so it is imperative that you have the general public in mind. Don’t offend your audience in exchange for humor.

Book your Radarr demo today!

Recent Posts

View All Posts

CASE STUDY
Data is nothing but numbers if you are not able to weave a story and create meaningful insights.
Scroll down to view and download our free reports and whitepapers and learn how we utilize Radarr to give you insights into industry trends, social media happenings and much more.
Download Case Studies
how to find the right influencers
Find the Right Influencers: 10 Steps to Find the Right Influencer for Your Campaign
| Influencer Marketing

Struggling to increase your campaign reach? Find the right influencer. With social commerce gaining immense popularity over the past

social media engagement KPIs
Which of These KPIs Demonstrate Social Media Engagement?
| Social Media Marketing

Tracking the right KPIs helps you evaluate your content better and takes you closer to your social media goals.

influencer marketing campaigns
How to Run Influencer Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Examples
| Influencer Marketing

Learn more about the best influencer marketing campaigns and how to run one yourself. Influencer marketing is a method

tiktok growth strategy and tiktok algorithm
TikTok Growth Strategy – TikTok Algorithm And Strategies
| Social Media Marketing

Tiktok is one of the fastest-growing apps in history. It’s currently valued at $50 billion and has over 1

tiktok marketing statistics
23 TikTok Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2022
| Social Media Marketing

List of all the important TikTok marketing statistics you need to know. Whether you love it or hate it,

online reputation management
Online Reputation Management: What It Is, Why It Is Important and Best Practices to Follow
| ORM / Online Reputation Management

Whether you’re a small business or a Fortune 500 company, it’s important to have a good online reputation. Your

linkedin marketing statistics
37 LinkedIn Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2022
| Social Media Marketing

Planning to use LinkedIn for marketing and advertising? Here are the LinkedIn marketing statistics to know of. To market

guide to using youtube hashtags
Ultimate Guide to Using YouTube Hashtags to Grow Your Channel
| Social Media Marketing

Learn how to use YouTube hashtags to grow on the video streaming platform.  Did you know YouTube attracts 14.3

attribution model for social media marketing
What Is an Attribution Model for Social Media Marketing and Why Does It Matter?
| Social Media Analytics, Social Media Marketing

Struggling to understand if social media really works? Introducing attribution model. When using social media platforms for marketing, businesses

what is marketing analytics
Marketing Analytics: What It Is and Why It Matters for Fast-scaling Brands
| Market Analysis

Just like diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend, we call marketing analytics a marketer’s best friend. 

Radarr Newsletter

Become part of our list for updates and get first dibs on free industry reports. Sign up today!

Radarr

Radarr Command Center

Radarr Sentiment API

Copyright Radarr 2021

Privacy Policy

Terms of Use