According to a recent mobile hashtag survey by
RadiumOne, 58 percent of respondents said they use hashtags on a regular basis, and 70 percent of the hashtag users are doing so from their mobile device.
RadiumOne’s survey evaluated how consumers perceive, value, and use hashtags. Of the 494 survey respondents, 71 percent were female and 44 percent, middle-aged. (RadiumOne noted that while social media use is most predominant with 18 to 24-year olds, comScore credits middle-aged women as the group most responsible for growth in social media site usage.)
Another key insight from RadiumOne’s survey was that hashtags are being used primarily to communicate personal ideas and feelings. The second most popular reason for using hashtags was to search or follow categories and brands of personal interest. People are also using hashtags to explore content, with 41 percent of respondents claiming they would click on a hashtag to learn more about a brand or product.
RadiumOne recommended a number of ways advertisers should be using hashtags, including building a stronger social presence, rallying consumers around sponsored causes or events, and driving more customers to specific brands. Citing that 25 percent of their survey respondents said they would re-post a hashtag attached to personally relevant content, RadiumOne reinforced how hashtags can be used to create meaningful conversations with customers.
Hashtags have expanded well beyond Twitter onto social media sites like Google+, Flickr, Instagram and Pinterest. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported Facebook is working toward integrating hashtags into their site, as well.
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