In recent years, hashtags have seemingly died out, with captions gaining priority in boosting engagement. Meta has taken drastic actions against hashtags in the last year, starting with removing the ability to follow tags on Instagram.
Since then, they have also cracked down on hashtags on Facebook. If you are caught using tags unrelated to your post, or spamming heaps of them, your posts will no longer reach any user that doesn’t already follow you, and lose momentum.
All of these actions point to abandoning the once essential hashtag. New changes in the Meta algorithm prioritise captions and pushing content to users that the algorithm believes they would be interested in.
The hashtag may not be in its prime anymore, but it has still got a few tricks up its sleeve. However, your approach is going to have to change. Gone are the days of finishing off your Facebook post with the twenty most popular hashtags at the time. We are playing a new game against a new algorithm, and precision is king.
To extract value from these tags, you must choose 2-3 tags that are highly relevant to your niche, yet not too popular. The sweet spot is estimated to be between 5,000 and 800,000 posts under the tag, as to ensure your content does not get lost in a sea of posts. No matter what the algorithm does, the hashtag will always have the ability to categorise your post under a certain topic.
Post it, and the interested will come.
There’s a growing concern among marketers: are social media captions becoming too generic? As platforms increasingly prioritise algorithm-driven content, are we at risk of losing the creative spark that connects us to our audiences?
However, as marketers, one of our most valuable tools is understanding our audience. Crafting captions that reference local culture, geography or a witty one liner to resonate with our audience. They allow us to build relevance and drive meaningful engagement. But if the strategy shifts purely towards optimising for algorithms, to simply “land on the right feed”, will our captions become formulaic, losing their human touch?
The ever-changing nature of social media continues to challenge us. But at Marketing Network Group, we see these shifts not as setbacks, but as opportunities. We remain committed to navigating these changes, finding the right balance between strategy and creativity, and delivering the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Client Spotlight – Illumination Lighting
Over the past few months, Marketing Network Group has been working closely with the Illumination Lighting team in Donabate, Dublin.
The journey began with the development of a communications strategy tailored to their re-launch. This included crafting a distinct tone of voice, developing a new brand identity, slogan, refreshing the visual identity of the brand, and identifying the most strategic approach to deliver impactful results.
The first major milestone was the creation of an e-commerce website with over 5,000 products, aimed at boosting online visibility and driving sales for the lighting specialists.
Deliberation and brainstorming were central to each phase of the brand’s redefinition, shaping how Illumination would look, sound, and feel to its target audience.
Once the foundations were in place, it was time to execute. Tilt brought their expertise in photography, videography, digital advertising, and web development to the fore, delivering a bespoke and luxurious website accompanied by premium digital content. The photography was leveraged across strategically selected locations in Dublin as part of a wider out-of-home (OOH) campaign.
Rage led the creative for traditional media, producing a 30-second radio ad and a leaflet drop to build brand awareness across key regions for Illumination Lighting. Using the photography carried out by Tilt, Rage developed the creative that was subsequently used in our OOH campaign, which contained a 48-sheet site located in Portmarnock.
As with any successful campaign, multiple touchpoints were essential. It is widely recognised in the industry that a consumer must engage with a brand up to seven times before making a purchasing decision.
The Illumination Lighting campaign, from end to end, was a highly fulfilling project. Both client and agency were delighted with the final outcome, from the cutting-edge e-commerce site to that timeless thrill of hearing your own advert on the radio (never gets old!)
ITSA/Blanco Nino – Print
Speaking of things that never get old, our recent PR activations gave the Valda Boardman PR team that very same buzz. The team successfully coordinated and secured two standout interview features in two of the country’s most prominent newspapers: The Sunday Times and The Irish Independent.
A featured interview centred around ITSA Bagel’s remarkable journey and the founding sister’s journey appeared in The Irish Independent, capturing the attention of readers nationwide. And the success didn’t stop there, Blanco Niño, the winner of the Love Irish Food Brand Development Award, which MNG are proudly a sponsor of, was featured in The Sunday Times, sharing their story and highlighting just how valuable awards like this can be for a growing brand.
Both Blanco Niño and ITSA Bagel were thrilled to see their stories in such major national publications, boosting brand awareness and keeping public perception at an all time high.
Let Us know What You think
THE BUZZ
What’s been happening in Donnybrook HQ?
What has been happening elsewhere in HQ? Well, the entire team could not have been happier to receive a gift from the brilliant Blanco Nino team…
Some of the team’s general knowledge was tested. A few performed better than others…
And most importantly, morale returned to an all – time high, when we saw the return of Poppy to office following her well-earned annual leave.
In sports news, team member Conor was in Croke Park to watch his beloved Louth capture the Leinster Championship from the grasp of their bitter rivals Meath.
