Hashtags 101: What is a hashtag?
The hashtag – written with a # symbol – indexes keywords and topics on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Here, we’ll focus on Twitter, where hashtags allow for connection and engagement based on a common theme or interest. Hashtags allow for the categorization of content, making it easily discoverable and found in a Twitter search.
Hashtags 102: Using Hashtags to Categorize Tweets by Keyword
Twitter users use the hashtag symbol before a relevant keyword or phrase in tweets to categorize those tweets.
Clicking or tapping a hashtagged word (which can be included anywhere in a tweet) redirects to show other tweets that include that same hashtag, providing quick categorization of relevant tweets. Hashtagged words that are used often become trending topics.
Hashtags 103: Avoiding Hashtag Faux Pas
- Don’t have more hashtags than words. Though you can use as many as you’d like in a tweet, it’s often viewed as spam if more than three are used.
- Do be specific when using hashtags. The more specific your hashtag is, the more targeted your audience will be.
- Don’t hashtag everything. Sometimes, not everything you produce will fit into a category, and that’s okay.
- Do create hashtags that are simple to find. You want people to naturally search for your tag. And remember – be sure to avoid punctuation or spaces within your hashtag, as it will render an error and not post correctly.
Using hashtags allows you to make an impression on a wide social media audience.
Show off your hashtags — tweet us @jfitzgroup and let’s see what you’ve got.