One of the questions we are asked so often is “What is a Hashtag?” followed up with a “Why should I be using them?”. Today we want to answer your questions on hashtags in hopes to clear some of this up!
What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is a word or phrase that starts with a hash mark [or pound sign] (#) used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest to enable and simplify a search for it.
An example is our hashtag #AIMSocial that is used in any of our social media posts!
When a user adds a hashtag to their post, it is immediately indexed by the social network and searchable by other users. Once someone clicks on the hashtag, they will be brought to a page that includes all the public posts with the same hashtagged keyword in real-time!
Hashtags are used mostly on social media sites. They originated from Twitter but now you can use them on other platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.
Creating your own hashtag:
The first thing you want to do is do when creating a hashtag is a basic Twitter (or other social platforms) search to see if the hashtag already exists. The odds are, it probably does. If it does, be sure that the hashtag you want to use is linked to the topic you intended it to be and not another topic. Example… You might want to use the hashtag #911 for a post on fire safety… but #911 could also be used when discussing the September 11th attack. You don’t want to be that person who posts something lighthearted on such a serious topic.
Tips for using hashtags:
Here are some tips on using hashtags:
- Hashtags cannot include spaces or punctuation in a hashtag or they work properly.
- If you use a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag can find your tweet. So if you want to keep it private, don’t use a hashtag!
- Don’t string too many words together with a single hashtag. #NoOneWantsToSeeAHashtagThatIsAWholeSentanceLong….
- Don’t spam using hashtags. Tweets specifically should not over tag a single tweet.
- Only use hashtags that are specifically relevant to the topic of your post.
How to write a post with Hashtags?
Hashtags can start in the middle or end of your posts. See the below examples!
Why should I use a hashtag?
Hashtags are a very important part of communication on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks to this, you can follow conversations, posts and content related to the topic you’re interested in.
Hashtags expand the reach of your posts allowing more people to view and interact with your posts. This is essential when promoting your product, brand or service on social media.
Do you have other questions on Hashtags? Leave them below in the comments and we will be sure to answer them!
p.s. We thought you might enjoy this short video!
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