What's a #Hashtag?

07.30.2014 | in Tips | by Ashley Hurshman

I’m consistently asked the same question - most recently by a client of ours: What is a Hashtag, anyway? In fact, I receive this question so often that the team at Headspace came together and decided it was time to get the word out. So without further ado, lets #getstarted.

Any longtime user of Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or more recently Facebook will recognize this symbol: #. What many of us refer to as the pound or number sign (at least, that’s what it’s called on a phone) actually has an entirely separate function when used on varying web platforms and followed by specific terms.

Many uninitiated social media users look at these hashtag symbols and wonder what they are or what their function is when written. Clicking on them may limit your view of posts to content that is relevant to the word that follows, or may take you to a new page entirely - welcome to the world of #hashtags.

The direct definition of a hashtag is as follows: “a word or phrase preceded by a hash and used to identify messages relating to a specific topic.” These hashtags, or what we can now simply refer to as labels, categorize content and make information relevant to one singular topic accessible to readers with a single click. Information that is interesting or timely is organized into a single stream of posts and can be quickly navigated when labelled with a hashtag, giving readers access to an aggregate of up-to-date content when they want to learn more about a specific topic. Many organizations and brands put hashtags to good use when promoting events or marketing products with sentiments like #HappyFriday or a call to action like #DrinkOurBrand.

Creating a hashtag is simple. Start with a # and follow directly with relevant wording and sometimes numbers, without any spaces or punctuation. These words and numbers can literally express anything, such as #socialmedia, #hashtagnewbie, #learning, #blogs - you get the idea. If you come up with a longer phrase, these hashtags will need to be abbreviated to accommodate shorter character counts, such as Twitter’s 140 character posting limit.

The use of a hashtag can be just as simple! Write your post on any web publishing platform (social media, blogs, reviews) and then insert the hashtag phrase into the body or at the end of your content.

For an organization, generating hashtags and using them consistently can be particularly useful. Having your customers or followers adopt your most commonly used hashtags will provide insight into community involvement and conversations about your brand. For events, hashtags can be equally as useful, providing a quick mode of promotion and empowering fans who are unable to attend with the ability to join in globally. “Wish I was at the #festival, looks like a blast!” is one of many examples.

Remember that there are no hashtag police - the web is a community of users who share ideas and promote innovation. When creating a hashtag, do your utmost to make sure that it’s unique, to keep from highjacking readers from other conversations, or directing them to content that isn't applicable. Take the time to confirm that your hashtag is nobody’s user name or brand name/slogan, and everybody wins.

Ultimately the simplest, most unique hashtags will be the most impactful. Don’t use the same hashtag as someone else (unless you plan to join in on the conversation), limit the amount of hashtags you include in one message, and experiment! The results will be #extraordinary.

• Tips
• social media
• social media marketing