Hashtags are everywhere. So, I thought I’d write an article about these words beginning with a hash sign (#) that we see so much on the internet, apps, websites, TV and the outside world.
What are hashtags
Hashtags are words or phrases, preceded by a hash sign (#), which function as keywords, topic aggregators, and used in the main social networks and applications. Typically, when clicking on (or selecting) the hashtag, we are redirected to a collection of posts, tweets, or articles that are marked with that keyword. It is thus a way to easily aggregate information on a given topic.
I will address the three main social networks, as well as my recommendations in terms of using hashtags.
Twitter is responsible for the appearance and popularity of the hashtag in the distant year of 2007. It started to be used to refer to a news topic, and its use grew rapidly, until it became an integral part of the platform, and one of its most useful features.
My recommendation is to use a maximum of 2 to 3 hashtags per tweet, mainly because each tweet is limited to 280 characters. These hashtags should therefore be as relevant as possible.
Instagram is the fastest growing social network in terms of number of users. And it takes advantage of hashtags from the beginning. The platform limits its use to 30. However, it recommends using only 3. My recommendation is for them to use between 3 and 7, but always relevant ones. This, not to be caught by the spam filters of the platform. They can be used in the image description, but there are those who put them in the first comment of the post, so as not to overload the description.
Facebook arrived later to the party, and it was only in 2013 that it realized the usefulness of hashtags, having then adopted them. However, it is not a feature widely used on this platform. My recommendation is, therefore, to not use them, unless it is to show that you know what they are, or if they are very relevant to your post. Many people use them with a tone of irony.
Conclusion
Hashtags are a very useful feature on social networks, and they can bring many followers, who are paying atention to the themes “marked” with them. When exploring the content under a certain hashtag, interesting people are often discovered, with common interests.
But, of course, moderation is fundamental as in everything in life. Use this feature with good measure, and you will certainly discover and be discovered by very interesting people.
Photo by Jan Baborák
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