Total Guide to Social Media: The #Hashtag

Some people use them effectively, some people don't. There's plenty of mystery surrounding the #hashtag, but here are the basics.

Hashtags are Twitter's most popular element, and utlising the conversation-tracking feature to the best of it's ability is something that can be fairly easy to master. 

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is a keyword within a tweet that is preceded by the hash (#) symbol - this then allows for words and phrases to be searchable through the network. Conversations are can then be grouped in a far more effective way.

How they should be used...

There are a number of unwritten rules for hashtags, and although they are not terribly complicated, they are frequently not followed.

The primary one to remember: don't overuse them. If each of your tweets is a hashtag, you dilute the usefulness of them by fragmenting conversation.

Ensure your hashtag has some form of context and meaning, and that it becomes apparent as to what you're talking about, otherwise your followers probably won't know what you’re talking about.

Hashtags are great for involving and engaging yourself in communities and causes, or if you have a particular interest. For example, if you search through Twitter using the #instagram hashtag, you're instantly presented with shots from both professional and amateur users of that social network.

What not to do...

#Usingalonghashtagtodescribeanentiretweet can become very annoying for your followers to constantly view - although at times, misuse of hashtags in this instance can add comical value to your messaging, but it wouldn't be considered best practice.

Another similarly annoying misuse of hashtags is when users feel the need to #hashtag #every #word #in #their #tweet. 

And finally, what about using a hashtag on Facebook...

You don't - it's as simple as that.