Hashtags – What are they?

A common question pertaining to social media is, what are hashtags? Hashtags have become the latest part of any twitter post, Facebook post, or Instagram post. These tags were originally part of twitter so that it could gain a unique type of attention compared to Facebook. The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was originally created by twitter to help categorize Tweets and within a matter of a year the symbol was everywhere, and is added to Facebook posts like candy.

Hashtags are used to categorize and organize content on social media platforms. They are usually used to mark keywords or phrases in a tweet, post, or comment, and can be added anywhere in the text by preceding them with the # symbol. When a user clicks on a hashtag, they are typically taken to a page that displays all the content that has been tagged with that particular hashtag. This allows users to find and follow conversations, events, or topics that they are interested in.

Hashtags are often used to:

  • Connect with others who are interested in the same topics, events, or causes. For example, if you are attending a conference and want to share your thoughts and experiences with others who are also attending, you might use the conference’s official hashtag.
  • Promote events, products, or campaigns. Many businesses and organizations use hashtags to get their content in front of a wider audience. For example, if you are launching a new product, you might create a unique hashtag for it and encourage your followers to use it when sharing content about the product.
  • Participate in online challenges or memes. Hashtags are often used to organize and participate in online challenges, such as the #IceBucketChallenge or #10YearChallenge. They are also used to share and participate in memes, which are often characterized by humorous or absurd content that is shared and reinterpreted by users on social media platforms.

Hashtags can be used on a variety of social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. They are an important tool for connecting with others and promoting content online.