What the Heck is a #hashtag?

You hear about them you see them, but you don't quite understand them. That's okay, you're not alone. We're often asked what the #hashtag is… so here's our attempt to answer the burning question.

1) Hashtags were originally created to help people aggregate content, similar to a web search, by using a #hashtag in or after post or an article you can direct people to those messages. Nowadays hashtags are used in a variety of ways, but primarily to make a conversation easier to find and follow

2) In general a #hashtag is simply anything with a pound sign # in front of it.

3) Using a hashtag turns your #statement into a link, that can later be found if someone types that same #statement

4) Why would you want to use a hashtag? Because it makes it very easy to locate and join relevant conversations that are related to the same industry you're in for example using #design or #yoga to get industry

5) I'm sure you've seen #nike or #castmemarc type hashtags advertised, and may ask yourself, when you or your business should create a unique hashtag. We recommend using your own hashtag for humor purposes, when promoting an event or fundraiser.

6) You may have heard of trending hashtags. These are hashtags that are suddenly popular, using news topics, however it can be holidays, and really anything. As a business this is an easy way to change popular conversations and have your business seen by numerous people. There are many tools you can use for locating trending hashtags. We'll write a post on that soon. Stay tuned!

7) Furthermore sites like Pinterest use hashtags to guide users to specific searches, so the more hashtags you use and the more consistently you use them, you can create a story for users to follow that links your business to specific topics with the use of hashtags.

Try it. Have fun with it. Hashtags can be a lot of fun. Start by searching for hashtags, within your industry and outside. Try searching for something you love, or a hobby. You can’t go wrong, and you’ll probably have tons of fun doing so. Can’t wait? Comment on this blog post and use a unique hashtag. #peakandpinechallenge

Photo Credit: Vandalog