Have you been on Twitter recently and noticed an overwhelming number of ‘#’ symbols everywhere?  They are known as ‘hashtags’ and are generally used to identify keywords or topics in a tweet.  The concept was created by Twitter users as a way to categorize tweets, making it easier to search for similar topics that are trending.  Once you figure out what they are and why they are used you’ll realize using them is not as complicated as it may seem.

For Example, someone might tweet:

                “#newempiregroup is a GREAT #programmanager!”

Once you click on the word that is attached to the ‘#’ symbol it will bring you to a live-stream of all tweets linked to that hashtag.

Why People use #hashtags

• Clicking a hashtagged word in a message will show you other tweets in that particular category.
• People use hashtags in a tweet to help it show up more easily in a Twitter search.
• Hashtags organize your tweets, creating categories and helping people sift through your content easier.
• Hashtags generate more retweets.  For instance, if you join a trending or “popular” conversation on Twitter by using a similar hashtag you will expose yourself to more of an audience and up the likelihood of your tweet getting retweeted.
• Using hashtags helps you gain more followers.  By using hashtags correctly, your tweets will show up in search results more often and target followers who are interested in the same topics you are.  This often leads to an increase in followers.

How to use #hashtags

• Limit the number of #hashtags you use in a single tweet.  The recommended number of #hashtags to use in a tweet is generally 3, otherwise your tweet will be considered spam OR may be hard for the followers to read and understand.
• Try to only use hashtags that are relevant to the trending topic.
• Your #hashtagged keywords will only show up in a twitter search if your profile is public.

I hope this clarifies the Twitter hashtag for you a little bit!  It can be confusing to new users.  To track individual #hashtag words you are interested in or see what’s trending in the world of #hashtags, visit: www.hashtags.org.

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