What Is a Hashtag?

It all began in 2007. Originally known as the pound symbol on a keyboard, the hashtag was first introduced on Twitter. Chris Messina went to Twitter headquarters with an idea to group tweets together in a more engaging way for the company. Since then, the idea has taken over in the social media world. Hashtags can be seen across different social media platforms, globally. Users are able to engage and connect using hashtags. Content will be reachable and discoverable to more users.

(Chris Messina’s first tweet with a hashtag.)

How To Correctly Use a Hashtag

Hashtags are able to piece content together into a category. Hashtags are a great way to mention your topic without going into great detail. In order to properly use a hashtag in a post, your word cannot contain punctuation or spaces. Oftentimes users make this mistake. Your hashtag may also not appear if your account is protected and not on public.

(Instagram hashtag search)

How Hashtags Are Used Effectively 

Businesses are able to create a brand through a hashtag. Followers are able to explore other content via hashtag. Businesses are able to connect with their followers by using a hashtag for numerous reasons such as:

• Supporting A Social Cause or Issue
• Contest Giveaways
• Reveal Sponsored Posts & Advertisements
• Gain more followers
• Add more context

How To Find Trending Hashtags

To find trending and relevant hashtags, simply go on the explore page and click the search bar. Most platforms have this feature because hashtags are so popular. There are many other tools to help create a hashtag that fits best.

Hashtagify is a free website that lets users find trending hashtags. It also displays how well a hashtag performs in order to maximize content. Simply type in a key word or phrase and it will tell you it’s popularity and other suggestions.

(Hashtagify) 

How Many Hashtags Should You Use?

Many people believe that the more hashtags a post has, the better. However often times social media platforms can limit the number of hashtags allowed for a user to include in their post. For example, Instagram only allows no more than 30 hashtags in a post. To avoid this, use specific and straightforward hashtags.

Recommended number of hashtags you should use for the most popular platforms:

Twitter – 2

Facebook – 2 to 3

Instagram – About 11

Pinterest – Up to 20

TikTok – 4 to 5

YouTube – About 15

Access To Media Can Help!

At Access To Media, we are fully equipped to help you with all of your digital marketing and advertising needs. We carefully study the latest topics and trends for hashtags. Check out our website today to see what we offer and how our Digital Team can help you build your platform and reach users with the use of hashtags!