Hashtag’s. A lot of people don’t really understand them, but use them. Some don’t use them. Some say they don’t use Twitter and so don’t use them.

Nowadays hastags’s (#) are used for all forms of social media, Facebook, Web, Instagram, Google+ – you name it. So, it’s important to know what they actually do.

So, what is it? What’s it for? What’s the benefit of using one?

Introduced in 2007, the hashtag is the most popular means of being able to categorise content on social media.

By using a hashtag preceding or after a word or phrase – this becomes a click-able link to that particular topic of conversation. It makes your own content discoverable to others and allows you to find relevant content from other people and businesses.

The hashtag also allows you to connect with and engage other social media users based on a common theme or interest. They may not know you, or follow you, but they may get to see your content or topic, because of your hashtag.

The #catsoftwitter use them SO SO well.

Basil regularly tweets with his #jellybellyfriday picture. If anyone searches this #jellybellyfriday hashtag they get to see lots of cute cats showing their bellies.

It works for other topics too, for TV or serious topics, for example: #GBBO (Great British Bake Off), #GPTD (Great Pottery Throw Down), #newsnight #financialplanning #mentalhealth

Twitter’s own research shows that the use of hashtags in a post can lead to double the used engagement for individuals and 50% more for companies and brands. The research is a couple of years old, and only conducted on approximately 150 brands, but there are numerous other reports that show similar findings too.

The hashtag symbol is like having an online filter that shows you only the news you want to see in real-time, as the stories evolve.

Tips

# Make the hashtag specific. The more specific, the more targeted the audience. If you don’t have your own personal or business hashtag, find one or two existing ones that really fit what you are posting about.

# Be relevant. Make it easy for people to find your content, by making the hashtag relevant to your topic

# Be observant. Pay attention to the other hashtags used about your topic / picture. You may discover a popular hashtag you hadn’t thought of on your own, which could be of benefit. You can do this by starting to type your hashtag and see what comes up in the search bar.

Note: While hashtags on all social networks have the same fundamental purpose of content tagging, the use of hashtags still varies. For example, Instagram hashtags are often more focused on your description of the photo you are posting. This is different to Twitter, where hashtags tend to be more focused a topic of conversation.

My social media

I have been working hard to use hashtags with my social media for work, as well as for Basil’s tweeting!

With BFP I regularly use #mondaymotivation #toptiptuesday and #fridayfeeling with our overiding main hashtag /theme being #planitwell.

Have a search and see what you find – both for cats and more serious subjects!