How to use hashtags on Twitter

What’s a hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign [#], used on social media sites such as Twitter to identify messages on a specific topic.

It’s essential to know how to use them because:

1. Hashtags sort tweets with a theme.
2. Hashtags in one tweet become clickable and allow you to find other tweets related to that topic.
3. Hashtags make tweets searchable by keyword associated.
4. The words in the form of hashtags that are very popular may become a Trend Topic.

How does it work on Twitter?

A Twitter hashtag ties the conversations of different users into one stream.

Let’s use #writer as an example.

For the hashtag #writer, you’ll see there are a few ways to toggle the hashtag stream:

• A stream of tweets using that hashtag that have been seen the most engagement.
• A live stream of tweet from everyone tweeting out that hashtag.
• A live stream of tweets from publishers and other sources.
• A collage of photos included in tweets that use the hashtag.
• A stream of tweets using the hashtag that have videos in them.
• More Options: A dropdown menu that has great options to pick from, including ‘From people you follow’ and ‘Near you’.

Using a hashtag is easy. All you should do is to publish a tweet from a public account that includes the hashtag #writer, for instance.

How to find hashtags

There are many ways to find hashtags, so you can use them appropriately.

If you already know the hashtag, there are 4 main ways to search for it:

1. Using the search box in the top-right corner of your screen. Type #writer.
2. Using an advanced search.
3. Using a third-party tool like Hootsuite.
4. Typing it directly into a URL like http://twitter.com/#writer

What the trend registers and monitors all hashtags in the world; yet if you’re searching for popular hashtags from scratch, the best place to look for is the trending topics bar on the left-hand side of your home screen.

How to use the right hashtag and how many should we use

Observing how big brand accounts (or from our field) use them is a good way to begin with. In general, here are some tips that will help you to choose them or to create new.

1. Do not create hashtags that no one understands, very long hashtags, or with special characters.
2. Do not use many hashtags or many words.
3. Use hashtags that are related to the topic you’re sharing.
4. Do not spam.

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