Welcome to my blog post all about #hashtags. Learn what a hashtag is, where to use them, how they can help you and how to use them effectively. If you don’t understand what a hashtag is here’s a quick story about how I could have been the inventor of the modern hashtag.
In the early to mid 2000s I was creating 100 websites of my own in order to make money online. I was researching keywords that were highly searched for but had little competition. When I would discover a keyword I liked I would build a thin content website around it to attract traffic which I would drive to my Google ads and affiliate links.
After a few years of building these websites I had around 100 online and it was a little difficult to keep up with them all. I wanted a quick way of seeing all of the sites so I could monitor them on a moments notice from anywhere in the world.
I didn’t want to bookmark them all and have to haul those bookmarks everywhere I went so one day I got a clever idea. It occurred to me that if I could type a certain keyword into Google it would pull up all of my websites without any other results.
To make Google search results only pull up my websites I had to have a word on them that could not be found anywhere else. I invented my own word and searched the Internet to see if it showed up anywhere. It didn’t so I was set.
The word I created was “zoinkology”. It’s the study of the language from Scooby Doo. I made that up, that is entirely not true. I like the cartoon and many of the words used by the characters. One of my favorite words is “zoinks”.
When I would build a website I would put the word “zoinkology” at the bottom of the homepage. Eventually the word was at the bottom of all of my websites. I could then go to Google and type in “zoinkology” and no websites other than my own would pull up in the results. I could then easily skim through the links to see my sites.
A hashtag is simply grouping thoughts and information together through the use of a simple word. My made up word did not have a # before it but it was the same concept. Social media hashtags did not come along until a few years later leaving me to be the inventor of the grouping concept.
What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is a word or words preceded by a #pound symbol used to group like information easily together. Social media hashtags were first used in the summer of 2007 by Chris Messina. He presented the idea to Twitter officials and suggested the company start using the pound symbol to group related Tweets together. Hence the social media hashtag was launched.
Want to know what is happening in the world before everyone else? See which hashtags are trending on Twitter and you’ll know instantly what the hot topics are.
When creating hashtags you need to begin with the pound symbol and immediately add a word or words. Do not use spaces, symbols or dashes between words or they will not work. #nospaces #nodashes #nosymbols #hashtagtips
Where to use hashtags
Hashtags are very popular on Twitter where they first came to life. Instagram is also a popular place to use hashtags. Most people don’t think to use hashtags on their blog posts or on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn. You can use hashtags pretty much anywhere you want.
You can even add a hashtag to a business card, letterhead or brochure. Interested parties can then search online for more information simply using your hashtag.
How do hashtags help?
Hashtags attract new followers and like minded individuals. They can help you grow a group of people interested in the same topics. Hashtags also help build your brand, slogan or thought. When repeated by enough people they can become popular and draw a large following. They’re a great way to bind an audience and build a movement.
Hashtags are very popular for driving support for social issues. They’re a calling card telling people you are involved and back certain causes.
A hashtag can also sum up a post or tweet with minimal words and letters. By just using the proper hashtag readers will understand the purpose of your thought. This helps build an audience that is like minded.
Do searches for hashtags using your brand or company name. You’ll begin to get feedback from users and hopefully can address any negative posts or tweets. Many people will complain on social media and hashtag the company name.
Hashtag searches can also lead you to find helpful influencers. They also help you find the right people for you to follow. Follow people in your field and they’ll help you learn techniques and tactics.
Using the right hashtags also leads to more clicks. When linking to an article or information on your website you will drive more traffic with hashtags.
How to use hashtags effectively
1. The shorter the better. Long strung out hashtags are harder to remember and are not used by many people. They also take up lots of space and can look messy.
2. Use relevant words. If you use unpopular hashtags or obscure words nobody will ever find your hashtags.
3. Use non-relevant words. If you are wanting a private group or words that cannot be found by accident use made up words or long hashtags.
4. Don’t stuff hashtags. Limit your number of hashtags to only those needed to attract your audience. Keep things looking nice without looking like a spammer.
5. Sprinkle in popular hashtags. Although there might be millions of other posts using a hashtag it can bring in instant traffic if used at the right time.
6. Find trending hashtags. There’s nothing better than riding the popularity of a trending hashtag. Hop on while the topic is hot.
7. Search hashtags for related hashtags. Study the other hashtags being used by people using your most popular hashtags. Copy.
8. Avoid hashtags already being used. If a keyword is already a part of a popular hashtag don’t try to override it with your own use. You’ll annoy people.
9. Type out your most used hashtags. When creating a new post or tweet just copy and paste hashtags you already have in waiting.
10. Use hashtags for events. Create a unique hashtag for an event. This makes it easy for participants to follow what is happening and helps them connect.
11. Include location hashtags. Including a local location hashtag will help lead to increased sales and clients.
Popular hashtags
Wondering what some really popular hashtags are? Here are a few of the most popular hashtags. Sprinkle these in with your more specific keywords and you’ll pick up extra traffic. Popular hashtags include: #gym, #summer, #workout, #happiness, #motivation, #life, #cool, #hot, #music, #hair, #beauty, #landscape, #photography, #inspiration, #design, #beautiful, #bestoftheday, #goals, #style, #swag, #health, #funny, #healthy, #blogger, #photo, #food, #fun, #happy, #artist, #cute, #followforfollow & #art.
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