Social Media: Understanding Hash Tags

For those not familiar with the likes of Twitter and Instagram, the term hash tag is a place of great confusion and discomfort. It doesn’t have to be though. If you are one of these people then read on…

A hash tag looks something like #this. Fundamentally it is used as a way to track posts around a given topic. For example if I’m interested in photography, I can follow the hash tag of #photography. Overtime someone posts something with the hash tag of #photography I will see their post. It is also commonly used for events – for example if I’m running an event I can use the hash tag #myevent2015. This will allow anyone at the event to see everyone else’s posts at the event. If I couldn’t make it to the event as well I can follow the hash tag to see pictures, videos and posts about the event so I could feel like I was there. Another common use is for TV shows and more. As a user I can use the TV shows hash tag and they can show my posts live on air. The same principles apply for news and disasters. Twitter is often the first to pick up on world events and disasters due to it’s open nature.

The hash tag opens the door for a world of open communication, organised.

So how can you use it? If you’re running an event you can use a hash tag for that event to track everything. If you’re posting about a given topic, you can use a hash tag relevant to that audience such as the photography examples above. This tactic allows you to reach a much wider audience then just your followers. Hash tags are a great way to grow your following – and you never know, maybe one day you hit the right hash tag at the right time and you go viral!