Hashtags were actually used back in 1988, the hashtag as we know it was used on a platform known as Internet Relay Chat or IRC. They were used then in much the same way they are today, for grouping messages, images, content, and videos into categories.

Fast forward to 2007 and a man by the name of Chris Messina started messing with how he communicated on twitter and was looking for a way to group conversations about specific topics together. He knew this type of idea worked before with IRC, so he brought it to twitter.

A blogger named Steve Boyd is said to have coined the word “hashtag” in a blog post around the same time, and as these things go, it didn’t take long for the hashtag to literally “break the internet,” as they say.

Hashtags are words or short phrases all connected, no spaces and start with the hash sign or pound sign used on social media websites and other applications,to identify messages, especially Twitter,  on a specific topic.

As we know, hashtags have gone way beyond twitter, they are everywhere! You see them on all social media platforms, articles, advertisements, text messages, and more. 

When I work with my clients, I encourage them to use hashtags and help guide them through the process of deciding which to use, how many, and where. 

I typically start with the business name or something similar. For example, #802Social. I use this on a majority of my social media content. If someone were to search #802Social, they would see everything I have shared since the beginning of my business. It’s simply a collection of content that I’ve shared and tagged. 

Another way to use hashtags for your business could be a location-based hashtag. For example, #vermont. This is where my business is so, therefore, I want to connect with other Vermonters. I could and often do get more specific with exactly where in Vermont I am. This is a really important strategy for location-based businesses. 

I just provided a couple of generic types of examples of how a business can use # to generate more traffic, but how is that actually happening? Like a business adds a # to their post and then they are just found? Well, sort of. But a clear example is this. 

A family who wants to move to Vermont, but just in the discovery phase of learning about a few different towns. One way to learn about their options would be to do research on social media. They could type in the names of the towns and see what’s there. The content they will discover could be from local businesses, or people tagging the town for whatever reason. It’s a great way for someone to learn about a location through the eyes of businesses or people who live or visit there. 

As I mentioned before, hashtags are clickable links that connect a common subject matter. So, if you are interested in learning or discovering something specific, type that in any search bar on whichever social media platform you use. 

You don’t have to be a business to utilize hashtags. Anyone can benefit from a collection of content organized by a keyword or phrase. In fact, businesses want you to use search hashtags more! 

After the podcast head over to your preferred platform and type in whatever you want and see what pops. 

Now, I will say, although hashtags are and can be used on any platform, there are certain platforms where they are utilized more. Like Instagram vs Facebook. 

But, you’ll have to tune in next week for more on that.