How do you use hashtags in Twitter?
We often get asked, “how do you use hashtags in Twitter?” And it’s a good question if you’re a Twitter newbie. The # symbol was a random key on telephones until Twitter introduced it into their platform.
Think of a hashtag as a keyword on google. If I wanted to find hairdressers in Preston I would google the keywords, I could do the same on Twitter using #hairdressers #Preston or simply change the search results to ‘people near me’
Can you use too many hashtags in a tweet? We think so! A tweet is 280 characters long and contains around 25 – 30 words. If over half of those words start with a hashtag before them, it makes things a little difficult to read.
“#Do #you #think #im #using #too #many #hashtags #in #my #tweets?”
Distracting, right?
Find the keyword in each tweet or, if you are not sure what to focus on simply add your location as a hashtag at the end of a tweet.
“Do you want to make the most of your social media? We offer free weekly tips! Don’t miss our #Lancashire”
Using this little tip will help your tweets reach not only a wider audience, but a more relevant audience. Other users, organisations and businesses will often search their local hashtags to see what’s going on in their area. It’s also a great way of finding new followers. What better way to find businesses in Lancashire than by searching for people using #Lancashire in their tweets?
Our top tips for tapping into your #hashtag community:
1. Add your location to the end of a tweet or two.
2. Search a local hashtag on a daily basis to find new users.
3. Retweet and like other local hashtag users, they’ll hopefully return the favour!
4. Think minimal, one or two hashtags, not 20!
5. Using an apostrophe within your hashtag word will break it.
6. If you’re using several words in a hashtag, capitalise each word to make it easier to read.
#Don’tUseApostrophes
#CapitaliseWordsToMakeReadingEasier
#KeepItSimple
A local community on Twitter is a powerful resource so use it. Try adding location hashtags to your tweets today.
