By Katt Stearns. Chances are you’ve probably seen the “hashtag” video with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, where they hashtag everything in their conversation, until being told to #ShutTheF#$%Up. If you have not seen it it’s worth a few minutes of your time for a laugh: https://youtu.be/57dzaMaouXA
Hashtags were originally created to help group conversations on Twitter but have quickly become common in marketing and conversation both online and offline. They aren’t just on social media anymore but also used on billboards, signs, wedding invites and during your favorite TV shows.
Many businesses want to take advantage of hashtags so here are answers to some of the most common questions about hashtags.
What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is a keyword or phrase used to help emphasize, build context or facilitate searches on social media platforms. Similar to “keywords” for Google, hashtags can be used as keywords for social media.
How do you create a hashtag for your brand or business?
Well the good news is that it’s easy to do. To create a hashtag all you need to do is put a “#” sign in front of a word or phrase, with no spaces, and you have created a hashtag.
To create the hashtag Fraser Valley Real Estate, you would type in #FraserValleyRealEstate.
Can I register a hashtag?
No, at this time you cannot register hashtags. Anyone can use and create a hashtag. SO it is important for you to do a search on a hashtag before you start to use it for your business.
How can I search to see if someone is using a hashtag?
You can do a search for a hashtag on many of the different social platforms including Twitter and Instagram to see if the hashtag is being used. Or use a tool like TagBoard to help you look at all the social media platforms at once.
Do you currently use hashtags in your business? Have a question you’d like to have answered? Tweet me at @KattStearns and I’d be happy to answer it for you.