What is a hashtag? And how do you use it?

If you don't yet know what hashtags are, this article will help you. Find out what hashtags are and how and when to use them (on social networks and elsewhere).

What is a hashtag? And how do you use it?
Emeric
Senior Content Writer @ BoostFluence
Social Media
March 14, 2023

Have you ever wondered what's the hashtag or what the words preceded by the hash symbol or # in social networking posts stand for?

This practice has grown amply on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook since its launch in 2007. Find out more about the hashtag and the techniques you need to master to use it wisely.

What's a hashtag?

The hashtag is formed by the # cross associated with one or more keywords, otherwise known as the tag. It is placed at the end of publications on social networks, including mainly Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google+ ...

The hashtag is always presented in blue and allows users to access the publication of other users without necessarily being friends or subscribers of the latter.

If you still don't have an idea of what a hashtag is, #goodhairday #picoftheday #love #paris #instagram are examples.

The hashtag by definitionis considered a keyword, to which we add the hash symbol # so that it turns into a link. On social networks, simply enter the hashtag or by definition keyword such as #Instagram in the search bar and all publications with the keyword in question as a hashtag will appear in the search result.

Simple, practical and fun, users generally use it to attract traffic, gain more followers and more reactions on their publications from the creation of this tag.

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Given the qualification of the htag by definition, Internet users also call it word-click or word-diese.

Hashtag: what are they for and when to use them?

The importance of the hashtag

What is the hashtag by definition? What is the hashtag used for? When to use the hashtag? Is the hashtag effective? Many questions constantly revolve around the hashtag and its integration into any publication.

According to the definition of the hashtag, it evokes and highlights ideas. On social networks, this group formed by the # symbol and the keyword also serves to reference the publication.

Professional accounts take the time to choose their hashtags well in order to position themselves well on the networks. Their posts will be more visible. Anyone who accesses or clicks on the hashtag will see their post, even if they're not subscribed to their account.

For individuals, the hashtag is above all a way of getting more reactions,especially by using the right hashtags. Interactions received by posts with hashtags increase by 50-55% given the possibility for people other than subscribers to access the content in question.

To put it simply, the hashtag:

  • Helps to better position the post or tweet
  • Increases the reach of the publication
  • Allows gain more followers
  • Attract traffic to the account
  • Increases the visibility of the publication

By opting for the right keywords, this technique could be an extremely effective marketing strategy. In some cases, the hashtag can also be used as a hashtag in a private message.

This keyword can be used to find all messages containing the keyword that follows the cross symbol.

Other people don't realize the usefulness of the hashtag and don't even know what the hashtag is. These use it just for funor because it's trendyas well as to embellish their posts.

They just express their feelings by adding #mood #sunday #wknd #holiday #summer...

Using the hashtag: when?

After discovering what is the hashtag, it's important to master the use of this keyword or tag. In general, there aren't really any rules defining when it's appropriate to use the hashtag.

You have the option of using it as you please. Just be careful not to overdo it on the number of keywords you insert.

The use of the hashtag is recommended when you publish something on social networks.That's actually the reason for the htag according to its definition. You can use them in a post on Twitter, on Instagram, on Linkedin, on Facebook, Google + and after the creation of a TikTok account.

Always place them at the end of your post. Inserting the hashtag becomes necessary for sponsored posts. It will help you get more interactions to sell more products for your brand, for example.

How to use the hashtag?

General rules

  1. The hashtag can be placed at the beginning, middle and end of content
  2. The hashtag must start with #
  3. The hashtag must not contain spaces
  4. The hashtag must not contain punctuation marks (; . ? !), symbols ($ + = - *), emoticons and emoji.

On social networks

Hashtag on Instagram

How to use the hashtag on Instagram? On this social network, hashtags are always located in the photo description. They must relate to the theme in general.

It's also important to insert keywords related to the location and the photo design tool. On Instagram, it's best to use a hashtag in English. We recommend inserting between 6 and 15 tags to optimize your content.

Hashtag on Twitter and Facebook

On Twitter and Facebook, the hashtag can be integrated into any type of postintended to reach the public. It can be used on a simple post, but also in a photo or video caption.

The recommended number of hashtags is 2. Their use accentuates the visibility of your tweet so that you get more reactions.

By message

To send a message with hashtag, simply add the hash symbol before the relevant keyword. Later, if you search through your #Instagram posts, for example, all passages containing this tag will be listed on one page.

You now know what a hashtag is. Now all you have to do is use it to increase the visibility of your post and get more followers on social networks, but also to find your way around your private messages.

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