Erin Reeve | |
June 21, 2018
Origins
In 2007, the pound sign (#) became what we know today as “the hashtag” on the popular social media site, Twitter. Today, the hashtag is used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to (1) group similar content and (2) to find trending topics by keyword.
Definition
A hashtag is a hashtagged word or group of words with no spaces or special characters, other than the pound sign which appears before the word(s). A recent example: the very popular and trending #ALLCAPS hashtag for the recent Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitols (yes, we are serious hockey fans here at Euclid!).
Why hashtag? This makes it easy for users to find (and follow!) content by keyword or topic area. For posters, hashtags can help drive views and increase engagement with their posts. In this article, we will review best practices for using hashtags on your association’s social media websites.
Functions
All working hashtags are clickable, making it easy to find similar content. Clicking on hashtagged word(s) will lead you to a list of posts on the same topic. Hashtags that are not clickable are not functioning, meaning the post will not show up in a list of similar posts tagged under the same hashtag. If your hashtag is not clickable, make sure that it doesn’t have any spaces or special characters (other than the # at the beginning of the word/group of words)!
Right vs. Wrong
Now that you have some background on the origins and uses of hashtags, let’s take a look at how you should (on the left) and should not (on the right) use hashtags on your posts:
YES
NO
Upping Your Hashtag #Game
Now that we have shown you what to do (and what to NOT do), let’s take a look at how you can actually implement a successful hashtag game for your association:
- Keep a running list of the 30 most effective hashtags on each of your association’s social media sites
- Regularly check stats on each hashtag, using sites like Hashtagify.me
- Test your hashtag performance using your own social media analytics
- Check out hashtags that influencers and competitors in your industry are using
- Be sure to interchange hashtags as needed (but keeping only 2 hashtags at any given time)
- Have fun with your hashtags! It can reinforce your mission; show your playful, creative side; engage your current members; and appeal to a whole new generation of potential members out there!
Resources