Tag Archives: hashtag

The Hashtag Is Now A Big Question Mark  

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  Image: Twitter.com
  

Image: zerohedge.com

I have always been fascinated by how the hashtag became so popular on social media, especially Twitter. For most of my life the hashtag was nothing more then a number sign. 

Then someone had the brilliant idea a few years ago of using the # as a metadata tag, a symbol which helps users find content of similar nature on social media sites. If a user places a # in front of a word or phrase, the word(s) becomes searchable. 

As far as I know, the tech industry has been under the impression that the hashtag was the greatest marketing invention ever. Most major brands have been using hashtags for the last year or two to attract new customers.

Now, a story in Re/Code, a leading tech site, claims that the hashtag has not been performing as well as everyone thought. Twitter actually released a report that said certain types of ads featuring hashtags didn’t pull the audience originally expected.
The simple explanation: too many hashtags are becoming a distraction. A Twitter spokesperson said, “If you’re trying to join a conversation, you should absolutely use a hashtag. But if you want to attract customers, the less noise the better.”

Number Sign To Me, Hashtag To You

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Illustration by Digital Relevance

My aunt Dotty used to repeatedly ask me “what does dot com mean” when we all got our first email addresses. She was well into her 80s. I used to explain dot.com to the best of my ability. Just when I thought she understood the dot.com concept, she would ask again. This proves that unless you use certain tech products or software applications repeatedly, you forget what it’s all about.

I am reliving my aunt Dotty’s questions all over again as more and more seniors hear about hashtags ###. Most folks who do not use social media are fascinated by the growing popularity of what they call the number sign. And for people who are on social media all the time, the hashtag has become one of the best ways to reach millions.

The hashtag is being used in new and different ways everyday. The one person who can really explain what hashtags are all about is Bianca Bosker, senior technology editor of Huffington Post.

If you read Bosker’s fun and simple explanation of hashtags, chances are you too will be searching for places to use them.

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Hashtags Defined By Me #4U

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I am always getting questions about what the hashtag sign, #, on Twitter really means. It’s good to know the answer because more and more Internet platforms have started using hashtags as well.

Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. Twitter users use it as a way to categorize messages.

The hashtag symbol # also makes the keywords readily searchable. Just click on a hashtagged word in any Twitter message and you will easily find all other Tweets marked with that keyword.

It’s as simple as that!

Now that you understand what the so-called mighty hashtag # stands for, watch the Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake video above. It has been viewed 22 million times. You will never forget what a hashtag means again.