How to Use Twitter #Hashtags

Twitter is like radio … extremely public …. a stream of information you can casually step in to and out of when it suits you. I don’t always have the radio on, but I like to listen (Tweet) over lunch and breakfast. Similarly, as “broadcasters” we need to be sensitive to our “followers” and only produce content our listeners will be interested in. Otherwise, they’ll switch us off (unfollow).

I use hashtags as a quick way to find groups of people talking about the same thing — #hawaii #marketing #taxes and so forth. I really like to use them when watching an exciting tennis match #federer or #wimbledon or for some people #lost to get live reactions from people as things occur. It can really add a lot of interest to a baseball game, too! (#Angels)

You can also use hashtags to get your profile in front of groups that might not know about you. Or to promote events among select groups of people, such as #editors and #business people. For stock investors, use the $ sign, as in $AAPL or $MSFT. Remember, everything you Tweet is indexed and archived by Google, so many companies use hashtags to add extra publicity to thier events and trainings. In fact, links to your Web site increase your Google search ranking, so your Tweets could even help you get found on the Web. 

Hashtags are just simple ways to find other people talking about the same thing. They are often used when you don’t know who or where those people are, and vice versa. Sure, you can use Twitter Search for what interests you, but hashtags offer a highly focused way to find people who want to talk about that specific topic.

Remember: Use hashtags when you want to engage in a conversation topic. Use Search when you want to find instances of people using a particular word in conversation.

Have a tip or trick? Tweet me @lkinoshita!

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