Hashtags have become an essential part of social media. What started on Twitter has turned into a full-blown social media necessity. Not only do they add to your posts, they are a great way to start or join conversations and increase your reach. Let’s take a closer look at how to use hashtags effectively.

What are Hashtags?

You’ve seen them. They’re everywhere. Hashtags are those words or phrases sprinkled throughout social media posts, and they all start with a #.

The thing to keep in mind with hashtags is that not all characters are supposed to be used. Numbers are fine, but punctuation marks and special characters are not.

Where to Use Hashtags?

The next step in learning how to use hashtags effectively is to figure out where to use them. Most social media platforms support them now.

• Twitter. This is where hashtagging started. Hashtags are used to denote trends, tone of voice and are a way to help users search for relevant tweets.

• Facebook. Hashtags weren’t introduced to the Facebook platform until 2013. While it’s still not a super common practice on this platform, you can still use them like you would on Twitter.

• Instagram. Hashtags have become useful on Instagram. Photos are tagged so people can find images, join challenges (think #tbt or #throwbackthursday) or just add a little humor.

• Google+. Hashtags in Google will be clickable. Clicking on a hashtag will bring you the original hashtag, as well as other posts. It’s a great way to find similar content.

• Pinterest. Like Twitter and Instagram, how to use hashtags on Pinterest is very similar. You can use hashtags to help you mark, and search, for content.

How to Use Hashtags Effectively?

Now that you know a little more about hashtags, here are some helpful hints on how to use them effectively.

• Keep them simple. You don’t have to go overboard with the hashtagging. Limit yours to about 3 per post. Also, they don’t have to be super long. Tags consisting of one to three words seem to do best.

• Be relevant. If you are using a hashtag to join in on a trending topic, make sure that your post is relevant. Also, be specific. There is a difference between tweeting about #Obama and #obamacare for example. And something like #health isn’t specific enough.

• Add some context. Hashtagging is more useful when you in some context. Think of hashtags as the complement to a good post, not the entire post itself.

What started as a way to engage others on Twitter has turned into a huge social media language. Hashtags add to your posts and allow you to connect even more with others. We hope this simple guide has given you a little more information on how to use hashtags effectively.