As the popularity of social media sites has increased, so has the use of the hashtag. A hashtag is a method of categorizing content that took the world by storm with the introduction of social media platforms like Twitter.
Here is an example of how hashtags work: if you search the hashtag, “dogs” on a site, any post attached to that hashtag will appear in your search feed. Here are some tips on how to make the most of hashtags:
- Use a generalized word or phrase as a hashtag. This will help you narrow down a target audience, while still creating a brand for yourself. As a writer, your best bet might be to use hashtags that stay along the lines of #writing, or something similar to that.
- Only use relevant hashtags in your posts. Something irrelevant would be using the hashtag #Exercise in a post about writing.
- Interact with those who use the same hashtags as you. This will help you gain follwers and spread the word about your work!
- While hashtags were first used on Twitter, they can be used on any social media site—take advantage of that! Using a hashtag across various sites can help widen your audience reach.
- You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to hashtags…don’t use them on every word. It will only create clutter, making your interactions feel forced and overly marketed.
While it can take a bit of practice, using hashtags to promote your work will ultimately give you better results and allow you to connect with and learn from others. Here’s a challenge: on a social media site of your choice, use the hashtag #TheTroyBookMakers in a post today. Don’t forget to check out what others are sharing, too!