Redbox Multimedias Blog

Hashtags is the symbol # before a word which is used on Twitter to put tweets into a subject or category. There is no rule on using hashtags but for one, it is a one word descriptor. Even if you are tweeting about something that normally uses a two or three word descriptor or title; for example Great Ormond Street Hospital is abbreviated to #gosh.

There are hashtags that are commonly used in the twitter community like #followfriday or #ff to indicate to your followers that this person is one to follow, but only use these on Friday as it tends to annoy fellow tweeters if you use them any other day of the week.

Sports teams, towns, cities, television programmes and film personalities, well known brands and events can all be categorized by using a hashtag.

For example if you go to http://twitter.com and search #lfc you will see tweets about Liverpool football club.

If you are an event organiser and are going to use twitter to promote your event, to update and inform people about the event, they will have to know what the hashtag is being used on twitter.
There is no use in sending lots of tweets out about your event without prior preparation in letting your followers or people who will be attending the event know what your events hashtag is, so it’s back to basics. Email them what the event hashtag descriptor will be, promote it on your website, flyers and other promotional material.

Reality TV shows and the hashtag

Reality television shows have their own twitteratti who log into Twitter and pass comment on what’s happening on the show as it happens. BBC’s strictly come dancing had two different hashtags #scd and #strictly so if you searched for #strictly anyone who had sent out a tweet with just the #scd descriptor you would not see it, so you will see some tweets using both hashtags.

Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland would give their personal opinion on what they thought of the performances every Saturday night on X factor but to see what people were really thinking about what they had just seen, talk about what the judges were wearing or praise up or criticise the performances you search for #xfactor. The Voice, BBC’s answer to Xfactor, has its own hashtag, #TheVoice.

Programmes whose titles are longer are either abbreviated or just the initials are used:

Have I got news for you – #hignfy
The only way is Essex – #towie
I’m a celebrity get me out of here – #imaceleb
Dancing on ice – #doi .
Question time – #bbcqt

Things not to do with hashtags

As I’ve said there are no rules in hashtags so you can basically hashtag any word but the least effective way in using hashtags is to use common everyday words #mobile or #dinner, people will be least inclined to follow you if you use descriptors like these. Don’t try and start your own movement by making your own hashtag to promote your own company or brand. If your business only serves your local community then no one will use it and people will tend not to follow you.

Don’t forget Hashtags go at the end of the tweet not the beginning or in the middle