Once you've started using Twitter, it won't take long before you come across what's known as a hash tag. That's when you see something in a tweet that has a # prefix. (The # is a hash symbol, hence the term hash tag or hashtag.)
For example, if you've seen tweets related to the recent U.S. government stimulus bill, you may have noticed some of them had #stimulus in them.
It took me a while to wrap my head around what the purpose of this thing was but, once I "got it," I realized it's not as complicated as it seems.
A hash tag is simply a way for people to search for tweets that have a common topic. For example, if you search on #LOST (or #Lost or #lost, because it's not case-sensitive), you'll get a list of tweets related to the TV show. What you won't get are tweets that say "I lost my wallet yesterday" because "lost" isn't preceded by the hash tag.
The good thing about the hash tag is that if someone wrote a tweet without putting the word LOST in the main message, it will still show up in your search because of the tag. Eg. "Who is hotter? Jack, Sawyer, or Desmond? #lost"
The flip side is that if you search using the tag, and someone wrote a tweet about the show without including it, that tweet won't show up in your results, even if LOST appears in the text. Eg. "Do you think LOST has jumped the shark?"
In a way, hash tags allow you to create communities of people interested in the same topic by making it easier for them to find and share info related to it.
Where do hash tags come from?
I think this question gets to the heart of the confusion about these danged things, because hash tags are NOT any kind of official Twitter function. The company has not created a list of topics that we can browse through to see if there's one that interests us.
So where DO they come from? Well, any user can create one simply by adding it to their own tweet. For example, when the plane went down in the Hudson River a couple of weeks ago, some Twitter user wrote a post and added #flight1549 to it. I have no idea who this person was, but somebody else would have read it and when he posted something about the incident, added #flight1549 to HIS tweet. For something like this, where tweets would have been flying fast and furiously, it wouldn't have taken long for this hash tag to go viral and suddenly thousands of people posting about it would have added it to their tweets as well. Then, if you wanted info on the situation, you could do a search on "#flight1549" and see everything that people had written about it.
As you can see, it's a very organic process that works simply because of a group mindset that people like to categorize topics and this is one way to make it easier to do so.
How do I track topics of interest to me?
Let's say I'm interested in basket weaving. The first thing I would do is a basic Twitter search on the term itself so I can see if someone's already created a related hash tag.
Now, I've gone through a few pages of results and, while there are plenty of tweets with the term "basket weaving" in them, I'm not finding any that have included a hash tag.
So now if I want to create a community of people who will share their love of basket weaving, I'll create my own hash tag.
Note: Before you create your own tag, you might want to search on a few variations to make sure they don't already exist. I looked for #basketweaving, #basket, and #weaving, and they either didn't exist or didn't apply to this topic.
Since the tag will use up some of my 140-character limit, I want to keep it fairly short, while still making it precise. For example, #basket might make some people think of basketball instead of basket weaving. So I could create a tag called #basketweave that isn't too long, but is clear what it's about.
To make this hash tag "live", all I need to do is write a tweet and add #basketweave to it. It can be anywhere in the tweet, not just at the end. And I would probably announce that I was creating it to alert my followers. For example:
Fellow basket weavers. Let's share tips and tricks by adding #basketweave to our tweets.
Now, I'm not going to do that, because I'm not actually interested in basket weaving. (No offense to any weavers out there.) However, I have just created a new hash tag called #tech4ludds for any tweets that people want to associate with Tech for Luddites. I did it by posting this:
Starting a new hash tag for Tech for Luddites. Got a question for me or a great tech tip to share? Add this to your tweet. #tech4ludds
This way, I'm letting my followers know that this now exists, so they can add the hash tag to their own tweets if they think it's related to this blog somehow.
(I actually wanted to create a tag for t4l for brevity but there was already one tweet in existence using that tag, if you can believe it! It's in Dutch and has a link to the Netherlands Unicef site. A Google search leads me to believe it stands for Time for Learning. Probably a great program but still... Bummer.)
Now, if I search on #tech4ludds, I'll only find that first tweet I wrote. Fingers crossed it doesn't stay that way!
I hope the above clarifies the Twitter hash tag, which I know can be very confusing to new Twitterers. If you still have questions about it, please send me an e-mail at F1@TechForLuddites.com.
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Thanks for this – you probably covered over twitter thingy somewhere – but I’ve seen RT a lot on twitter today and understand it’s used to show a repeated message – but don’t quite understand its use. Do I type it in myself or is their a function I’m missing?
Thanks!
Diane
Hi Diane.
Yes, a retweet is a way to “forward” someone else’s tweet to your own group of followers. Twitter doesn’t have a built-in option for them. You have to manually add in the RT before the tweet and include the username of the person who wrote it orignally (with the @ sign in front of it), to give him or her credit. I wrote more about retweets in this post, Four Ways To Engage Your Tweeps.
Some third-party apps, like TweetDeck, do have a function that automatically adds in the retweet code. Here’s a post about how to use TweetDeck as well.
Thanks for your comment and question!
Elizabeth,
Thank you, thank you, for your most helpful posts about twitter. I’m taking full advantage!
Jill
Thanks for your comment Jill. I’m glad you’re finding my posts helpful!
I recently started a new group/hashtag, and I tried searching for it so I could find the rest of the people tweeting on this specific subject, but my hashtag isn’t coming up in a search. I know for a fact there are at least 20 people using it throughout today for this discussion, though. How do I find them?
Elizabeth:
Very helpful, luddite-level briefing on the hash tag. My only question is about how to “follow” a hash tag without using Twitter search. Is that possible?
Thanks.
Jim
Hi Jim.
Thanks for your question. I wrote a post about following hash tags after this one. The first three options all require doing a Twitter search once but then you don’t need to do it again afterwards, so I don’t know if that addresses your concern. The fourth one doesn’t require you doing the search through Twitter yourself, but I assume it’s using the same engine behind the scenes.
Let me know if this solves your problem.
Elizabeth
How about those groups who abuse the hash tags (or at least it seems like they do) when they @usernamer1 @username2 etc but contribute nothing to a conversation–is there an etiquette post about this somewhere?
Good question, Ark Lady. I haven’t written a post about that before, but it’s a great idea for a topic. So thanks for the suggestion!
Nice post.
Thanks Sharad!
It seems like sometimes the hash-tagged word/phrase becomes a hotlink and other times not. What’s that about?
thanks
That’s a good point, Louis. One I hadn’t noticed before. It seems like on your main Twitter page, the hash tags don’t become links. But if you do a search on a hash tag, then they are links on the results page. TweetDeck also automatically turns them into links that run a search on the term. It would be a good idea if Twitter made them links in people’s main streams as well.
Are there other places you’re referring to that I haven’t addressed?
Twitter trending topics, search and related applicatins thrive on these hashtags, as they serve as noted keywords in the sea of tweets going through the microblogging platform. So determining the perfect hashtag is akin to creating the perfect title for a blog post.
http://www.pupuweb.com/blog/promote-yourself-with-twitter-hashtag/
Great post on hashtags and I still see it being referenced on twitter as a resource for new twitter users.
Since the post several websites have launched making hashtags easier to watch and tweet about. Hashtag definition websites have also been popular over the recent months.
If you frequently use hashtags check out http://wthashtag.com for number of free tools.
Thanks for the clarification.
That was great now I get it and will create one now. @healinginvest mikeb360.com
Hi, I’m having trouble with hashtags. I’ve saved a couple of searches of interest but even though I use the #whatevername, it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried this quite a few times, even copied and pasted just in case there was a secret trick I didn’t know about, still nothing. Help!
Hi Suzie. This is a fairly common problem. This post has more information including a solution that has worked for several of my other readers. Hope it helps:
http://www.techforluddites.com/2009/08/quicktip-when-you-or-your-hash-tags-dont-show-up-in-a-twitter-search.html
Thanks Elizabeth for the quick response. I will try it all until it works. :)
I get it now!
Thank you so much!
This is going to make searching and growing my network SO much easier!!
I’m glad it helped!
What I need to know is, how can I follow some trend with a particular hash tag? I’m not interested in creating my own. Thanks.
Hi Thomas.
This post may help you:
http://www.techforluddites.com/2009/04/reader-question-keeping-track-of-twitter-hash-tags.html
Thanks.
Thanks for your article on hash tag in twitter.
Thanks, that was really well explained. I didn’t realise it simply made use of the default Twitter service. Cheers
Very clear. This hash tag issue has been bugging me for sometime. You have explained it very well. Thanks buddy.
Thanx a ton !!!
Why is it that when I use a hashtag to add a tweet to a group, my post does not show up in the group, but shows in my own tweets? This is frustrating as tornado season is upon us and I follow hurricanes whenever the gulfcoast becomes a target.
I would like to be in the know — like the San Diego Fire hashtag– that was really helpful to people.
This is a common problem. This post lists the possible solutions I’ve found so far:
http://www.techforluddites.com/2009/08/quicktip-when-you-or-your-hash-tags-dont-show-up-in-a-twitter-search.html
Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing such #hashenlightening post. It would be nice to see how hastags would evolve.
It is mind boggling to see that many things going on in 140 characters :)
This was very informative.
It would be nice if you could put “#basket weaving#” (or some sort of derivative so that you didn’t have to also add #basketweaving at the end and use up that valuable 15 repeated characters. Does that make sense to anyone?
Ive also seen “#basket%20weaving” -how does this affect Twitter – will it recognize it in a normal search for “basket weaving” to avoid repeating the characters?
Hi Stephan. It took me a minute to understand your questions, but I think I do now. What do you do when the term you’re using is made up of more than one word, so some people will search with the space and some people without. Is that it? It’s a good question. I’m going to do some testing and report back!
that was a very good read. got almost everything clarified about hash tags. no confusion …grt combination. well ..we will start using hash tags … but we need to make sure we don’t overuse it.If every one of your tweets IS a hashtag, you dilute the usefulness of them by fragmenting the conversation. In addition, many people will shy away from you because it seems spammy. thanx ..i have recently started my company blog http://www.SBIconnex.blogspot.com visit n feel free to comment . thanx once again.
One thing I’ve noticed, too, is that people use the hashtag to be humorous, not necessarily to help with topic searches. For example, during the Butler-Michigan State game last weekend, I saw one tweet that said “Butler would be winning by a lot more if they made some baskets. #CaptainObvious”
Is this a trend, too?
Hey,
I have put a few hashtags in my tweets but the tweets wont show in the twitter search when i search for them.. Why is that??
Hi adnan. This post should be able to answer your question (and provide the solution):
QuickTip: When You (Or Your Hash Tags) Don’t Show Up in a Twitter Search
Thanks for this post – it really cleared the hash tag fog I was wandering aimlessly within. Cheers.
Hashtags are great for events. I edit a website that hosts events on a regular basis and during one particular conference, there were 3 different panels going on at the same time. Through hashtags I was able to follow along with the conversations I wasn’t around for.
I don’t use hashtags in every day tweets, but I find them invaluable when following along during events and connecting with other people there.
Hello! Thank you very much for this post, it was very informative. However, I have a problem…I can’t create or respond to hashmark topics. When I try to make one or comment to a preexisting one, nothing happens. When I search the topic, it says no results found if I tried to make it, or my comment is just not there if it’s preexisting.
You/your site is a savior! For a newer blogger/Twitterer/HootSuiter, etc., your info is invaluable. Thanks for doing what you do.
Hi Jay.
Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure if this is the same problem as the one I wrote about in this follow-up post, but I would try the proposed solution there first to see if it solves it for you.
http://www.techforluddites.com/2009/08/quicktip-when-you-or-your-hash-tags-dont-show-up-in-a-twitter-search.html
I wonder if you might use #hash tags as a way to place comments on your website.
Hello,when I see a twitter hashtag Im interested in, and want to comment on it,how do I post a comment or reply.
I’m not quite sure what you mean, Scott.
I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question. What do you mean by commenting on a hash tag?
Nice explanation dude.
I have included one in my latest tweet.
5 Comical Yet Offical #Google Languages http://bit.ly/a5XEod
how do I find out which hashtag is the most popular? for example #thesopranos or #sopranos
and if I only use #sopranos will it then also show if you search for #thesopranos? I guess not…?
Hmmm… I’m not sure how you would tell which one is more popular. My guess would be #sopranos, because it takes up fewer characters. But I would search on both to see what kind of comments are being made, to see which one might be more useful to you. You’re right that searching on #thesopranos would not find #sopranos. If you just searched on “sopranos” you’d find tweets that include either hash tag, but you’d also find ones that reference the Sopranos without using any hash tag at all.
I think you need to follow @hashtags and submit your new hashtag to them.
very useful info, exactly what i need, thanks guyz! ;)
Now I know the meaning of #. Thanks for the info.
This is excellent. This has to be the best, most understandable explanation of hash tags I’ve seen. You clearly have an innate ability to understand your audience and communicate things in the right way to them. Thanks for posting this – it is great for me to be able to refer people to it.
I was so confused when I first saw hashtags as well! It doesn’t take long to figure it out.
I never knew about such a thing called hash tags exists before reading your blog post. Thanks alot for the info. Was very easy to understand.
Is there a reason a hashtag wouldn’t work? I’ve used the same one in two different tweets, but one showed up in search results and one didn’t, even though they’re identical tags. Thoughts?
Thanks for the very helpful article!
Whoops… apologies -just saw the comment post above discussing this!
nice short concise (is that redundant?) explanation. just what i needed. can you recommend any twitter services that ‘track’ particular hash tag trends. not just ‘latest’ or ‘most viewed’ but all hash tag stats. i would ‘google’ but want some recommendations.
cheeuhz,
a.a.p.
Define what the twitter hashtag #Aqli means, in English. I have no clue!
What a wonderfully lucid explanation. Thank you.
This info was totally helpful. Thanks! @erikasalter100
Thanks, very helpful, have wanted to know about this hash subject for a long time
Thank you limitations doesn’t express enough. Thank you sincerely KiS
Thanks for the Article, I’ve never really got the hang of Hashtags with twitter, but this will be useful.
Super cool! Now I understand hashtag jargon.
Decided to take the plunge and open a Twitter account. Thought I could do it in 10 minutes – but when I went to the site, I might have well as landed on a foreign language site, for all I could understand. Went googling for help and found you. The instant I saw your site name and tag line, I was hooked – as I had been spouting profanities right before I found your site, so it literally had me ‘laughing out loud’! But staying here – because I might actually learn to use Twitter… without the profanities! Thanks for excellent info …and the laughs!
Very helpful post, thanks for explaining this in such detail.
This info about (hashtag) si great. I am first time user of Twitter.
Thank you! All things considered, I’m a little late with learning about this; however, the information is most relevant.
“Welcome to the world of #, Kimberly!”
(From me to me! YEAH)
I’d say that Hashtags actually make Twitter what it is. I do love a good trending topic. Keep on writing this neat articles.
Hi Elizabeth,
Do you know of any place where specific hashtags might be defined? I see #FF a lot, but have no idea what it means. Thanks!
Hi Brian.
I don’t know a place to find definitions of hashtags. But I can tell you #FF stands for Follow Friday. A lot of people simply post links to other Twitter accounts they like on Fridays as a way to recommend them to their own followers.
Hope that helps.
Elizabeth
Thanks for explanation of Twitter hashtags meaning
Thank you so much for the informative message! It really helped!
Hi, I tried to use the hashtags and followed the steps but my tweet does not appear in the stream of discussion. Is there something I am not doing right?
Thanks.
This has really explained hashtags for me, thanks Elizabeth.
Hi Maria.
This article in the Twitter support forum gives some possible reasons why your tweets may not be showing up in a search (which is how I’m assuming you’re following the hash tag).
http://support.twitter.com/forums/31935/entries/66018
Good luck!
Elizabeth
You can also try submitting a support ticket at http://support.twitter.com/forms.
Twitter hashtags are great for joining conversations and expanding your tweets exposure, but its also good for Local Promotion and making the world of twitter smaller. http://apt2labs.com/2011/03/16/hashtags-secret-twitter-tool/
Thanks for all your useful information, it’s very much appreciated! For my part, I’ll like to know if it’s possible to follow somebody without them knowing, because when I look at my account, it says I have a certain number of followers, but when I try to see who they are, three of them won’t show.
nice info ..
good share ..
First time I used twitter I thought the hash tag was like the hash in irc so I was thinking cool they have different channels too.
Thanks for the great article. It was very informative and easy to understand.
This really clears up the whole hashtag confusion. TY for clarifying!
X
Most helpful, many thanks.
i get it now. i thought that you had to make up a whole page for a hash tag, but you simply have to make one up. all you have to do is look for one on your twitter feed.
I think the idea of a hash tag is a great thing, but just like most great things, moronic people or companies will use it for gain or something else it was never intended for. I can totally see advertisers just using it to mislead people, the same way they do with tags for websites. You search for a topic and their chicanery leads you to a site that has nothing relevant to your search.
Oh, and thank you for your information about hag tags. It was a nice and thorough reading.
what is the difference between searching with # and without it?
Great post! I had some confusion adding multiple hash tags in a single twitter post. Thanks for the info!
http://itconflict.com/blog
Best explanation I’ve read. Clear and comprehensive. Thank you very much. Yoma
I have been ignoring hashtags for most of the time, considering them useless, but when I finally found time to test them, the result was surprising in my tweets’ visibility!
Thanks for this information on hash tags. have to agree with Yoma, you couldn’t explain this any better. Stephen.
Good article! You might also like this blog I wrote recently showing the power of hashtags:
“What the Hashtag is Going On?” — The Power of Hashtags Explained http://bit.ly/k4zaTA
Thanks for creating a really helpful post. We’re Twitter newbies and this is going to be a very useful resource for us, especially as we couldn’t figure out what # tags were for? We know better now!! Cheers!
Thank you for this. It was helpful! As a result we have created #prolineracing for our business.
great post, covered a lot and very easy to understand – cheers…
great post Helped me learn a lot that I didn’t know
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