What does hashtag mean?

This is a word or phrase that is preceded by the pound symbol (#). When a user searches for a certain hashtag, they can access all the information that has been published on a social network in reference to it.

Some examples would be: #marketingonline #motogp #elclasico #ofertasdeempleo #blackfriday .

What is a hastag for?

For the average user, it is used to find all the information related to a specific topic, but in the case of brands or people who want to give the label professional use, its usefulness goes further.  

The hashtag can be used to  increase the reach of a publication,  allowing it to be seen even by people who were not online at the time of launching the message. This is especially useful in social networks that are very dynamic and in which the information changes every second, as occurs on Twitter or Instagram.

A hashtag can stimulate the emergence of conversations around a certain topic. Hence, it is a widely used medium in television marketing. More and more programs have their own hashtag to increase their visibility.  

It can also be used to  monitor the messages  sent by a person or a company and analyze their dissemination and even to  locate trends.

How to create a hashtag?

Anyone with a presence on social networks can freely create and use these tags. Simply place a hash in front of one or more keywords.

But its use should never be merely random. There is netiquette around hashtags:  

• The label used must be in accordance with the theme of the message launched.

• It is recommended that it be short and easy to understand and write.

• Free of spelling mistakes. Although it is advisable to replace the Ñ with the N and avoid accent marks, this will make monitoring easier.

• You should not abuse them, one or two per message is usually more than enough.

Types and examples of hashtags

In addition to general tags to  classify your content  within a certain topic so that interested parties can find it, there are also other hashtags that give good results.

The branded ones are those that use the brand’s slogan. A success story is Red Bull’s #TeDaAlas , which is usually present in all its communications.    

The other alternative is  campaign tags  that are created to promote something specific. An example is #IAmLevis, which the denim clothing brand used to find the new protagonist of its ads.  

A well-chosen and well-used hashtag can be key to the success of online marketing, which is why it is essential to know how to use them.