I am excited to announce a new blog series called the state of hashtags! For the next few months, I will breakdown the current state of hashtags for each social media channel, provide helpful tips and strategic advice on the dos and don’ts of hashtags. 

This month’s focus is Twitter. When Twitter launched, hashtags were the key to your content strategy’s success. But what changes have occurred? And how does it affect your strategy moving forward? 

Let’s begin by breaking this down into three parts. 

1. Will my post be seen if I don’t use hashtags?

The short answer is yes! When Twitter began using hashtags they were the optimal way to drive your tweet to a specific audience on an exact topic. Initially, this was how their platform indexed information and what truly drove the content on this platform.

That’s no longer the case. Twitter now indexes ALL information on Twitter – that means every word you use in a tweet and every word you use in your bio. For example, when you search the term “brand strategist” with Twitter’s search functionality it will now showcase not just users who have the hashtags brand strategist in their tweet, but also those who have it in their name, their bio or just used these words within their tweet caption. But remember, high-quality engagement is still key to content strategy success.

2.How many hashtags should I use? 

The question I continuously get when I discuss this topic is, if Twitter indexes all information then do I need to use hashtags and how many should I use? You absolutely should still integrate hashtags into your content, but be strategic about how you integrate them. Twitter for Business says as one of their top dont’s is to not over hashtag. One to two relevant hashtags per Tweet is the sweet spot. Character count still plays a role in the limitations that Twitter has, so by eliminating less important hashtags you are able to make the most out of your tweet. 

3. When should I use hashtags? 

Use hashtags in the way it makes more sense for your content strategy, creative campaign, book launch, or how you are engaging at an event or with another user. Hashtags still remain a top priority for event marketing and one of the best ways to track user engagement. Our CEO Paige Velasquez shares her effective strategies to stand out at a conference to make the most of your time here.  

Even though Twitter indexes all information, hashtags can now be used creatively and with a concise approach. We continually use them for creative campaigns to drive brand awareness and this is still a great way to build an audience around an idea. 

Lastly, the biggest value of Twitter is utilizing the @ mention. Hashtags are great for event-based Twitter conversations, book titles and campaigns, but the real driver of this channel is building relationships online with the @ mention. 

If you are unsure about how to truly use this platform in the most strategic way, check out our Twitter Playbook! 

See you next time for the state of hashtags: Instagram!