If you’re a beginning
social media user, you may have bumped into this weird symbol:
That symbol, commonly
known as a pound or number sign, is now known in the social media world as a
hashtag. It was originally made popular
via twitter, but has gained popularity through many other social media programs
like instagram, facebook, and google+.
A hashtag is a means of
categorizing a conversation. Think of it
like a folder, except each item can be placed in multiple folders by applying
multiple hashtags. In programs like
twitter, placing a hashtag allows you to join a conversation or track one that
is already in progress. It also ensures
that whatever you have written will be read by others interested in the same
hashtag.
For example, if you write
a twitter post that may be of interest to your colleagues, you might want to
use the #ltps hashtag. All you need to do is type “#ltps” anywhere in your
tweet and anyone following the #ltps hashtag will read your message. Always using that same hashtag will ensure
that you stay in that conversation.
Hashtags can be temporary
– as in a hasthag for a specific education conference – or they can be
permanent.
And you can make a new
hashtag any time you want! Make one for
your classroom or for a particular lesson plan.
My favorite hashtags to
follow are #edchat, #edtech, and #libchat.
There’s a hashtag for every hobby and profession though, so give it a
try!
