Hashtag

Overview

A hashtag is a string made of # (the hash symbol) followed by a keyword, and it's a way to attach a theme or category to a social media post. Users of X (formerly Twitter) started using them on their own in 2007, and X later adopted them as an official feature. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and others support hashtags too. Tapping a hashtag shows a list of posts with the same tag.

Using hashtags effectively

Adding hashtags can help people who don't follow you discover your post. Your post can reach users who search for a specific hashtag, which sometimes leads to new followers.

However, more hashtags aren't automatically better. Adding lots of hashtags that have nothing to do with the post is seen as spam, and the algorithm may push the post down in the rankings. It's best to carefully choose specific hashtags that fit what the post is about.

Using hashtags with your question box

When you share a Q&A from your question box on social media, hashtags can widen your reach. Along with general tags like "#questionbox" or "#anonymousquestions," adding tags related to the theme of the question makes it more likely to catch the eye of users interested in that theme.

You can also use hashtags on posts asking for questions. Adding tags like "#askme" or "#askmeanything" gives even followers who didn't know about your question box a reason to send a question.

Hashtag pitfalls

Hashtags have their downsides too. Jumping on a trending hashtag with an unrelated post can damage your followers' trust. Also, if a particular hashtag has become a place of backlash or argument, using that tag puts you at risk of getting dragged in without meaning to.

Because hashtags are public, using a particular tag over and over can let people guess your tastes or where you spend your time from your posting patterns. If anonymity matters to you, you can reduce the risk of being profiled by keeping hashtags to a minimum or using different tags for each post.