Getting the most out of hashtags

One of the most complex features of Twitter for new users to understand is the hashtag, a topic with a hash symbol (“#”) at the start to identify it.

Twitter hashtags like #followfriday help spread information on Twitter while also helping to organise it.

The hashtag is a favourite tool of conferences and event organisers, but it’s also a way for Twitter users to organize themselves: if everyone agrees to append a certain hashtag to tweets about a topic, it becomes easier to find that topic in search, and more likely the topic will appear in Twitter’s Trending Topics.

So how do you disseminate and make sense of all this hashtag madness? By going through the art of the hashtag step-by-step, of course.

Here is a short guide details how to identify, track, use, and organise hashtags in an efficient and useful way.Identifying hashtagsFor new Twitter users, and even we veterans, figuring out what a specific hashtag is being used for can be a major chore.

When a hashtag starts to trend, it gets even more difficult to parse the information stream.  So what’s the most efficient way to figure out those nasty hashtags?

Luckily, there a few great tools that can assist in hashtag enlightenment:

whatthetrend.com: This useful little service makes it really easy to learn about trending hashtags.

Hashtags.org: While not the best at helping you understand the meaning behind a tag, Hashtags.org is good at showing you its use over time and recent tweets, which oftentimes is enough to figure out the meaning behind the tag.

Tracking hashtags

What’s buzzing on Twitter right now? If you’re a tech journalist, marketing professional, or just a person interested in trends, there are many useful tools and techniques to keep up with the Twitter conversation via hashtags.

If you’re trying to track tweets from a hashtag in real-time, twitterfall.com is a good choice. Once again, Hashtags.org provides graphs and hour-by-hour information on top hashtags.

Using hashtags

Although not terribly complicated, hashtags have some unwritten rules. The primary one to remember: don’t overuse them.

Finally, if you’re looking to create a hashtag, be sure that it adds value for yourself and your followers. The best way to utilize them is when you need to organise information.

Conferences, major events, and even reminders can help organise specific tweets and make life easier on you and your followers.

Organising hashtags

It’s become standard to track the conversation regarding speakers at conferences and events and after parties via a hashtag.

If you’re about to put on an event or are looking to take your event to a new level, here are some useful tips for hashtag organisation:Choose a single hashtag early: This may seem simple, but it is vital to get right.

Choose a simple hashtag that represents your event or brand. If your event is the Business of the Calling Ducks conference, don’t use #businessofthecallingducks as your tag.

How about #bizducks instead?Remind attendees of the hashtag constantly: On your website, on your Twitter feed, at the opening remarks, and throughout the day, make a friendly reminder about your hashtag and that you can track the conversation through it.

Provide a website widget: For anyone who isn’t using or knowledgeable with Twitter, provide an easy conversation tracker tool on your website.