Using Hashtags in Twitter

Twitter is a great tool for finding information quickly and easily. The search function at search.twitter.com is powerful and can find up to the minute information unlike any other search engine.

When you first start using Twitter, you might have noticed that many of the tweets you receive have a hash mark # in front of a word. The hash mark combined with a word creates a hashtag.

Hashtags are popular acronyms or words that anyone on twitter can use to follow topics of interest to them. A hashtag starts with a # and then any word or combination of letters follows. A hashtag cannot have any spaces so multiple words must be combined together.

Hashtags are a way to catalog and connect tweets about a specific topic. They make it easier for users to find new tweets on a particular subject, while providing a filter for the attendant tweets that may contain the same keyword.

Hashtags are also often used by a conference or event organizers as a method of keeping all tweets about the event in a single flow. They have also been used to coordinate updates during emergencies or news events.

Some popular hashtags for people interested in personal development are

#success

#inspirational

#leadership

#quote

#personaldevelopment

#organization

#productivity

#timemanagement

People looking for a job might try

#jobs

#employ

#employment

#hiring

# with the city you are looking for a job in

People interested in goal setting might want to search for

#goals

#goalsetting

Other popular hashtags are

#news

#tech

#music

There are even sites dedicated to searching for hashtags

http://www.whatthetrend.com/

http://twubs.com/

There are even books that can help you use them more effectively.

The Twitter Book

Why not spend a few minutes today searching for hashtags that interest you. Or make up your own unique ones. When using Twitter, the hashtag will help you find what you are looking for quickly and easily.