How do you use hashtags?

I have no idea how to use hashtags and having just started a Twitter account, are they essential? Or can i get by without using them? And if I do have to use them…how do I know what words to use??? Help! (I am pants with technology, so please excuse my denseness!)

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There are times when hashtags are really useful, for example if you want to attract a particular audience, also when you link your twitter account to your folksy account other people can see your tweet and either retweet it or favourite it. Over and above those two basic points I cant help. Rachel

Hashtags can help people find you so if you have used a popular hashtag, your tweet will appear when someone searches on that particular phrase. They are good fun to use as they can also be used ironically…

Thanks both :smile:

But how do you know what words to use for a hashtag? Or do you just make it up and hope that someone searches for that word?

If you look at your twitter feed you’ll see the most popular things trending (it’s in one of the side colours from memory). But those ones are normally just the real big number stuff. For others more defined and suited to your own conversations, you’ll get to pick up some as you read more of other people’s tweets, and of course, you can try searching on a few hashtags yourself and then see what else others are using. It’s a very fine science and I must admit I don’t use them a lot myself. I use the @ more, as this then gets you into a direct conversation with someone.

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Reading this thread with interest as twitter is a complete mystery to me. Have to admit I’m still no wiser. I have decided that I am going to employ my daughter over Christmas to explain it all to me!

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You can turn anything into a hashtag just by putting a # in front of the word. Remember that if you want to hashtag a phrase or more than one word, you must not have any spaces (eg #thisisahashtag) and it doesn’t work with numbers.

But you don’t have to use them at all.

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Hi Sara, We have found Twitter is really useful and has increased our sales.
Examples of hashtags being used just now are - #christmasgiftideas #christmasgifts

If you start typing a hashtag it will try and predict what you are about to type which can be good at tracking down already used hashtags. For example if we are uploading one of our dog prints and hashtag #wirefoxterrier this gets us to all those folk who love this breed. It’s a case of trial and error. Hop this helps - see you over on Twitter :slight_smile:

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Thank you all :slight_smile:

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I’ve read this with interest, I’ve yet to open a twitter account and the hashtag bit confused me a bit, I’ve seen it done on facebook too but not sure how effective it is on there. I think I’m going to have to be brave and open an account as my views on here and facebook are very low unless I spend hours online which then takes away from my crafting time, maybe twitter might suit better.

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If you link your folksy to your twitter you get an automatically generated tweet when clicking on the icon. I find this very useful as I am only a novice tweeter but according to google analytical I am generating some interest from that - not sure how that affects sales but it is traffic :smiley:

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Using hastags creates a ‘subject’ on twitter.

If I sent a tweet with ‘Is everybody looking forward to #Christmas?’ I can click on the hashtag #Christmas and see what everybody else is saying. Likewise, anyone else searching the #Christmas hashtag will see my tweet. It’s great for joining in conversations with people you don’t follow.

On Folksy, when you use the tweet button on your listings Folksy use the hastag #newonfolksy (new on folksy but as explained, it has to be all in one word). I often click on the #newonfolksy hashtag to find other folksy sellers and I often give them a retweet which means my 3000+ followers also see their tweet.

Use other keywords as hashtags for your items. Ie I use things like #baby #handmade #knitting.

I find twitter brings in far more views and sales than Facebook. I have tried many things on Facebook but even when doing a giveaway I was talking to myself so now I have set up an RSS feed which automatically posts a link to my listings every time I list but I don’t actively use Facebook anymore.

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