Definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet.  It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

I remember when the [#] hashtag was known as the pound key or the number sign and we all long for the days when it was just referred to as a Tic-Tac-Toe board!  However this obscure sign plays a crucial role in social media communication.  One must embrace this key and utilize it on almost every Twitter and Pinterest post.

One of the key ways to grow your social media following organically is through the use of [#] hashtags.  When someone does a topic search on Twitter the computer algorithm is looking for the key-words attached to [#] hashtags.

Hashtags: Categorizing Tweets by Keyword

• People use the hashtag symbol # before relevant keywords (no spaces) in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter Search.
• Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all other Tweets in that category.
• Hashtags can occur anywhere in the Tweet – at the beginning, middle, or end.
• Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics.

Example:  If you are sending out a tweet of a leadership article from the Harvard Business Review, the two hashtags you might consider using are #leadership and #management.  You could add a [#] hashtag for #HBR but I would prefer to give them props by adding (via @HBR) to the end of my tweet or LinkedIn post.

#FF:  Users created this as shorthand for “Follow Friday,” a weekly tradition where users recommend people that others should follow on Twitter. You’ll see this on Fridays.  I have had someone do a #FF on me and it grew my followers by 25 in one day.

Using Hashtags Correctly:

• If you Tweet with a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your Tweet
• Don’t #spam #with #hashtags. Don’t over-tag a single Tweet.
• Two [#] hashtags per Tweet is a good recommendation.
• Use hashtags only on Tweets relevant to the topic.

by visually. Browse more data visualizations.

Embrace the use of hashtags and sit back and watch your list of followers grow!

By now everyone has a Facebook account, and I would hope that everyone has a profile set-up on LinkedIn, however you can do much more to develop your personal brand.  Today when you mention Twitter to many individuals they immediately think of Kim Kardashian tweeting meaningless 142 character blurbs at a rate indicative of someone who has nothing better to do with their time (no offense meant towards Kim Kardashian).  The reality could not be farther from the truth.

Twitter is a critical pull through extension connecting you directly to your personal and professional network at large.   The exposure to your personal brand is exponential and you are not limited or restricted by an exclusive (invite only) network.  With that said, Twitter has a rhythm unto itself which is why so many people in business have shied away from it.  Trust me, I know from personal experience.  Below are the steps I took in order to slay the blue feathered beast:

1. Obtain Your Name as Your Twitter Handle (if you can)
2. Set-up a Buffer Account
3. Choose a RSS Feed Aggrigator (Feedly, FeedDemon, Google Reader…)
4. Download Instapaper for your computer, phone and I-pad
5. Obtain Flipboard for your I-pad and phone
6. Use TweetBot as The Twitter Client for Your Phone

When I first became a Vegetarian someone told me to always keep a bag of Tater-Tots in the freezer because they will take the edge off of a fried chicken craving.  Steps 2-4 are your Twitter Tater-Tots!  To begin with you should tweet content which you have curated 10-12 times a day.  This is content you find interesting and you believe others will as well.  I recommend that you review the aggregated content from your RSS feeder in the evening and add your selected articles to the buffer account.  Buffer will then send out your tweets throughout the day so as to keep your Twitter presence active.

Supplement your buffer tweets with a couple RT (re-tweets) from content you browse though on Flipboard.  Send these tweets out over lunch when Twitter activity is at its peak.  You are now up and running on Twitter and you have not sent out one tweet telling the free world what you are eating for breakfast and the rhythm of your day has also been preserved.

Again, you are building your personal brand therefore your Twitter handle should be as close to your own name as possible.  Due to the fact that there are over 3,5oo women named Jennifer Martin I had a dilemma on my hands.  Ultimately I was able to obtain @JenMartinEDU.

Lastly, Facebook is your friends and family circle, LinkedIn is your professional circle and therefore Twitter is an extension beyond those circles.  Follow individuals who have amassed a large following in the areas you’re interested, in addition to key opinion leaders in the market at large.  I select my followers by searching key terms such as mlearning, elearning, leadership… and I enjoy interacting with authors and columnists who I find fascinating.

When developing your list of people or companies to follow, think of individuals which given the opportunity, you would enjoy inviting to your home for an intimate and exclusive dinner party.  Send me a tweet if you found this post helpful!

Twitter Infographic