Magic of the Hashtag by Steve Levine
We live in a world of social media overload. Just look at all the noise in your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn feeds. Words that come to mind are unwieldy, cumbersome, unmanageable, burdensome, uncontrollable, and useless. However, there is one way to cut through all the noise to obtain meaningful information. In fact, this will not only change your experience in a positive way but will shed new light on social media that will take it from frustrating to meaningful. So what is the secret sauce? Reintroduce yourself to the hashtag.
Although it may seem obvious, sometimes we need a reminder so that we return to the basics. According to Wikipedia, a hashtag is a type of label or metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content. In English, this means a hashtag empowers you to gain access to all conversations having to do with that word. It does not matter whether you follow that individual or that he or she follows you. Think about that for a moment. You have complete access to all conversations and sharing of information having to do with that word. Talk about feeling empowered.
Instead of providing you with endless example of hashtags and their benefits, I encourage you to select a topic you are interested in then hashtag the term in the search field. Do this in the social medium of your choice. I guarantee you’ll never view social media the same.
Copyright 2017, Steve Levine
About the Author: Steve Levine is an outside-the- box thinker and marketing strategist who leverages information to bring superior insight leading to better business decisions. Adept at storytelling and visualization, he transforms data into digestible business actions. Steve has partnered with many well-known high tech, financial services and CPG companies as well as nonprofits and start-ups. In 2016, Steve earned a Master’s degree with distinct scholarly honors from Temple University’s Fox School of Business in Digital Innovation in Marketing. By blending his vast professional experience with the latest academic thinking, he problem solves for stakeholders providing them with superior insights on a wide range of issues. Among the better-known brands Steve has partnered includes: Agilent, AT&T, Citi Corp, HP, JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Kemper, Lucent, Macy’s, Microsoft, oVoo, Progressive Insurance, The Home Depot, Time Warner Cable, and Zappo’s.