Anyone who has spent any time on the internet, watched television or listened to the radio has probably heard of a hashtag. Will learning more about the hashtag help with social media optimization in San Jose? The truth is that if you don’t understand how to use the hashtag for social media optimization, you may be doing more damage than good.

The hashtag is a form of metadata tag that allows messages on social media to be grouped together. It is added to Facebook, Twitter or other social media by adding the symbol # before a word. Be sure to leave out the space after the #. So if you are talking about social media optimization (or SMO) in San Jose you may post something on social media with #smoSanJose. To find specific posts on Facebook or tweets on Twitter, you can search for the hashtag phrase. It is important to bear in mind that the hashtag is only applicable for that one social platform; it will not link to other social media posts.

The following suggestions are ways to use hashtags for social media optimization in San Jose and the surrounding area:

• Classify or categorize your posts using hashtags. When they were first being used, hashtags allowed users to categorize or organize content they posted on social media. When posting on Facebook about an upcoming conference, they might use #2014SalesCon. Then anyone following them would be able to find the posts related to the conference. Hashtags are not the same thing as keywords; they are more targeted to a specific conversation within the social media platform.
• Use hashtags to help promote your brand’s content. You may already be using hashtags with your company name like #Toyota or #JasonsDeli, for instance. Additional hashtags will help you be more specific – #ToyotaCamry or #JasonsDeliReuben. If you add hashtags to photos or videos related to your brand, those already using social media will be able to use those same hashtags when searching for content.
• Hashtags can help extend the effectiveness of your posts. With more and more people using hashtags, there are many which are very popular. When you add the most popular hashtags to your posts, you may increase the chance of your post coming up in their search and possibly shared with others.
• Use hashtags to show your creativity. Even though many hashtags are in use today, you can still come up with creative new hashtags for your brand with the hope that they will take off and become the next big thing that everyone shares.
• When using hashtags, don’t go overboard. They should be used sparingly or they lose their effectiveness. Too many hashtags in a single update post or tweet would look like spam and could cause people to stop following you. Instead of using many hashtags in one post, consider who will be reading the post and relay your hashtag message with specific intent.
• While anyone can use a hashtag in social media, it is possible to register a hashtag associated with your trademark or promotional campaign if you think it is necessary.
• Most social media platforms support hashtags today including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Gawker and more.

Even though hashtags are popular and their use has grown, they are a tool that allows businesses to reach new audiences, connect people in social media conversations, and can be an effective part of social media optimization in San Jose.