30 Twitter tips hath September: Stay on topic with hashtags

In September, we’re offering a Twitter tip a day. Send us your thoughts and suggestions.

[Tweet this tip]
Day 14: Stay on topic by using a #hashtag,
a keyword denoted with a #.

If you’ve seen tweets with #codedwords at the end or in the middle, that my friend is a hashtag. When used sparingly, they can help your tweet stand out in an ongoing discussion about a topic.

Conferences like BlogWorld use a hashtag like #bwe09 before, during and after the event so particpants can find each other and learn from each other. And in the daily world of Twitter, a hashtag can show off a trending topic like #michaeljackson, a chat session like #bhamchat or a daily meme such as #musicmonday.

It’s not difficult. If you’re unsure of the hashtag, search Twitter for your topic and you’ll suss it out. Soon you’ll be able to tell who’s focused on what in the neverending stream of tweets.

Follow @WadeOnTweets for more Twitter fun.
30 Twitter tips hath September