Photo by Laughing Squid

If I can tell you one thing I’ve learned by being a part of social media, it’s that by going global- I’ve become more local.

The bloggers and social media enthusists I began following long (months) ago brought me into communities and groups in my own backyard. One way I learned about organized groups, conversations and chats was through the simple art of using and following Twitter hashtags .

What?

By following other people’s ‘tagging’ comments and posts –with the ‘#’ sign in front of a word or words (with no word separation)– I was able to track the active users that were talking about topics of interest to me.

So what?

This gave me guidance and direction. By seeing real people recommend books, articles or posts was helpful to see what my hopeful audience was talking about. This also let me jump in the conversation .

Hashtags are much more efficeint and convenient for getting connected to certain topics then merely searching.

Check out some hastags in your industry…

Why?

• To connect. By having a specialized hashtag connected to related tweets you can be connected to other people using the tag. This is great for event promotion. I’ve been able to see who was attending events, and this way and I’ve been about to make a point to touch base with people of interest.
• To increase your experience. No matter what line of work you are in, there is always someone else with something to share- or share with. Hashtags can lead to opportunities and expereinces that you didn’t know where there before.
• To identify collaboration opportunities. Personally, I’ve found more people wanting to work together in the social media communities then I have ever encountered. Using a hashtag to connect with them has been a great way to follow groups and projects. It’s like watching history.
• To participate in chats. These aren’t only for newbies or recent grads trying to get inside information. They have become organized and official to expand horizons and boundaries.
• To get local. By turning on your hashtag radar, you are able to start picking up on local chats, events and organizations in your area.

FYI: Hashtags didn’t originate at the Twitter board table- they were created by the users. Feel free to make your own.

Here are some basic ones that I use:

#socialmedia

#blog

#msp – for Minneapolis/St. Paul, mn

All you have to do it put the ‘#’ in front of the word or words you want to ‘tag’.

What hastags do you or would you use?

Tags: hashtags, Twitter