{"id":123675,"date":"2022-06-09T07:53:05","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T07:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/corp\/?p=123675"},"modified":"2025-07-21T09:51:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:51:42","slug":"hashtags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/marketing\/content-marketing\/hashtags\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Hashtags to #DriveEngagement Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2022, an estimated 3.96 billion<\/a> people will use social media. If you’re one of those people, you’ve almost certainly seen thousands of hashtags splashed across glam pics on Instagram, hot takes on Twitter, and family snaps on Facebook.<\/p>\n

But have you ever wondered about the origins of the recognizable “#” sign? Believe it or not, “hashtag” wasn’t always synonymous with “social media.” It also wasn\u2019t always part of a part of a killer digital marketing strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this article, we’ll dive into the world of hashtags to explore what they are, why they matter, and how to use them effectively to boost your brand’s digital marketing efforts on social media.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a hashtag?<\/h2>\n

A “hashtag” is a phrase, sentence, or word that comes after the”#” sign, i.e., #vacationmode, #livingmybestlife, #winning #Hawaii.<\/p>\n

The “#” sign is also known as an “octothorpe,” “cross-hatch,” or “hash,” depending on your location.<\/p>\n

Hashtags are sort of like a filing system for social media content. Users tag posts relevant to a topic with the “#,” and social media platforms place the content in a category with other, similar content. People can search posts under different tags to find content connected to info they\u2019re searching about.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an example of the results for #veggieburger on Instagram:<\/p>\n

\"#veggieburger<\/p>\n

In 2022, we most commonly associate hashtags with social media \u2013 but they\u2019re far older than you may expect.<\/p>\n

Back in 1988, a platform called Internet Relay Chat (IRC) first used tags to sort videos, images, group messages, and text content by category. Then, in 2007, Twitter started to use the “#” sign. Specifically, Chris Messina suggested it as a way to group similar content together for users.<\/p>\n

The first publicly-known tweet containing a hashtag is this one \u2013 published by Chris Messina on Aug. 24, 2007:<\/p>\n

how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp<\/a> [msg]?
\n\u2014 \u02d7\u02cf\u02cb Chris Messina \u02ce\u02ca\u02d7 (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n