Hashtags began in 2007 as a way to categorize Twitter posts. When a tweet contains a hashtag, it automatically gets added to a list of other tweets containing that same hashtag. In 2009, Twitter officially embraced hashtags and started hyperlinking them to search results.

“Now anytime someone searches for or clicks on a hashtag, they will see all the tweets having to do with the hashtag,” says Chane Steiner, CEO and founder of Steiner Marketing. Facebook and other social media outlets have since jumped on the hashtag bandwagon.

Most hashtags are temporal in nature, says Mishra. “They are created on the fly, then disappear when they are no longer relevant,” he says. Because of that, it is paramount for a business to have staff people monitor and respond to comments containing hashtags the company is promoting.

“Hashtags are a great way to jump into a conversation and speak to an audience of people who don’t have to be your followers,” says Mishra.

What to know

Hashtags are “targeted marketing,” says Steiner. He suggests business owners figure out the top keywords related to their goods or services and use them as hashtags when posting online.

“If you understand all the aspects of hashtags and their uses in marketing, they can be extremely powerful. Not only can you observe your audience, you can also join the conversation,” Steiner says.

Meanwhile, Steiner cautions business owners not to dominate or abuse hashtags when using them in conversation. Other suggestions include:

• Use hashtags sparingly
• Never use more than a few at a time in a post
• Be careful not to annoy your audience

A satirical look at hashtags in popular culture, demonstrating how their overuse can be extremely onerous, was performed by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live. It can be found here

Hashtags can be related to a company’s marketing campaign or specific conversations you can join, says Mishra. “As a brand, you have the option to create conversations or join one,” he says. Another benefit of using hashtag marketing is they allow a business to speak with others who may not already be followers. In other words, “brands can entertain people who may otherwise have no exposure” to your company’s goods or services, says Mishra.

If your business is going to invest the time and money in creating an original campaign featuring hashtags, be certain the words you use are unique. And, Mishra urges, “If you create it, don’t forget to track it.”

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Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer. She may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or @girlwithapen on Twitter.