Meaning of hashtag (#) (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Hashtag (#):

Hashtag refers to the word or series of words or alphanumeric characters preceded by the hash symbol, also called a numeral or cat (#), used on certain internet web platforms. It is an English word that we can translate as 'label'.

In this sense, hashtags are a communication tool used primarily in publications (text, videos, audios, images, etc.) on social networks, to organize, classify or group publications according to their topic or content.

These labels allow to present in a public way, and organized in the time line, all the contents that have the same label, thus facilitating not only their location, but the exchange of information or content between different users, on certain topics or events.

In Spanish, it is advisable to use the term 'etiquette' instead of hashtag . Other possible translations, depending on the situation, would be 'category' or 'keyword'.

Characteristics of a hashtag

Sometimes, when a hashtag is used by many users during a certain period of time, it becomes, specifically on Twitter, a Trending Topic , that is, a trend of the moment.

In hashtags it is not necessary to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters, however, you can take advantage of the use of these to differentiate one word from another and facilitate its readability, for example: # EleccionesPresidenciales2016.

The great advantage of hashtags is that they give greater visibility to a publication on a social network, allowing other users to more effectively follow events or campaigns, news or events.

The hashtags became popular first on the platform of microblogging Twitter, and there have been extended to other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Google+ or Telegram.

Popular hashtags

Among users of different social networks, some hashtags are more frequently used than others that arise from specific events. Among the most popular we can highlight:

• #MCM, which means Man Crush Monday or, in Spanish, 'male crush on Monday'. It is used to publish the photo of an attractive boy. #WCW, which means Woman Crush Wednesday , that is, 'female crush on Wednesday'. It is used to upload a photo of a pretty girl. #TBT, which means Throwback Thursday , which means going back in time on a Thursday, and refers to the publication of our old photos, especially those that remind us of good times. #FBF, which stands for Flashback Friday , refers to going back in time on a Friday. It also involves the publication of photos from past times.