How To Use Hashtags On Twitter

Here are instructions for how to use hashtags on Twitter. News travels quickly on Twitter. Due to the character limits of Twitter, however, the subject of a tweet isn't always apparent. If you tweet that you're at a professional football game, your other tweets might only mention what happens on certain plays. Other users might miss your first update, so they'll be missing the context required to understand the rest.  And that just isn't right.  Today, you will receive the grandest Twitter lesson of all: how to use hashtags on Twitter.

1. Choose your hashtagging scenario. Hashtags are typically used to provide context ("Worst movie I've ever seen. #Twilight"), to label a tweet about an event ("Just watched a demo of a revolutionary new Web 2.0 service. #BFDSummit"), to participate in a meme ("Did you just change the channel from the game to Project Runway? #girlyoutrippin") or to make fun of yourself or a friend ("I accidentally picked Plaxico Burress with the #1 pick in our fantasy draft. #idiot").
2. Assemble your hashtag. There are two parts to a hashtag: the number sign (#) and the tag, which is a word, phrase or name with no spaces. When you've determined what your tag will be, simply place a number sign in front of it. Tada! You now have a hashtag.
3. Tweet it out. Let people know what you're up to or just be clever - the hashtag is a versatile tool in your tweeting arsenal.
4. Search for kindred spirits.  You can find other people who are using your hashtag by using sites like Hashtags.org or Twitter Search.  On the Twitter Search front page, you can even check out terms that are trending.

Armed with this newfound hashtag knowledge, you're now ready to show the Twitterverse just how cool and witty you truly are.