How do you use hashtags to find and join relevant conversations on Twitter?

1 What are hashtags?

Hashtags are words or phrases that start with the # symbol and are used to categorize tweets by topic. For example, #jobfair, #marketingtips, or #careeradvice. When you click on a hashtag, you'll see all the tweets that use it, regardless of who posted them. This way, you can find and follow people who share your interests, expertise, or challenges.

2 How to find relevant hashtags?

One of the easiest ways to find relevant hashtags is to use the search function on Twitter. You can type in keywords related to your field, industry, or skill and see what hashtags pop up. For example, if you're looking for a job in graphic design, you can search for #graphicdesign, #designjobs, or #portfoliotips. You can also use the filters to narrow down your results by location, language, or date.

Another way to find relevant hashtags is to look at what other people in your network are using. You can check out the profiles of your contacts, influencers, or organizations that you admire and see what hashtags they include in their tweets. You can also look at the trending topics on Twitter and see if any of them are related to your field or goals.

3 How to join relevant conversations?

Once you've found some hashtags that interest you, you can join the conversations by replying, retweeting, or liking the tweets that use them. You can also tweet your own thoughts, questions, or insights using the same hashtags. This way, you can show your knowledge, personality, and value to the people who are following the topic.

However, before you join any conversation, make sure you understand the context and tone of the hashtag. Some hashtags may have a specific purpose, audience, or etiquette that you need to respect. For example, #jobhuntchat is a weekly chat for job seekers and career coaches, so you need to follow the rules and schedule of the chat. Other hashtags may have a humorous, sarcastic, or critical tone that you need to match or avoid.

4 How to contribute to relevant conversations?

In order to join relevant conversations, you need to contribute something meaningful, useful, or engaging. Avoid spamming, self-promoting, or repeating what others have said. It's important to add value, share your perspective, or ask thoughtful questions. To do so, research the topic before you tweet and make sure you have facts and examples to back up your points. Be authentic and honest, and strive for conciseness in your messages. You can also use creativity in your tweets to make them stand out and capture attention. Consider using humor, storytelling, visuals, polls, quizzes, or challenges to invite interaction and feedback.

5 How to follow up on relevant conversations?

The last step in using hashtags to find and join relevant conversations is to follow up on them. You want to build and maintain relationships with the people who share your interests and goals. To do this, you should follow the people who impressed or inspired you, keep track of the hashtags you used, revisit conversations you joined, and share your results or feedback. You can use tools like TweetDeck or Hootsuite to create columns or lists for different hashtags and monitor them regularly. Additionally, you can send a direct message to thank someone, compliment them, or ask for more information. Show your appreciation and progress by tagging them or using the same hashtag.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?