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When did hashtags appear and how do they work?

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 8:32 am
by jakaria25
The use of hashtags can be traced back to the early days of the internet, but they were not used in the same way as they are today.

Hashtags are a way of organizing and categorizing content on social media platforms. They are words or phrases preceded by a hash symbol (#) that can be searched for and clicked on. They are a powerful tool for increasing awareness and engagement on social media and have become an important part of online communication. Hashtags can be used for a variety of purposes, including starting or participating in a conversation, joining a challenge, promoting a brand or product, drawing attention to an issue, or simply adding humor or emphasis to a message.


The first known use of a hashtag to categorize content cell phone number list on the Internet occurred in 1988 on the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel. Users used the hashtag symbol to group messages related to a particular topic.

But the hashtag symbol itself dates back to around the 14th century. Before it was used on phones and social media, the hashtag came from the Latin abbreviation “lb,” meaning “pound sterling.” So in the U.S., it was called the pound sign for a time.

According to Dictionary.com, the official name for the hashtag is "octothorpe," coined by telephone technicians when they added the symbol to their phone keypads. It only became known as a hashtag after its use became popular on social media.

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The modern use of hashtags as we know them today began in 2007 on Twitter . The idea was proposed by designer Chris Messina, who suggested using the hash symbol to group tweets by topic. The idea quickly caught on, and the use of hashtags on Twitter became increasingly popular.

Hashtags then spread to other social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn . Today, hashtags are used for a variety of purposes and have become an integral part of online communication and social media marketing.

How hashtags work

They work by adding a # sign before a word or phrase, which turns it into a search link that takes you to a page where you can find other posts with the same hashtag. When a user clicks on a hashtag, they are taken to a page that displays all the posts that contain that hashtag.

Why use hashtags?

Hashtags are a powerful tool that can help you expand your online presence. No matter what social platform you use, hashtags can benefit your business.