A hashtag can be deadly in the wrong hands. Thanks to the rise of social media, particularly Twitter, the pound sign frequently spices up captions, statuses and tweets.
Like all good things, hashtags have been swiftly overused and destroyed by social media enthusiasts who don’t understand how to properly wield them. The Internet may not have rules, but it should at least try to learn some manners.
Here are eight examples of hashtagging gone wrong. Learn from the worst so you can get better at the art of #HashtagEtiquette.
1. #Too #Many #Hashtags
It is not OK if your hashtags exceed paragraph length. It’s just not.
2. Unrelated Hashtags
Oh, really? You think your photo of Emma Stone should also be tagged #DemiLovato, #JenniferLawrence, #SelenaGomez and #Legolas? Unrelated hashtags are confusing, and don’t serve your purpose of accurately marking whatever it is you’re trying to show the world.
3. You #Hashtag Every #Other Word
This makes you look like a hashtag amateur who just discovered it yesterday. It breaks up your tweet/Facebook status/Instagram caption, and is pretty pointless.
4. Saying “Hashtag” IRL
Internet culture has a way of creeping into our daily lexicon — but resist the urge to actually say “hashtag,” lest you end up sounding as crazy.
5. Excessive Competitive Hashtagging
Hey, we kind of wanted that #EsuranceSave30 money, too, but we’re not willing to tweet all day, every day to get it. Chances of winning a competition via social media are just as difficult as winning the lottery. But unlike the lotto, it’s free for people to enter, as many times as they want. How do your odds look now?
6. Facebook Hashtags
LOL, are these still a thing? Hashtags are still very much Twitter’s territory, so try not to go tag-crazy on your Facebook account. It just doesn’t feel right yet.
7. The #LongHashtag
Why do people do this? Run-on sentences aren’t a good thing, and neither are exceedingly long hashtags. They’re ridiculously difficult to read, especially if you put all of the words in lowercase.
8. #Like4Like #TeamFollowBack
We understand that having a following on social media can be a great thing. However, within the social media community are users determined to get likes from strangers, even willing to retweet and like posts as long as the action is reciprocated. This is how you end up with random followers clogging your timeline or News Feed. It’s just not worth it.
Source: Mashable
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