Whether you know it as a pound key, number sign, or metadata tag, today it is most commonly referred to as a hashtag.

It is often used on Twitter and Instagram as a way to categorize and group together trending topics. The hashtag, when placed before a word with no spaces or punctation, becomes a link. It carries us to a grouping of all other images, sites, or posts with the same hashtag-word combination.

This month, Facebook announced they will be joining the hashtagging trend so that users will be able to click on a hashtag and see a feed of discussions about any particular subject. There have been mixed responses, but this announcement cements the use of hashtags in social media.

It is a good tool to be familiar with if you are hosting a large event or marketing your company. If you want to learn more about how to effectively use hashtags, check out this article in PR Daily and read 5 reasons why hashtags work and 5 reasons why they fail.

At your next event, put your hashtag and a live twitter feed on our LED screens and get your event trending. Everyone will love populating their social media with your chosen hashtag.