Is it- # -  a Number sign, a Sharp (musicians) or a hashtag?

Depends on who you talk to and maybe even what you do!

These days the pound symbol - # - is synonymous with hashtags and social media platforms. For those looking to grow their platforms - ie anyone looking to make money doing what they love in this day and age, the elusive perfect hashtag is key.  Although not all hashtags are created equal. Just when you feel you might have mastered the game of hashtags on Twitter, you might think it will easily translate to another platform like Twitter. 

Not so.

Rather the hashtags that seem to thrive on Twitter for me as a writer are the obvious ones - #amwriting, #amreading, etc.  These hashtags easily connect me with other readers and writers who incidentally are the people group I need to most grow.  

But in trying to translate similar success to Instagram I have learned a valuable lesson. Indeed, the hashtag language that connects and boosts posts and profiles is completely different.  #amwriting and #amreading seem to be snoozers, but #writerscommunity or #writerslife brings in a crowd.

Crazy, I know.

As sort of a bonus, you also need to know that you don't want to post the same content to all your social networks at the same time.  If someone can see your content on Facebook and you post the exact same thing to Twitter and Instagram - I guarantee they will not want to follow you on all 3 platforms to see the same material 3 times a day.  Just DON'T do it.

Each platform has a different audience and you need to find your way to see what is appealing and what is working.  They are not all created equal. Make changes based on what is working and who you are connecting with.

Last but not least - have some fun with it! That's the biggest mistake I think most writers, authors, musicians, creators of anything in general are struggling with as they "build platform."  They are viewing it as a "necessary evil" rather than another opportunity to be creative, to connect with potential readers and encouragers, and a way to reveal a little more about yourself to people who are interested in knowing you.

Is it work? sure, but I like to think of it more in terms of being a game. And honestly, I like to win, so I'm going to keep charging forward looking to win the next round!

"Creativity is

inventing

experimenting

growing

taking risks

breaking rules

making mistakes

and

HAVING FUN!

-MARY LOU COOK

What have you discovered about hashtags across the social platforms? Are you having fun?