Chris Messina, a former Google designer, is credited with using the first hashtag (#) on Twitter in August 2007.

Since then, the ubiquitous hashtag became so widely used that it was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2010 and the Scrabble Dictionary in 2014.

Today, individuals, entrepreneurs, and big companies, to increase awareness of causes and brand recognition to businesses, use hashtags.

Even as most people know what they are, many either avoid using them or use them willy-nilly to no benefit at all.

Today, I’ll be breaking down the basics of what a hashtag is, how it differs across the most common social networking platforms, and how using hashtags is beneficial to and for your energy healing practice.

What Is a Hashtag?

A hashtag is a keyword or short phrase that is preceded by a pound (#) symbol. It’s used to collect similarly themed posts under one umbrella. In short, hashtags categorize content. Example: #metoo.

Almost all social media platforms allow the use of hashtags. The most common ones energy healing practitioners use are:

* Twitter
* Instagram
* Pinterest

Facebook doesn’t technically support hashtags and will not gather information on a hashtagged topic, although you can use hashtags in Facebook to express an emotion or sentiment, such as: #thankgoditsfriday.

What Do Hashtags Do?

Hashtags make your content discoverable and allow you to find relevant content other people and businesses are posting, tweeting, or pinning.

By adding a hashtagged word or phrase to your post, tweet, or pin, other people searching for that phrase will be able to see your post. And there are many more

people using hashtags in their search engine’s web browser to search then you realize!

Hashtag Basics

* The best hashtags are those composed of a single word or short phrase.

* Don’t use spaces, punctuation, hyphens, dashes, or special characters within your hashtag.

* You can use numbers and letters within your hashtag. Just don’t start with or use only numbers.

* Precede your # with a space.

* Don’t use too many hashtags in one post.

How to Use Hashtags with Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook

Knowing how to use hashtags is fundamental to your success on social media. The first thing to understand is that hashtags are used differently on each of the major social networking platforms. Therefore, you’ll need to adapt hashtags to the social network you’re using. Here’s how:

* Twitter — Include up to two hashtags in your tweets.
Quick Link: wikihow.com/Twitter

* Pinterest — Type the hashtag right beneath your image.
Quick Link: wikihow.com/Pinterest

* Instagram — Add hashtags in the description section of your photo.
Quick Link: wikihow.com/Instagram

* Facebook — Include hashtags in your posts for emotional emphasis.
Quick Link: wikihow.com/Facebook

7 Types of Hashtags to Promote Your Practice

1. Brand hashtags — This hashtag is the name or tagline of your energy healing practice. Use it to define, market, and promote your practice. Here’s mine: #yourhealingbusiness

2. Campaign hashtags — Use this kind of hashtag for each of your marketing campaigns. For instance, if you’re having a special this month, you can make a unique hashtag to promote this short-term special. Example: #deeptissuemassage

3. Trending hashtags — Use this kind of hashtag to piggyback on what’s trending now.

Trending hashtags are continuously changing. So, when you see a trend that relates to your healing modality, jump on it by using that hashtag in your post, tweet, or pin. That way your content will be seen by far more people than just your fans and followers.

You can easily find trending hashtags on your Twitter page. They’re on the left under, “Trends for you.”

4. Content hashtags — Use this type of hashtag in your posts and tweets. They’re used to improve the SEO of your posts and to get your content seen by customers and potential clients who are searching with hashtags. Example: #EFT

5. Location hashtags — Use this type of hashtag when you want to promote a location. Example: #pittsburgh

6. Event hashtags — Use this kind of hashtag to promote an event you’re hosting or will be attending. Example: #reikishare

7. Lifestyle hashtags — Use this kind of hashtag when you want to promote a lifestyle that your healing modality promotes. Example: #chakrabalance

Although hashtags are ubiquitous with social networking sites, most people either avoid using them or use them willy-nilly to no benefit at all. Now that you know how to use them for your energy healing practice, here’s to your #success.

Jan

P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 2 ways I can help you grow your energy healing business:

1. Click the link below and join the Energy Healers. Thriving Businesses Facebook Group for the best ideas on building your client-base.

Plus get expert advice on handling administrative and financial tasks, and mastering the fundamental challenges of an energy healing business with ease, so you can focus on the work you love: helping clients heal.

FB/EnergyHealersThrivingBusinesses

2. I’m excited about an innovative client attraction system for spiritual and healing entrepreneurs that I think you’re going love.

There are still some openings for a free client attraction strategy session this month. You can choose to have your free session by app (Skype or Zoom) or email.

If you want a spot, send me an email with your time zone and preferred app or email to:

jan@YourHealingBusiness.com or DM me on Twitter @Your_HealingBiz