Hashtag #etiquette

The hashtag is popping up everywhere, but using it can still be confusing. Local social media pros offer this advice:

#Not #too #much: Overusing hashtags makes the person posting look desperate for attention, or kind of like a teenager. Try just one or two that are #relevant and #helpful for others who may want to chime in.

Be cute, occasionally: Hashtags meant to add context or emotion to a tweet can be entertaining — or annoying. To keep from straying into irritating territory, use sparingly. Lisa Grimm of Space150 draws a parallel with cursing: "When somebody who never swears swears, you're like, 'Whoa!' "

Short and sweet: #Thiswittycommentisa­whole­sentence. Hard to read, right? Brevity is better. "Making up your own hashtag that is too long is often too confusing," said Becca Bijoch of Lola Red PR.

No conversation crashing:Use hashtags to find conversations that interest you and, by all means, participate. But don't add your two cents (or promote something) that's not relevant.

"When people use popular hashtags just to get a message out? That's a faux pas," said Nicole Harrison of Social Nicole.

Katie Humphrey