Fifteen years. This is the time since the popular #hashtags came into use on social networks, contributing to organizing and channeling a large part of the information and messages circulating on the network, as well as identifying and recognizing topics. what attracts the most attention and eventually becomes a “trend”.

The symbol “#” (hash) following a word or hashtag (label) has contributed in recent years to generate or discredit some authentic social movements such as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter or #YoSiTeCreo. Vladimir Putin, who has become one of the most tagged and rejected characters on the networks since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Marked on the agenda as Internet Day, August 23 commemorates the publication of the first publicly available web page developed by the British Tim Berners-Lee at the European Laboratory of Particle Physics (CERN) in 1991. with the fifteenth anniversary of the “tags”.

Like almost everything related to the Internet, there is no date that clearly marks the beginning of anything, and although many users were already using the tablet in one of the first chats that allowed Internet users from all over the world to talk in real time (“IRC”), American Christopher Messina August 23, 2007 He suggested using «hashtags» on the Twitter network to group topics. It revolutionized the industry.

Almost two decades ago, the main organizer of the first “barcamp” – open and participatory events held simultaneously in various parts of the world, never in person – Messina wrote on Twitter that day: groups. Like in #barcamp?» and today the hashtags add hundreds of millions of quotes on social networks and are eventually turned into fashion topics, trends or “trend topics” (#TT) every day – or not.

“Trend” in the United States #Houseofthedragon today.

#HAPPYMONDAY, #LOVE OR #FYP

They are voyaging the interest of millions of users on different topics and have already spread and become popular on all social networks; Those associated with the day of the week on Twitter (#HappyMonday or #HappyFriday) triumph among the main trends. #love, the most repeated hashtag for family, friends, couples or pets on Instagram, wins by a huge margin every year, and on Tik Tok #FYP – The acronym for “Page For You” (For You) prevails.

Hootsuite platform – A X-ray of the topics that garner the most attention each day and contribute to more than 4,600 million users of these platforms around the world, according to the latest data released in Digital Report 2022 by Specialized. The management of social networks – and We Are Social agency – specializes in this type of media.

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Stefano D’Orazio, director of Hootsuite Southern Europe, highlighted that tags are “an excellent tool to gain followers, build a brand or grow a business,” and observed that networks are often filled with communities and subcultures being built. around common interests, aesthetics or lifestyles.

Speaking to EFE, D’Orazio stressed that “hashtags” help users find content tailored to their needs, but including them in their posts also means engaging in a conversation and contributing to greater visibility into those posts. commit and empower a brand or profile.

The importance of using effectively

According to the report in question, the number of network users increased by more than 400 million last year and now represents 58 percent of the world’s population, while leaning towards Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram. .

Even more Internet users will celebrate their “day” tomorrow – some 5,000 million people, representing 62.5 percent of the world’s population – and the 2022 Digital Report’s portrait shows that they are less and less reluctant to pay monthly. fee for digital content or online purchase.

The same source also points to the effectiveness of hashtags and advertisements on social networks, as a quarter of these users are fully discovering brands, products and services through these platforms, many of which already contain their own “stores”. » » here is where millions of users do it. their purchases.

For the person in charge of the Hootsuite platform, “effective use of hashtags can also help a business grow as it helps increase visibility while reaching a wider and more specific audience.”