What is a hashtag?

A hashtag as a way to categorise and find posts about a particular subject. Hashtags are followed by large groups of people, who are interested in or associated with a subject. Start by searching for hashtags in subjects that interest you, to see how they work. The main point of using hashtags is to reach out and find new audiences for your interest, service or product. You can use them on these social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Here are some tips on how to use hashtags

1) look up the #hashtag you want to use and see what else comes up in that category and ask yourself, “does it fit with the image I am sharing?”

2) look up the hashtag you’re thinking of using and see if there are better alternatives, with more followers, for example, #painting or #paintings

3) hashtag etiquette is to use 3 hashtags in each post at most, though you can use up to 30 without breaking the internet

4) Use the hashtag in the written description of the post if possible, for example: this is a new #stoneware #sculpture of a grey #chicken by Emma Plunkett.

5) stick to hashtags that describe the general content, materials used, the style or a location.

6) you can invent your own hashtags, for example, #orgivaartscene #orgivaart

Examples of hashtags to use when promoting art

General

#art #artblog #artforsale #artgalleries #artlife #artlovers #artist #artnews #artprints #artshow #artoftheday #artsy #artwork #beautifulart #buyart #contemporaryart #creative #decoration #design #exhibitions #fineart #fineartprints #gallery #gallerywall #myartwork #picture #printsforsale #sculptureart #wallart #onlineart #natureart #visionaryart

Styles

#abstract #abstractart #abstractexpressionism #blackandwhite #cartoon #colour #conceptualart #cubism #dadaism #expressionism #fauvism #geometricart #graphicart #impressionism #popart #postimpressionism #postmodern #realisticart #socialrealism #surrealism

Materials

#sculpture #ceramics #clay #earthenware #stoneware #lightart #lightsculpture #installationart
#painting #watercolour #drawing #ink #streetart #graffiti #mixedmedia #acrylic acrylicpainting #oilpainting #murals #pleinair #stilllife #landscapepainting #gouache #linocut
#drawing #charcoaldrawing #pasteldrawing #figuredrawings #pencildrawing #illustration #sketchbook #lifedrawing
#photography #cyanotype #photooftheday #alteredphotography #prints #abstractphoto #collage #photoshop #streetphotography
#graphics #vectors #animation #graphicdesign #typography #printmaking

Location

#malagaart #orgivaart #granadaart

Marketing

Remember to put yourself into the shoes of your end-user and think about what they would put into a #hashtag search for your image to come up.

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I’m on most social media platforms as Emma Plunkett Art. I also write an art newsletter – you get a free downloadable watercolour flamenco dancer when you subscribe!