Bluesky takes flight with Hashtags on the horizon

Social media platform Bluesky this week announced plans to introduce hashtags soon. While currently hashtags exist solely as text within posts, CEO Jay Graber confirmed in a recent video that clickable and searchable hashtags are on the way.

In social media platforms, hashtags are a type of metadata in the form of keywords or phrases preceded by the # symbol. They serve several key purposes:

1. Categorization and Discovery: Users add hashtags to their posts to categorize them based on topics, trends, or events. This helps other users discover content relevant to their interests by searching for specific hashtags. For example, searching for #cats will show you posts related to cats, while #climatechange will show you posts related to that topic.

2. Joining Conversations: Hashtags can act as entry points for joining ongoing conversations about specific topics. When you use a popular hashtag, your post becomes part of that larger conversation, increasing its visibility to others interested in the same topic.

3. Community Building: Hashtags can help connect users with shared interests, fostering a sense of community around specific topics, events, or brands. For example, following a brand's hashtag can connect you with other fans and keep you updated on their activities.

4. Trend Tracking: Trending hashtags reveal what topics are garnering the most attention on a platform at a given time. This can provide insights into current events, pop culture, and user interests.

5. Marketing and Branding: Businesses and brands often use hashtags in their marketing campaigns to reach specific audiences and promote their products or services. They can also track the performance of their campaigns by analyzing hashtag engagement.