How to Use Two of the Most Common Social Media Symbols

Some simple things, like social media symbols, even might be somewhat confusing, especially for those new to any platform. However, you will notice two of the most common symbols, namely the “@” and the “#” used across Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. 

Let’s explore more about those two symbols and when or how to use them that probably can be helpful for your personal or commercial purposes.

Social Media Symbols – the @

The first of the most used social media symbols in this article is the User Tag or the “@” symbol. This symbol allows you to mention (tag) your friends, followers, or other users (even popular celebrities, brands, or organizations) in a specific post, topic, or message. 

You can usually do this by using the symbol “@” followed by someone’s user name without a space, @UserName. That way, you can easily engage your friends or other users in a new post without having them search it out. You can notify and reach them with your posts or comments too. 

Social Media Symbols – the #

Oxford English Dictionary added Hashtag as its new vocabulary in June 2014. It defines it as a word or phrase with the symbol # in front of it and as used on social media websites and apps so that you can search for all messages with the same subject.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

A hashtag is also one of the most used social media symbols. You can find it in the form of the number or pound symbol of “#” to mark a particular keyword or topic on many social media platforms. 

Originated on Twitter, hashtags indicate that content falls to a specific category or topic. Accordingly, it helps people to discover any piece of content or post in on-platform searches easily. It leads to reach out or engage in more people. 

Examples of hashtags across social media platforms are #ootd, #ThrowbackThursday, #GameofThrones, #photooftheday, #coffee, and more. 

When to Use the @ and the # 

Generally speaking, hashtags and user tags are two of the most used social media symbols that help the users or people with easier search functions. 

• When you want more audience find you

Hashtags or user name tags will instantly refer to a specific topic or post to reach and engage more audience. In other words, they will help the audience to find you or your brand easily.

• When you want greater engagement to build brand awareness

Accordingly, many influencers and countless marketing strategies are using them thoughtfully in their promotional efforts. Greater engagement of users or targeted audience will boost your brand through many shares, likes, comments, or even new followers across social media platforms. This leads further to brand awareness.

• When you want to express your care for social causes

You may use hashtag or user tags to show your viewpoint or even support for particular important social issues. 

For example, the most viral was the #IceBucketChallenge as a fund-raising by the ALS Association (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Other similar hashtags are #Prayfor… (the name of country or city) after a tragedy happens, #InternationalWomenDay, etc.  

Regardless of the networking platforms you use, hashtags and user tags can be helpful, as long as you use them correctly. And if you want more social media symbols, logos, or fonts for your personal or commercial projects, go to resourceful websites like Fontbundles, Envato Elements, Creative Market, and the like.