(Hash)Tag It!

Just a few more days! Is your blog as ready as you are? 

So we're doing a good bit of writing here, the next step would be to share it. One of the easiest ways to make sure we're sharing work is to make sure you've got proper tags on your blog posts! 

There's the obvious ones #Poetry #OctPoWriMo 

Then there are some that are popular in a lot of the online writer communities: #SpilledInk (Often accompanying a photo of a handwritten poem) #SpilledWords #SoulKissing #Wordsmith (Usually used for briefer poems) 

You can also go subject specific #LovePoetry #NaturePoetry #WrittenOnAMountaintop, #WordsOnMyHeart, and even more subject specific #PoemAboutHer #WhiskeyedWords 

To connect with other writers and the local community ,the most popular tags are #AmWriting #WordCount #WriterWednesday 

If you've got a strong following and several sites, you can use a personal hashtag such as #BeverlyTanPoetry or a blog name if you don't share with someone. 

There is a note that on different platforms, there is a difference between putting a space between words in a hashtag and not. Instagram has no spaces, Tumblr allows spaces but it's more popular without because of Instagram integration. Blogger and WordPress tend to lean towards the spaces. 

Another thing to keep in mind with hashtags is who else uses. Do a quick search if you're not sure. My favorite story is my friend who grows her own vegetables started using the Instagram hashtag along the lines #FromGardenToPot #Homegrowing and to her surprise, it wasn't about her veggie garden or herb collection, it was actually a cannabis community. 

With all these options, it'll become very trial and error to figure out how to tag your style. I recommend evaluating what is and isn't working every couple months. Choose your tags with style and have some variety between types. 

What's YOUR hashtag?