How To Follow a Hashtag on Twitter

Although many people have been using Twitter for a long time and have a verified Twitter account, a surprising number of people haven’t used the service before or are just starting. One of the cool things you can do is follow a hashtag. This article discusses what they are, how to use them, and how to follow a hashtag on Twitter. This knowledge will make the world’s most dynamic social network much easier to navigate.

Following a Hashtag on Twitter

Unfortunately, Twitter doesn’t make it as simple as LinkedIn, for example, but you can still follow hashtags.

There are three known ways to follow a hashtag on Twitter.

• Inside Twitter
• Using Tweetdeck
• Using external web apps

Option 1: Follow Twitter Hashtags Using a Browser

1. Open the home page on Twitter, which is usually the default page.
   
2. Perform a hashtag search in the top right search bar (include the hashtag in the search term).
   
3. Once on the search return page, bookmark it in your browser.
   
4. Click the bookmark whenever you want to see what is going on with that hashtag.
   

This process is a crude but straightforward way to follow a hashtag, but it works. The only drawback is that it isn’t very dynamic. If you’re tracking your name or company, it works fine, as the hashtag won’t change much. If you’re tracking changing hashtags or Trending Topics, you would have to repeat this for each one.

Option 2: Use Tweetdeck to Follow a Hashtag on Twitter

Tweetdeck was an independent app that Twitter later acquired. Tweetdeck makes working with Twitter simpler and more customizable, from the hashtags you follow to displaying the accounts that interest you. Tweetdeck makes it easy and effective. All of your interests are available on one screen with this website. Here’s how to use the application.

1. Open https://tweetdeck.twitter.com and log into your Twitter account.
   
2. Under the “Trending” column, you see a list with current hot searches and hashtags that you can review.
   
3. To generate a personalized hashtag column, click the “+” icon in the far-left vertical menu.
   
4. In the menu options that appear, select “Search.”
   
5. In the search window that appears, type in your hashtag search and choose from the list or press “Enter.”
   
6. Side-scroll to the right-hand side of the interface to see your search results.
   
7. To move your column left or right, click the “three vertical lines” icon at the top-left section of the search column. Slide it left or right to your desired location.
   

Unfortunately, Tweetdeck is only available on a web browser. You can add the website to your home screen as a bookmark regardless of your operating system, whether on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Add the page as a bookmark or a home tab.

Use Third-Party Websites to Follow a Hashtag on Twitter

There are hundreds of third-party websites that enable hashtag tracking, amongst other excellent tools. Some are free, while others cost money. Here are four worth checking out.

• Twitterfall
• Tagboard
• Talkwalker
• Twubs

Many other hashtag trackers and Twitter tools come and go, but these four are still online and functioning as of the time of writing.

If you need to follow a hashtag on Twitter, you now know four different ways to do it. From individuals who want to follow a keyword to companies who wish to manage their social media presence, this list caters to them all.

What Are Hashtags?

Hashtags are so much a part of our lives now that they are finding their way into our speech patterns as well as screens. Used to connect with others, various causes, and to make statements, hashtags can help you reach followers and like-minded social media users.

Hashtags originated on IRC back in the 20th century, as users of the IRC chat applications wanted a way to categorize items into groups. A Silicon Valley designer named Chris Messina proposed using hashtags on the new Twitter service but got shot down by the creators, who said it was “too nerdy.”

Undeterred, Chris took his idea to the people, and hashtags were adopted by the Twitter user community first, only later earning an at-first grudging acceptance from the company. Regardless of the backstory, hashtags are now a signature feature of the network, and you can do quite a lot with them.

A hashtag is used before a keyword or phrase to make the tweet more searchable. Adding the ‘#’ symbol before a word will enable other users to search for it and follow or retweet. Hashtags are used this way extensively by individuals and companies vying for attention on the network. You can use the hashtag anywhere in a tweet, like at the beginning, middle, or end. The symbol gets noted by Twitter and appears in the search or even shows up in Trending Topics if you’re lucky.

Following Twitter Hashtags: FAQs

Here are the answers to more of your questions about Twitter’s hashtags.

Where did hashtags on Twitter come from?

Everyone has become familiar with hashtags, the bits of text following a # symbol in a social media post, for example, #learning. The hashtag concept was not created by Twitter but rather by Twitter users.

Hashtags were supported and adopted by users on the old Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers, and Twitter adopted them as a convention back in 2007. Regardless of their origin, they are now how people organize their thoughts on Twitter and share themed posts.

Can I follow a hashtag from the app?

You can follow a hashtag within the Twitter app, but only by using the Tweetdeck or bookmark option. Unfortunately, the app version of Twitter doesn’t give you the option to save a search.

Is using third-party websites safe?

This question depends on which ones you’re using. Do your research before giving any website access to your personal information or social media sites? That process can make all the difference.

Can I save a Twitter search?

Unfortunately, no. At one time, you could click on the three dots to the right of Twitter’s search bar and save your searches. But, at the time of writing, the feature is unavailable, and there isn’t any word from Twitter about when it will return.

Got any other ways to follow a hashtag on Twitter? Tell us about them below if you do!