Once upon a time, Twitter hashtags were the lifeblood of trending topics and viral discussions on the social platform. They helped organize the swell of tweets, allowing users to join global conversations with a simple ‘#’ symbol.
But the social media platform is shifting, and hashtags aren’t the force they once were. Let me explain why it has changed with X and how hashtags have died.
Table of Contents
First, What Is A Hashtag?
A hashtag is when you place a # in front of a word or phrase, then it becomes linked to all of the other posts that include it. Including a hashtag gives your post context and allows people to easily follow topics that they’re interested in.
These hashtags began way back in 2007 as an innovative way to group content.
Why Were Twitter Hashtags Important?
Why were popular Twitter hashtags important? They were used to help your posts go viral as they may be seen by more people in the feed. Not only that but you increased your engagement with others on the old Twitter social network.
People love connecting with others when something is trending and is a hot topic of the day. Oftentimes they will repost your posts if they agreed with your perspective on the issue of the day or like what you had posted.
Hashtags Are Ugly
Back in December of 2024 Elon Musk posted that X Twitter hashtags are ugly and asked users not to use them. They do make the feed look messy today as the social platform is all about engagement.
Hashtags have been slowly dying ever since not only on X but most social media platforms today except for Instagram.
Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly. https://t.co/GKEp1v1wiB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024
X Twitter Removes Trending Hashtags
This trend of Twitter removing trending hashtags began back in 2022 after Elon purchased the network and changed it’s name to X. (It was named after his youngest son, X.)
Changing User Engagement Patterns
Today’s X is a fast-moving river of information, and user behavior has evolved. Over time, the effectiveness of hashtags dwindled.
As users became more concerned with immediate news snippets and less with hashtagged conversations, the shift began. People now seek personalized content curated by algorithms rather than relying on a hashtag to find their friends and colleagues content.
The Rise of Algorithm-Driven Feeds Over X Twitter Hashtags
X’s move to algorithmic timelines was a game-changer. Instead of a chronological feed, users get suggested content based on interests and interactions.
This shift diluted the prominence of hashtags. When algorithms prioritize content, hashtags lose their special status.
The Role of Advanced Search and Topic Features on X
X’s search features have grown up too. With advanced search and topic listings, finding your relevant content hasn’t been easier.
Do you need the latest on a trending news item? Just hit the search bar.
No hashtag needed. X even suggests topics, steering users toward key discussions without relying on hashtag-driven searches.
The Problem of Hashtag Spamming
Some users took hashtags to an extreme, spamming posts with countless tags. This overkill led to cluttered feeds and user fatigue.
Rather than enlightening, many hashtags became noise, making it harder for genuine content to stand out amidst the digital chaos.
Decreasing Trust in Hashtag Credibility
Hashtag hijacking—when users use popular tags to push unrelated content—led to skepticism. Users now approach trending hashtags cautiously, aware that not all is as it seems.
As hashtags lose their luster, marketers and users are embracing new methods to engage their audiences.
Emergence of Influencer and Direct Engagement
Influencers aren’t just a trend; they’re reshaping how brands communicate. Users now flock to individuals for insight and entertainment, turning away from generic hashtag conversations.
Direct engagement with influencers creates a sense of connection that impersonal hashtags can’t match.
Utilizing X’s New Features
X isn’t just about what’s trending now. Features like X Spaces provide fresh avenues for interaction.
These platforms allow for real-time discussions and visual storytelling without relying on hashtags to gather listeners or viewers. Brands and users alike are tapping these features to engage in more dynamic ways.
Another newer feature is the highlight tab on users profiles. You can put your best posts there to highlight them for great visiblity.
Using X Twitter Hashtags For Chats Only Today
Using Twitter hashtags in the old format of Twitter chats are still important because they help to categorize and organize conversations. By including relevant hashtags, participants can easily find and join discussions on specific topics of interest.
I did a test in a chat several months ago where I did not use the Twitter hashtags and I was still able to participate in it. However, the admin shared it on a website my posts would not show up.
Conclusion: The Death of Twitter Hashtags on X and other Social Media Platforms
As we wave goodbye to the classic Twitter hashtag, it’s clear social media is changing fast. No longer the go-to tool for trends, hashtags on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) now take a backseat to algorithms and personalized feeds.
So, what does this mean for you? Content discovery relies more on what your followers like and engage with, rather than simple tags.
It’s time to rethink how you position your message. Focus instead on creating engaging content that invites interaction. You might even be paid by X for it.
Ask questions. Share stories. Build real connections.
Reply to other’s posts often. That’s how to build those real connections and your network.
Don’t forget to follow me on X as well for X updates, tips and tricks.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
- Online Business Owner: 8 Skills & Strategies You Need to Grow - February 19, 2025
- Effective Keyword Research To Grow Your Blog – 8 Tips To Start - February 19, 2025
- Creator Buddy: The Secret to Growing Real Engagement on X - February 18, 2025
Hey, Lisa Sicard
Great article! I’ve definitely noticed hashtags aren’t as powerful on X as they used to be. It feels like the algorithm is deciding what gets seen instead of users engaging through hashtags. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Dazonn. They really are not powerful anymore on most social media platforms except Instagram. You are most welcome and have a great day!
I was just on Twitter and saw the tweet. What an incredibly informative post. Thanks so much. I’ve been looking into hashtags lately and noticed that you definitely have a higher response rate when using one. I’ll check out those services you recommended. They look great.
Hi Lauren – nice to see you back here. Glad you liked it and found it useful – you are welcome. I hope to be working on my follow up eBook on Twitter in the next 3 weeks. It’s in my plan. You will have to watch for it. Hashtags will be part of it. I hope you are enjoying the weather this weekend here, I hope to be getting outside shortly here. Take care!
Hey Lisa,
This is the third post i’m reading today regarding hashtags. All the articles i read today were of great quality but this one is totally different, all thanks to Mayura and of course thank you for writing this outstanding article.
Again you’ve mentioned some cool tools, i’m looking forward to try each of them.
Thanks for sharing!
-Siraj
Hi Siraj, there is so much to hashtags today, aren’t there? I’m glad you found this one different. Mayura always has some good questions. You are welcome. Let me know how you make out with those tools Siraj. Thank you for coming by to check it out and have a great day.
Lots of awesome little gold nuggets in this post!
I particularly liked the info on hashtags today!
I am new to the blogging scene and my twitter could definitely use a little bit of work at the moment, so hopefully this tool is going to help me boost my results.
Thanks for the awesome info!
Thank you Zach. Welcome to Inspire to Thrive. Twitter is my favorite but remember never to put all your social eggs in one basket. Try to master 3 social networks well. You never known when one may go down or make major changes that could affect you. Good luck with your new fitness blog – I will have to drop by.
Hi Jeremy, oh yes they can make a difference not only on Twitter but on Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. Twitter is my all time favorite, you should really try to use it Jeremy. Thanks for coming by and have a wonderful weekend!
Lisa, have used some hash tags but they mainly #socialmedia or content marketing.
It’s great you shared these tips on how to generate your own hash tag and for sharing this fab post. Beautiful of you.
Looking forward to implementing your tips.
Hi Peter, thank you. Love to know how you make out with these tools in a month or so. It takes time to build up with them and for it to become a habit using them as well. Thanks for taking time to come by and have a wonderful day ahead there Peter.
Lisa, it’s a pleasure. Wishing you a brilliant weekend. You are certainly a Queen, am so so like ….You are doing a wonderful job
Lisa,
I love posts that I can learn from! I had never heard of HashtagifyMe before. I like the idea of having the ability to track hashtags that my influencers use. That could really come in handy and $5 a month does sound reasonable for that type of insight.
Thanks for the tip about registering a hashtag on Twubs. I just registered #KeepUpWeb. I’ll have to check out Tagboards too. That looks interesting and I had forgotten about Rite Tag. (I registered for it and then never went back.)
Great post! You’ve given me some work to do.Thanks,
Hi Sherryl, Wow, I’m surprised you hadn’t heard of it, but there are so many tools out there too. Yes $5/mo is a good price for something like that. RiteTag is my fav and it is easy to use in the Google Chrome browser. You are welcome and I’d love to know how you make out with those hashtags of yours Sherryl. Have a great day and weekend ahead.
Hi Lisa,
I have to admit for one that I don’t know much about hashtags. I basically know what they’re for but have not gotten into the habit of using them. I think I will make this a priority for 2014. I needed some additional do but have not been interested enough to get into it. Your post however has made me see the need to learn more and practice more with hashtags in my tweets.
I know I read the last one. I’ll go back and read them both for a better understanding. Thanks for reminding me I need to get more into this.
Thanks and be well.
Barbara
Hi Barbara, oh it does take time to figure out which to use that will work for you but with these tools it does make it easier. You are correct, it must be a habit for it to work well. Do it for one week and you will have formed the new habit. You are welcome Barbara and have a great day and rest of the week.
I am certainly busy with all the things now (I don’t think I have the time to look into other tools..but I will give them a try anyways, let’s see how they are, right? :D).
Although I doubt that I will use Tagboard..I haven’t checked the twitter timeline in a long time (same with my twitter lists..I did clean it up a few weeks ago..and planned to check the timeline daily..but forget to do it). It’s one of those tasks that I think are expendable (and not so important, compared to writing or commenting).
(I really wish we had a tool that combined it all..then again, it’s better to have different tools because an all-in-one tool will only confuse us with its complexity).
Thanks for sharing these resources, Lisa (and thanks to Mayura too, for asking this question!).
Hi Jeevan, I bet you area. Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment too. Tagboard is really neat and it was quick to set up and go. But you do need 5 good minutes. Yes a tool that did it all would certainly be a dream tool. One of these days….I would love to create one. I can dream right? Have a good day Jeevan.
Hiya Lisa!
The power of Hashtags…huh. And leave it to Mayura to ask the right question! You’ve given us a lot to chew on here…tons of great stuff and yes, it’s in my 2014 handy-dandy notebook ;)!
I’ve been playing around with hashtags more myself. Actually, I’m going to get Hashcore installed on both blogs….hoping that’ll make me a little more visible out there :).
I’m looking at HashtagifyMe….I like it…and I see Hootsuite is one of the top influencers for hashtags :).
Thanks for sharing these resources with us! Hope you’re having a great Tuesday! Haven’t been able to be social today but I hope to see you in the socialverse soon!
Hi Corina, I know he is always asking great questions here and I’m sure elsewhere. I wonder how big that notebook of yours is Corina. interesting on Hootsuite with the hashtags. You are welcome and I hope your Wednesday goes well there. I’m sure I will see you back in that socialverse soon.
Another great post Lisa and more information for us to be able to use. I’ve checked out a few of these sites but as I have confessed before, not had a lot of time to spend understanding all about hashtags.
After your last post on this subject though I went back over to Sal’s site because I had signed up as a beta tester. I tried to generate some hashtags so I could start at least using more but all it did was generate. It’s like it got stuck and I lost my patience because who has the time for your site to lock up and do nothing. I’m sure it was just a glitch at that particular time but I’ll try it again for sure.
Interesting list though of the most popular ones. Some I’m not surprised about but numbers 3 and 4 I have no idea what those are. You can tell I keep up with stuff right!
Thanks again, you’re going to educated me on this one way or the other so thank you for that.
You have a great week.
~Adrienne
Thank you Adrienne. There are so many out there Adrienne. I tried to pick the ones I like the best that are not overly complicated. I like to keep it simple. Do try again and let him know if it does. ( https://twitter.com/osakasaul ) I’m trying Adrienne to get you up on these hashtags. They are very popular on Instagram and Pinterest too. #4 is for gamers, I had to look it up too as I’m not into gaming and #3 Golden Globes….Entertainment – another big one for hashtags. Have a great night Adrienne.
What I’ve been able to infer from all of those popular hashtags from Twitter is the fact that most (or all) are centered around huge popular events.
That’s why hashtags are kings of huge viral content based on events, whether it be entertainment or tragedy (Boston bombings).
Now, with that being said, in order to bank on this huge buzz, if your content is related to a certain hashtag, create content based on the hashtag as long as it’s buzz is relevant.
So much agreement with you. Never every use hashtags that aren’t relevant to your audience on Twitter. So unprofessional.
Hashtagifyme, haven’t heard of it before, is something I will be using from now on.
Thanks!
– Samuel
Hi Samuel, yes, you have inferred correctly. I would add the RiteTag to your Hashtagify as well. Together they are great. There are so many tools out there too it amazes me. Hashtags are big on Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr if you are there as well. Thanks for your input and have yourself a great day Samuel.
Lisa, Great post, I know on G+ hash tags have become very useful for me especially with #RhodeIsland and #NewEngland, of course the theme days opens up a new world for work to be discovered as well. I have found as more people log on to G+ the first thing they search is for content on their area and I’m sure the same must be for twitter also.
Thanks for sharing your insight
Thank you Ed. Do you find #RhodeIsland better than #RI? One time I researched and it showed #RI had more. Curious. I have a circle for just locals. And a Twitter List for them too. Easy way to see what is going on locally. I’ve noticed more locals getting on G+ lately too. That’s a good thing. Have yourself a good day Ed and thanks for coming by.
I’m not sure about RI vs. Rhode Island, I don’t have any information to back up one or the other it was something on G+ I started using awhile ago and stuck with it. You do have my curiosity up though… Most of my sales are from out of state, either someone interested in art or someone with some ties or has visited Rhode Island. My Rhode Island work tends to be the most productive in sales and activity but my traffic is RED from all the New England states and the majority of my exposure online.
Hi Ed, try and you will see what I mean for RI. That was my experience from the retail site too. Most sales all out of state. Interesting on your stats. I bet the others (out of state) are finding your organically or via Twitter?
Lisa, I checked the site this morning and just checked RI vs Rhode Island and I see what you mean. My top traffic producer is organic and from there it goes down to Twitter, G+, Pinterest, Facebook and then links that keep producing for a quick overview.
Hi Ed, very interesting, same thing.Thanks for coming back to verify that here. Have a great day.
There’s more and more to learn about twitter. This is important tips if we want better promotion result with twitter. Thanks for giving us this post Lisa
You are welcome Okto. Oh yes always something new to learn there. Things keep changing and we must keep up, right? Thanks for coming by and have yourself a wonderful day Okto.
Hi Lisa!
I have been using hashtags more and more over the past month. It’s kind of experimental for me to see where the heck they are going.
Here, you have gave so much great information to educate me on this subject and I so appreciate that. Now I can use them wisely, especially the way to find trending ones. And yes….Only If They Make Sense!!! That’s the key isn’t it!
I thank Mayura for inspiring this post too.
-Donna
Hi Donna, I’m glad the information here has been helpful to you. Making sense is really the key for hashtags. Nothing worse than false advertising. Isn’t Mayura the best for asking questions? He always has great questions. Which are your favorite hashtags for the past month Donna? Thanks for commenting and have a great day.
Hi Lisa
Great to see hashtags evolving as they go along. There are some new tools there for me to try out even though I have also researched this topic and thought I had seen it all!
The fact that hashtags that we would use are perhaps not on the list is to do with the fact that we are but a niche in the grand scheme of Twitter. The popular tags are used by everyone, and they outnumber us completely.
But in our niche I find blogging, bloggingtips, blogger, blog, socialmedia, sm, smm, marketing etc are the main hashtags I see.
Great post as always
ashley
Hi Ashley. I know there are SO many tools for hashtags and new ones coming out all the time too. I agree about those popular ones, and the ones you mention for our niche seem to be correct. Thanks for coming by Ashley and for your input. Have a wonderful day!
Hi Lisa,
This is brilliant! I just landed here once I saw the email notification in smartphone, and I definitely thought the title gonna cover my question last time.
Thanks for taking the time on researching and fulfilling my curiosity Lisa. How kind of you! Especially, as your time is limited nowadays. I was really thinking about it since your last post about hashtags and came across few searches too.
Just been to Hashtagify and love the simplicity of graphical representation. However, I’ve been trying to switch between Basic and Advanced view. Didn’t work though. Possibly an issue in backend. Will check later on. Is the Advanced view has the option to set time frame dear?
BTW what I find interesting with the popular Twitter hashtags is they are mostly related to News and Entertainment. Aren’t they? Interesting to see no Tech or Social Media related tags. Plus, geographical locations seem bound to US and UK. Can’t decide exactly though. Wanna check out for different time frames to see variety.
I find TagBoard is kinda similar to Paper.li Isn’t it Lisa?
Now that’s interesting to know what we could possibly do with hashtags Lisa. Love to play more with the tools you have introduced and find more interesting facts. Thanks again dear!
You have a lovely week where more good news happening. Especially, about your mom. Wishing you all the strength!
Cheers…
Thank you Mayura for inspiring me on this one. You got my curiousity level up. You are welcome for the research. I believe they are and you may need a paid account for it. You can always tweet Saul, he is good at getting back to people. I found that very interesting too Mayura, what makes news in a big way today turns into the most popular hashtags. Tagboard is like that and a little like Pinterest too. I hope you have some fun with these tools and find some that will work well for you too. Thanks for well wishes on my mom. Have a great week there Mayura!