25 Small-Business Twitter Hashtags to Follow

If you’re new to social media, you might not yet have encountered the hashtag, which provides a way to categorize tweets. Although hashtags have been used mainly on Twitter, they have now spread to other platforms, such as Instagram and Pinterest. They’re sort of like a digital bookmark.

For example, if you want to group tweets about cooking, you might use #recipes, whenever you tweet about a recipe you’re sharing.

Hashtags can be a great tool when you want to join conversations, organize tweets and promote your company. They’re also a great way to get your brand and content in front of new eyeballs, because many Twitter users regularly save and visit certain hashtags.

So, which hashtags should you follow? Forget the trial and error, and try out these small-business gems.

1. #jobs

A hashtag that includes job listings and information about job searches. Great for those who are looking to find new work.

2. #smallbiz, #smallbusiness

A hashtag that tracks conversations about small business. Also include links to resources for small businesses.

3. #retail

A hashtag for links and resources about the retail industry. Includes offers from businesses and news on retailers.

4. #business

A catchall hashtag for business-related conversations. Good for keeping up with business news and resources.

5. #sales

A hashtag for highlighting sales advice. Great resource for salespeople in the field who are looking to share or receive sales tips.

6. #marketing, #mktg

A hashtag for marketing news, best practices and resources. Also good places to find marketing experts for hire.

7. #networking

A hashtag about business networking. You’ll find tips on how to network, where to network and who to network with.

8. #consumers

A hashtag tracking conversations geared toward business owners looking to connect with consumers. Also includes statistics on buying behavior.

9. #economy

A hashtag highlighting news on domestic, regional and global economies.

10. #entrepreneurs

A hashtag dedicated to people seeking to strike out on their own. Perfect for startup leaders and workers looking to launch their own freelance or consulting businesses.

11. #socialmedia

This hashtag is very meta, because it uses social media to talk about social media. But it’s worth following if you’re new and trying to figure things out. You’ll find insights, advice and resources for navigating the Wild, Wild, West of the social media world.

12. #tax

The hashtag you’ll love to hate. If you’re looking for tax news and advice, keep an eye on this hashtag for tips on scoring more deductions and the latest changes in tax law.

13. #SmallBusinessSaturday, #SmallBizSat

Follow this hashtag for “Small Business Saturday,” an American shopping holiday created by American Express that encourages shoppers to patronize local brick-and-mortar businesses. Small Business Saturday is held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

14. #shoplocal

A hashtag that encourages consumers to do business with local merchants, retailers and service providers.

15. #startups

A hashtag for startup news, information, resources and advice. Great way to keep track of emerging companies you might not otherwise hear about.

16. #innovation

An inspirational hashtag that aspires to report on things and people innovating in their respective industries.

17. #leadership

A hashtag for discussions about leadership in business, such as how to be a better leader, what makes a good leader and what kind of character traits to avoid as a leader.

18. #restaurant

This hashtag keeps a close eye on news and discussions related to the restaurant industry. Good for restaurant owners of all sizes.

19. #socbiz, #socialbiz, #socialbusiness

Conversations about social business. This includes integration with collaborative technology and social media in the enterprise.

20. #collaboration

A hashtag tracking conversations about collaboration, specifically collaboration tools or collaborative software solutions that assist a group of people in solving a predefined task with more ease.

21. #ecommerce

This hashtag has some overlap with #retail and #business, but #ecommerce is a niche that warrants its own coverage. It’s perfect for online-only stores and online sellers and traders.

22. #management

A hashtag that rounds up tweets on management best practices, advice and resources. A good place to get advice on polishing your management skills.

23. #tech, #IT

Good for those looking to follow technology news. #tech tends to be a little more generic and includes more consumer-tech news, while #IT is more focused on IT-industry media.

24. #mobile

A hashtag for all things mobile, including smartphones and tablets.

25. #apps

A hashtag for tracking news about mobile and web apps. You’ll find companies that develop apps and discover new apps you might not otherwise have found.