Become a Social Media Expert—Practice Your English with the Perfect #Hashtags March 27, 2017

I’m sure by now you’re pretty fluent with all sorts of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, and maybe even Pinterest. If you don’t normally use these applications, I have a few suggestions for you that might elevate not only your social media presence, but your familiarity with the city as well as your English-speaking skills.

If you’re not already familiar with hashtags, I recommend looking into some of the ones below, as you might get some more followers, but it’s also a way to check out the New York City skyline from someone else’s perspective or discover a new hotspot that you had no idea even existed. Plus, you’ll soon discover multiple accounts that are dedicated to New York City scenery alone, so once you start following these accounts, you’ll be exposed to so many fantastic images and sights. It’s like a constant reminder that you’re a part of the magical city that is The Big Apple.

Here are a few great hashtag examples that will get your accounts attention as well as introduce you to other passionate New Yorkers. Don’t forget to practice your English phrases by trying out unique hashtags and interacting with other users—talking about New York City is a favorite topic by ALL these users!

#NewYorkCity
#nyc, #newyorkcity, #Newyork, #thebigapple

This is a great way to start out if you’re new to creating a social media presence. You’ll find there are thousands upon thousands of posts that use this hashtag, so it’s easy to become lost within this delineation. But again, if you’re new to this way of interacting with other English speakers, it’s a perfect opening to engage conversation with them and share your experiences with them.

Hashtags by Borough

#manhattan, #brooklyn, #queens, #thebronx, #statenisland

Once you’ve gotten used to sharing images and experiences with other New York City users, you can specify your posts more with the specific borough that you might be in at that moment. This way you can check out the other posts that others have shared from that same location. Again, this is the perfect way to engage with others that share your views and appreciation for stunning city scenery. For me, I was very unfamiliar with Brooklyn, and heading to this foreign borough was on my to-do list. Before I went for a visit, I scooped out all the #Brooklyn hashtags to get an idea of where I wanted to visit. Once I did this, I knew exactly where and what I wanted to visit first.

Hashtags by Neighborhood

#midtown, #lowereastside, #uws, #williamsburg

When I first moved to NYC, I lived in East Harlem, and to learn about my neighborhood, I would search hashtags that said, “#EastHarlem.” I used these images to learn not only more about my region, but I discovered great new restaurants, stunning hidden pockets of entertainment, and I even discovered a fantastic thrift store that I never would have found without the hashtag! If you and your friends are looking to explore a new neighborhood, see what you find when you look one up via a hashtag, and don’t hesitate to send the users messages if you have questions about their post! Don’t forget that the sole purpose of social media is to be SOCIAL! And again, what better way to practice your English?!

Hashtags by Theme

#igersofnyc, #visualsofny, #seeyourcity

This is another fantastic way to learn about New York City treasures. Once you’ve established your way around your social media platforms and are comfortable with using your hashtags, try you wings at some more complex hashtags, like the ones above. These are some examples of hashtags that very popular users utilize in their accounts, so it would be a great idea to test them out on your own. Your posts will be amongst others that thousands of others follow, so not only will you be sure to gain followers in that way, but you’ll discover so many great destinations in New York City that you never even knew existed.

Also, don’t forget to reach out to these other users for ideas or inspiration or even advice! They’ll be more than willing to give you directions, advice, or insight into their post, the destination, or even life in the city in general. There’s no better way to gain guidance than from another fellow New Yorker—don’t forget that at heart, we’re all in love with the same city!