Ride Around the World
Let’s get #PonyClubWorldRide used as much as possible this weekend. Encourage all members and supporters to share lots of great photos and videos of what they are doing to mark 90 years of The Pony Club. Hopefully we will see lots of members, past and present, engaging in some wonderful celebrations all across the globe.
What is a hashtag?
Hashtags are used on social media websites and applications to identify messages on a specific topic. They were first used on Twitter as a way of making it easier for people to find, follow and contribute to a conversation and can now be used across all of the social media channels that The Pony Club uses. The use of a hashtag helps promote and draw attention to the activities that you are doing – perfect for Ride Around the World!
By including the hashtag #PonyClubWorldRide in any posts that you (or your branch/centre members) make, people will be able to search for your posts and find them wherever they are in the world. It also enables The Pony Club team to be able to find them, so we can share lots of great pictures and videos throughout the day.
How to use the hashtag
Posting in Facebook
When you post in Facebook, type in the hashtag and it will appear in a block of colour, as in the image below:
You then need to decide if you are going to share the post to your news feed (this is a standard Facebook post and will remain in your timeline/news feed) or to your story (this is similar to an Instagram story and has the advantage of showing your profile picture at the top of your friends’ news feeds so they know you have something to share but it only lasts 24 hours).
You also need to decide who you are going to allow to see the post – if you share it publicly (rather than just to your friends) that will allow more people to see your great content and will allow it to be shared around the world. It also means that we might share it for you on The Pony Club social media. However please keep in mind that if this content is going to be shared publicly you must have the permission of the people in the photographs – especially if the photo is of children. If it is not you or your own children in the images, you must have permission from the parent or guardian.
Searching and sharing in Facebook
By using the hashtag in your Facebook posts, you will help others to see what great activities and events you are participating in for Ride Around the World. People can search the hashtag (see image below) and get a list of search results that show them all the different posts that have come into Facebook about Ride Around the World. Feel free to have a look and share any that you like.
You will be able to see if you can share a post by whether it has a share button underneath the post (see image below). If the post can be shared, you will get a menu like the one in the image. Share Now (Public) will share it instantly to your news feed for all to see. Share… allows you to choose how you share the post (whether publicly to all or just to your friends) and also gives you the option to add a comment. The other share options available allow you to share the post as a message privately to a particular recipient or to share the message in a group or on a particular page. It also allows you to share it on to a friend’s timeline, if you think it is something that they may be interested in or would like to share.
The more shares we get throughout Ride Around the World day the better – but be thoughtful and be sensible before hitting share.
Sharing images and video in Instagram
Using hashtags in Instagram allows people to find images and videos on topics that are of interest to them… in this case The Pony Club World Ride!
By including the hashtag alongside your Instagram posts, other Pony Club members and supporters around the globe will be able to find and enjoy your posts (like the one below).
Instagram stories
You can also make and share Instagram stories – these only last for 24 hours but are a great way to get involved in the moment and for members to be able to show their friends how much The Pony Club means to them. Instagram stories also allow you to add lots of cool graphics known as ‘stickers’ which will allow you to type in and include the hashtag so your Instagram stories can also be shared and be part of the bigger Ride Around the World story.
The use of hashtags started on Twitter and, whilst it is used more these days to share news than images and experiences, it is still a good channel to share your pictures and videos and raise awareness for Ride Around the World. Make sure you add the hashtag in your tweets and then anyone searching the Pony Club World Ride hashtag will be able to see what you have been up to and hopefully give it a retweet – this means sharing it on their own twitter feed so their followers can also enjoy seeing what the Pony Club members have been up to.
