Hashtag. Hash Flash. Hashtag. Hash Flash. Hashtash. Hagtash. It’s hard enough to say (we freely admit it) but after receiving feedback from new Kidizen community members that joining a Hash Flash listing party was also confusing, we thought it might be a good idea to walk through the basics of what it is and how to do it—for everyone. Being on the same page, especially as we head into fall, just feels right. And that’s easy to say. So here we go.

THE BASICS

First things first. It might seem silly to define, but a hashtag is any word or combination of words that follow the # symbol without any spaces. You’ve probably seen it referenced in any number of social posts that end with #blessed or embarrassing photos of your children riding shopping carts through the Target parking lot followed by #notmykids. (Just me?)

It follows, then, that a Hash Flash uses hashtags left by any user in the comment or description section of Kidizen listings, to curate items based on a theme like #denim or #costumes. Some community members even invent their own hashtags to curate special personal collections (we’ll share more on how to do that in another post).

WHEN DO THEY HAPPEN?

Every Monday we send out an email telling our community members what Hash Flash events they can look forward to during the upcoming week so they can plan accordingly, to get listings ready, get their shops in tip-top shape, or start searching on their own. On the night of the Hash Flash, community members who want to participate hop in Kidizen and play along. The result for shoppers is a huge list of new listings you may not have found before and the result of shop owners is a lot more activity in your shop.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

So how exactly do you participate? Tag your listings or others’ listings by commenting on them with the hashtag that will be used for the Hash Flash. They are specific, so you must use the exact word we’ve specified to make sure what you’re sharing is seen. If you miss out on the Hash Flash, the hashtags used are searchable any time by searching #[hashtag] in the Shop tab.

Got it? See you all later this evening for the #hannaandersson Hash Flash at 9 p.m. ET!