Did you post a black square to Instagram or Facebook?

What hashtag did you use?

People, personalities, influencers, brands took to social media to take a stance on #BlackoutTuesday for a variety of reasons and with that they used a variety of hashtags to make their intentions known.

Personally, I believe we all need to listen with compassion, respect that we all come to the table with a different perspective and have more open dialogue in order to create real change. It was my understanding that #BlackoutTuesday indicated a willingness to learn and find solutions.

As Columbia Records’ Instagram post said, “This not a day off. Instead, this is a day to reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity. We continue to stand with the Black community, our staff, artists, and peers in the music industry. Perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.”

As much as one clamors to have their social media campaigns go viral, some of the #BlackoutTuesday organizers believe that the use the wrong hashtags had unintentional consequences.

“Posting with #BlackLivesMatter (and not #BlackoutTuesday or #TheShowMustBePaused, tags more closely tied to yesterday’s event), critics said the brands actually drowned out important protest resources,” according to The Hustle.

If you have inadvertently used the wrong hashtag, it’s not too late. Editing your post will unclog the hashtag search results.

Do you need more explanation on how the use of the popular hashtags can be a problem to a social media campaign?  Read The Hustle’s The music biz pressed pause for Blackout Tuesday, but it didn’t go smoothly or What is Blackout Tuesday and how can you participate in a helpful way?