Demystifying The AWS re:Invent Hashtag

The AWS re:Invent Hashtag Problem

We love re:Invent. With so much on offer in Vegas, a well planned week can make all the difference to both your feet and brain, which are equally likely to end up fried at the end of it.

Tracking new content during the week, via hashtags, is one of our tips for re:Invent. It's a great way to stay in touch either remotely, or when you just need to sit down and rehydrate.

By their nature, hashtags are at their best when used consistently to group content.

Fragmented hashtags dilute conversation and reduce visibility. Content gets scattered across multiple similar but separate tags, making it harder to follow and engage in. Plus, adding multiple hashtags takes up valuable characters in posts.

Are the re:Invent hashtags fragmented, you ask?

Well, two days into the 2023 event and we've already found 8 that are appearing frequently on social media.

Ordered from most to least used, they are:

• #reinvent
• #AWSreinvent
• #awsreinvent2023
• #reinvent2023
• #awsreinvent23
• #LVreinvent23
• #reinvent23
• #LVreinvent

Why the Confusion?

2013

In a simpler time, this article highlighted the confusion that reigned in re:Invent's youth.

Back then, the debate was between 2 hashtags, #reinvent and #awsreinvent.

Thankfully (tongue in cheek), Ariel Kelman, AWS' former VP of Marketing, cleared up the confusion in this Tweet:

2019

Despite the confusion and subsequent clarification, in 2019, the most used hashtag was #awsreinvent, closely followed by #awsreinvent2019 and #reinvent2019.

In fact, people were openly recommending going against AWS' advice, and opting for #awsreinvent as their hashtag of choice.

2023

In the build-up to the 2023 event, as they did in 2022, the AWS Partner Network event guide suggested using #reinvent. AWS' public sector guide made the same recommendation - #reinvent

Alas, during the 2023 event, AWS's own accounts are posting using #awsreinvent:

Big companies followed suit, also using #awsreinvent:

What's the Point of Hashtags for an Event?

Hashtags originated on Twitter X and have since spread to virtually every other social media platform and form of written communication.

The first Tweet post containing a hashtag is widely attributed to Chris Messina, on Aug 23, 2007.

Fast forward quite a few years, and hashtags have become widely used across the globe. It seems Chris was onto something.

As far as events (like re:Invent) go think of a hashtag as your event's digital fingerprint.

The event hashtag is a unique identifier that ties together all the content (videos, posts, photos) floating around the social media universe.

When you track a hashtag on your app of choice, it's like having a real-time newsfeed, buzzing with the latest updates, insights, and, let's be honest, the occasional hilarious meme from fellow attendees.

Plus, for those who can't make it, following the hashtag is the next best thing to being there. You can soak up all the knowledge, network virtually, and even chime in with your two cents from virtually anywhere on the planet.

Hashtags are well beyond a trend. They are how communities, including cloud and IT, stay connected, informed, and entertained.

Our AWS re:Invent Hashtag Recommendation

We think it's time that somebody took a stand on this not-especially controversial topic.

On behalf of the cloud computing community, our recommendation is...

#AWSreinventYY

so for 2024, that would be...

#AWSreinvent24

This is why we think this format is best suited:

• It's not quite the shortest, but it is shorter than some alternatives
• Including a year tightens the grouping of content also making it feel more special and on-trend
• '23' is shorter than '2023'
• People like other people to know that they are at an AWS event. There's just a certain amount of prestige to having 'AWS' in there.
• The word 'reinvent' has multiple uses. Not only is it a verb, but it's also used by several brands that have nothing to do with AWS. Let's leave those brands out of this, and minimise how many inspirational quotes appear in our event feed.

We've just asked AWS for some comment on the matter.

Watch this space. We hope.