Are hashtags in or out?
This is a question that is regularly being asked by social media managers and content specialists, as they seek to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that content is accessible to the widest audience while staying on trend with modern users.
The hashtag has long been a marketing tool used to connect content with a specific industry and with relevant search terms. Users who click on a Facebook hashtag will be taken to a results page of other posts that feature the same hashtag.
And when we say these hashtags can say or be anything, we mean anything!
How to Use Hashtags as a Business
If you are a business keen to use hashtags in your content and marketing strategy, it is often recommended that you use and include both industry-specific and product or business-specific hashtags. By this we mean that hashtags are broader, targeting those who are seeking solutions within your industry, and more targeted for users who are aware of your brand or products and want to quickly find them.
For example, if you sell pink children’s t-shirts, your hashtags could include:
#kidstshirts
#pinkkidstshirts
#childrensfashion
See how the hashtags serve all potential customers, driving those seeking the exact product and those simply browsing the children’s fashion and clothing market.
What Happens When You Add a Hashtag to a Facebook Post
If you look at a post that uses a hashtag, you will notice that the text is the same blue colour as any other link or button on Facebook.
Clicking on the blue text next to the hashtag will take you to a page dedicated to that hashtag term – letting you know exactly how many posts exist on Facebook that use the same hashtag.
Scrolling down the page will uncover other posts and accounts that have used the same hashtag, making this strategy a great one for discovery – especially for users who know vaguely what they are looking for but are open to discover alternative brands or pages.
So, once you add a term with the hashtag symbol at the front of it, you automatically make that term clickable and connect it to every other post on Facebook that uses the same hashtag.
NOTE: Hashtags cannot contain any gaps or punctuation, as adding anything other than a letter or number will break the hashtag.
Should You Use Hashtags on Facebook?
Hashtags are by no means the most impactful form of marketing on Facebook. However, they can help to keep your content connected with your audience and industry, and aid discovery of your page for potential new customers and clients.
There is no harm in adding a few hashtags to a post, especially if you want it to be really visible and ensure that your content is connected and easy for users to find.
We hope this helps and inspires you to add hashtags as part of your next post or update on Facebook! Happy posting.
