Does Using Hashtags on Facebook Really Work?

16 Oct Does Using Hashtags on Facebook Really Work?

If you were to compare today’s Facebook news feed to one from five years ago, you’d notice one major change, besides the obvious design elements— a rise in the popularity of hashtags. 

What was once a significant feature of just Twitter has now crept into several other social media platforms as well, such as Facebook.  Individuals are using them. Small businesses are using them. Big organizations are using them. 

But, the real question is: does it actually work? Let’s find out.  

Do Hashtags on Facebook Work?

Despite being introduced in 2013, hashtags on Facebook are still not quite like what they are on Twitter or Instagram. So, while they might not do wonders for your business’ marketing, they won’t exactly hurt it either.

In fact, if used appropriately, they can add an extra element to your marketing strategy and give your Facebook posts that much-needed boost. 

Here’s why hashtags on Facebook work:

They Help Businesses Listen to Their Audience

As much as brands and businesses try to push out their own messages and campaigns, it is equally important for them to listen to what their audience is saying or talking about these days. And this is where the hashtags come in. 

When people start discussing a specific topic or trend using a hashtag, businesses can catch it by monitoring the hashtags. They can then design their posts and content around that topic and use those hashtags to get in on the conversation.

They Make Posts More Engaging

Besides the usual links to other pages and call to action buttons, hashtags provide another way for users to engage and interact with the brand by clicking on the hashtags. 

Instead of simply scrolling by, an interesting post with the right hashtags can prompt a reader to click on them to learn more about the brand or the post. More importantly, by evaluating which hashtags users are clicking on, you can determine what topics and discussions they are really interested in. 

They Provide Relevant Content & Resources

As a business, you should always be looking for strategic ways to connect with your target market and/or other businesses that also cater to that niche market.  Clicking on hashtags that are relevant to your niche market will bring you to a dedicated page in Facebook that displays all the posts containing that relevant hashtag.  

Engaging in these posts as your business will help increase the awareness of your business to the post originator(s) and possibly even provide content worth sharing on to your Facebook business page.

To Sum It Up

The jury is still out on this one, but with its rising popularity, it would definitely be a waste to not use them, even if the results aren’t that extraordinary. So, you can use hashtags on Facebook, but you have to make sure not to go too crazy with them. 

Moreover, if you really want them to work, you’ll have to think and carefully choose your hashtags as generic ones won’t do much for your brand engagement or popularity.