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If you know anything about Twitter or Instagram, you know all about hashtags. They are Twitter’s unique creation which Instagram uses as well, to help identify keywords or trending topics. They are Twitter and Instagram’s key feature and many have argued they have no place on Facebook and should not be added to statuses. However, many people have their social media accounts linked that ultimately set up posts to auto sync and go out to Twitter and Facebook at the same time which includes the hashtags.

First, if you are not sure their purpose allow me to explain a bit. A hashtag is identified by the # symbol. They can be used anywhere with a status that is posted, when the # symbol is placed in front of a word or phrase, it becomes a clickable term and if used widely enough they can actually become a popular trending concept.

Well, Facebook has officially launched their support of the hashtag. While hashtags had always been a tool for discovery and conversation on Twitter and Instagram, it now can make Facebook a much more robust platform for discovering shared trends and interests amongst your connections. Furthermore, this feature definitely makes the need to leave Facebook far less appealing for all those thinking about it or turning to Twitter for their social media needs.

How Facebook #hashtags work:

Facebook #hashtags appear as clickable links in desktop posts. Engaging with the #hashtag will open a separate feed that organizes conversations from Pages and people who have used the same #hashtag. Additionally, users can find posts related to specific topics or interests by searching on Facebook for relevant #hashtags.

Some other key points:

• #Hashtags will now be hyperlinked to a “page” with a history, and a “status update” window to join the conversation.
• #Hashtags when clicked in the newsfeed will create an “overlay”, but the URL generated can be used for direct linking: www.facebook.com/hashtag/AlpineSmallBusinessSolutions
• #Hashtags do not impact the distribution of content on Facebook’s news feed process, but have the potential to increase engagement and discovery.
• You do not have to create #hashtag pages on Facebook; Facebook will automatically go through every page’s history to determine the links. (Less work for you)
• #Hashtag results include posts that are first related to your friend graph, but then show public results from pages and people.
• #Hashtags currently are only clickable on desktop, not mobile. (I’m sure that will be coming soon)
• #Hashtags do not change your current privacy settings so if your posts can only be seen by friends, then your posts with #hashtags would also only be seen by friends.

Implications:

• #Hashtags combine platforms: If you are currently using a #hashtag for a campaign, whether on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, that #hashtag campaign will work on Facebook. Any #hashtags that are posted through linked third party sites will automatically populate on Facebook.
• Don’t go #hashtagging (is that a word?) everything (yet): #Hashtags to this point have been primarily on Twitter and Facebook communities may not understand their usage right away when they appear on Facebook. With this feature only being rolled out to a small percentage of users at this time, we recommend waiting until there is more widespread adoption before implementing a Facebook #hashtag strategy in your content plan.
• Potential for increased engagement: Just as it is on Twitter and Instagram, being part of a relevant and current #hashtag conversation on Facebook could have the potential to increase engagement. Brands can leverage #hashtags to create real-time content and stay relevant in conversation. Content can be adjusted based on what people are saying in reference to #hashtags for specific events, brands or announcements.
• Significant SEO implications: Currently, when a user searches a #hashtag for a brand, Twitter results will be the first ones shown. The inclusion of #hashtags on Facebook could lead to more traffic on a branded Facebook properties as well.
• Conversation and listening reporting and analytics: Insights and trending topics are not yet available, but Facebook expects to roll out more updates to the product in the near future. So stay tuned!

Admittedly, we are seeing the hashtag used widely, even on television shows so for Facebook to adopt the twitter hashtag really just means that it is keeping up with the latest trends. Having said that, Facebook continues to reinvent itself and stand-alone. All successful businesses have a point of difference. But for now, Facebook hashtags are live, clickable and searchable.

And as always, if this stuff makes you dizzy and you just don’t want to take the time to learn all the ins and out of Facebook and #hashtags, remember that Alpine Small Business Solutions, is your one stop shop for all your social media, Virtual Assistant, Online Business Manager and business building need.   We got your back, so give us a jingle or shoot over an email anytime we’re here to help.

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