Hashtags: Coming To A Facebook Near You

They’re the most ubiquitous and clickable symbol in the social media landscape. You’ve probably seen them posted by misinformed Facebook users, but they really don’t belong on your News Feed, and you can’t even click them. But now, hashtags are coming to Facebook!

Whether this news is cause for jubilation or despair (the use of hashtags on Facebook was the subject of a polarizing debate long before this week’s announcement), Facebook’s new support for the hashtag will allow you to enhance your company’s social media strategy.

They’re Clickable

Although people have been using hashtags on Facebook for months, the new support means that they will be both clickable and searchable. Some of the methods you probably use on Twitter will now also apply to Facebook. For example, it will be important to include them in your company’s Facebook posts. If a user is looking for content about inbound marketing, their search will result in a topic list of posts that are hashtagged “#inboundmarketing.” You’ll want your content to be on that list.

They’ll Help You Connect Effectively

Hashtags appearing on Facebook won’t just be from Facebook. If you’ve chosen to connect Facebook with other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, their hashtags will also be clickable. This is exciting because hashtags are beginning to transcend entire networks, functioning as a language that ties together Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and now Facebook. Cool!

You’ll also be able to create posts directly from your hashtag search results. What’s more, these results will probably come from multiple platforms. This will connect your social networks on an unprecedented level, reiterating the importance of establishing a consistent voice for your brand. If one of your tweets shows up in a user hashtag search next to one of your Facebook posts, you’ll want them to read as if they were written by the same person.

If your Facebook account doesn’t have hashtag support yet, don’t worry! Facebook plans to release the capability in several waves. Facebook should switch you over within a few weeks.

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