Facebook introduces hashtags
Facebook is introducing hashtags, making it easier to search for content on the social network and allowing brands to better integrate it into their wider social marketing activity.
The social network yesterday (12 June) announced it is making hashtags available to a certain number of Facebook users. They can be used to search for and join conversations, for example “#fathersday”, with people outside of their own network of contacts.
The introduction of hashtags means marketers can better integrate Facebook to wider marketing activity on other social networks where they are already an established way of discovering content. For instance, Facebook users will be able to click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram and Twitter.
Currently, there are no advertising products around the new service but Facebook intends to introduce additional functionality for marketers in the coming weeks. This includes a trending hashtags tool, with an insights service helping them to better understand how they fit into their Facebook advertising strategies.
Greg Lindley, Facebook’s product manager for hashtags, says: “To date, there has not been a simple way to see the larger view of what’s happening or what people are talking about.
“To bring these conversations more to the forefront, we will be rolling out a series of features that surface some of the interesting discussions people are having about public events, people, and topics.”
An additional note to marketers reads: “Any hashtags that you use on other platforms that are connected to your Facebook Page will be automatically clickable and searchable on Facebook.
“We recommend you search for and view real-time public conversations and test strategies to drive those conversations using hashtags.”
The move follows Facebook’s earlier efforts to improve discoverability of the 4.75 billion pieces of content shared on the social network each day, including the launch of Graph Search in January.
