Master the Hashtag on Facebook

One of the more popular social media trends that seems to baffle and confuse many is the hashtag. It certainly has proven effective with Twitter users, so much so that other social media platforms have started to support it. Facebook is one of the latest to adopt these tags and many business users are eager to capitalize on this trend, but are unsure as to how to go about it.

If you are looking to use hashtags on Facebook, it is going to take some time to master how to do so effectively. Here are three tips that should help make using hashtags easier.

Create a personalized hashtag
Because the hashtag has made its way into mainstream social media, it has become another way for companies to promote and grow their brand. If they can develop a personalized hashtag and use it effectively, users will likely start to use that tag when speaking about the company.

When tags are used, they can be clicked on and users can see other posts that have also added this specific tag. If you have used tags in your own statuses before, these posts will also show up, which could prompt people to visit your page, interact with your content and maybe even continue onto your site.

There is no official way you can claim your own personalized hashtag. What you can do is come up with a few ideas related to your company or brand and do a search for them on Facebook. If you see a tag has been used on numerous occasions and doesn’t refer to your company or Facebook Page, then try another one. When you find one that has either been used for your company or hasn’t been used at all, start using it in posts and other content. Be sure to use it on a regular basis and it’s highly likely that your followers will start using it as well.

Be warned however that companies struggle with this. Some Facebook users will use the hashtag to troll, or post negative comments. It is a good idea to track comments that use the tag to see if this happens. If it does, it may be beneficial to stop using it, or try another one. That being said, if it works, it can work really well.

Use hashtags to emphasize
While putting tags into posts and content will make them searchable, there is another effective way to use hashtags. If you create posts and want to emphasize certain words, hashtag them. This will change the color of the word and make it stand out, drawing the viewers attention.

When this is done correctly, it has proven to be quite effective. For example, if you are selling a car words like #reliable and #efficient could really make the post stand out.

Just be careful to not overuse these tags, as this will detract from the emphasis. Aim to use a maximum of two tags, three if the post is longer.

Use hashtags to identify and latch on to trends
Some of the most popular and efficient social media campaigns leverage current events and trends and the hashtag has made it even easier to find and track these trends. The easiest way to be effective with this method is to latch onto bigger events. For example if your company operates in Austin Texas, and you are hosting an event or having a sale related to the F1 race in November, you could put the #F1 tag in your posts promoting the event if you notice that it starts to trend.

It is important to remember that mastering hashtags and seeing a benefit from them takes time and effort. You are going to have to try a number of different approaches, but one should eventually work. If you are looking to learn more about Facebook and how your business can leverage it to full effect, please contact us today.