Increase engagement on your posts – on Facebook too!
When you are creating posts for Facebook, using hashtags doesn’t come to mind at first. Hashtags have been widely used on Instagram and Twitter, as it\’s common to see posts on these platforms sprinkled with hashtagged keywords below their posts. Have you ever clicked on a #love, #smile, or even #adventure to see what people were posting and using that keyword for?
Facebook introduced hashtags way back in 2013, but it wasn’t advertised much because the algorithm did not support the search capabilities that users were accustomed to using on other platforms like Instagram and Twitter. That being said, in May of 2020, Facebook revamped its algorithm to fully support hashtags as a method of searching using #supportsmallbusiness in an effort to keep small businesses profitable during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Hashtags are keywords that users on social media platforms can either click on or search to find posts related to their interests. These keywords are placed together without a space after a “hashtag” or pound symbol: #. For example, if you were a company that sells pet food, some possible hashtags to use could be #petfood #dog #cat #pets #family.
While some platforms have always encourage the use of many hashtags, Facebook is just now supporting this capability, so many users are not conditioned to seeing them on posts. Using too many hashtags on one post may look a little bit tacky and actually deter potential clients and customers from exploring your page. As a general rule of thumb, you should be putting between 3 and 5 hashtags beneath your Facebook posts. These should be carefully chosen based on researching your target demographic to gain the widest reach possible.
By clicking on a hashtag or searching for a hashtag, you will find posts from other users and businesses that have also embedded that hashtag into their posts. Facebook’s algorithm first shows you results from your friends who have used the hashtag, followed by friends of friends, and then will finally show you all users based on recency of posting and how likely you would be to interact with the post. This is a good way to see what hashtags members of your community are using and join in, allowing you to be more involved and have a larger presence in your local community.
As you start posting with hashtags more frequently, you will see that you are frequently using the same hashtags repeatedly. Based on the nature of the content you are posting, you can save a note on your computer or phone with hashtags you commonly use, which can make the process easier, faster, and more consistent. Taking this into consideration, it\’s also important to reiterate that you should be using 3 to 5 hashtags on Facebook posts, and more than this can seem tacky, so carefully choose the most impactful keywords. Search the hashtags you intend on using beforehand to ensure that your post either stands out from the other posts associated with that hashtag or that it fits the aesthetic of people who would be searching that hashtag.
Although using hashtags may seem like a science, it is something that you can pick up on fairly quickly if you are connected to your target demographic and paying attention to your local community’s interests and needs. Hashtags don’t need to be scary! Have fun with it and be sure to take the time to poke around and search for some yourself before you start to use them. Once you gain a broader understanding of hashtag use and how it can increase the engagement and reach of your posts, using hashtags will feel more natural.
Having trouble navigating hashtag use? Innovast Digital Marketing offers Social Media Management services. We\’ll create engaging and eye-catching content for social media channels that will help to expand the reach of your brand to more followers.