Hashtags have become ubiquitous on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A hashtag is a word or phrase prefixed with the # symbol to highlight it as a keyword or topic. On Twitter and Instagram, hashtags help surface relevant content and can lead to increased engagement when used strategically. But do hashtags have the same impact on Facebook?
Some social media experts claim that using hashtags on Facebook posts can help reach more users and generate more views, comments, and shares. The idea is that hashtags make posts more discoverable in searches and algorithmic feeds. However, due to differences in how Facebook’s algorithm works compared to other platforms, the effect of hashtags is debatable.
In this article, we’ll examine whether hashtags boost visibility and engagement on Facebook. We’ll look at how the Facebook algorithm handles hashtags, best practices for using hashtags, and metrics to analyze hashtag performance. By the end, you’ll know whether hashtags are worth including in your Facebook content strategy.
How the Facebook Algorithm Handles Hashtags
Facebook’s algorithm is more complex and personalized than other social platforms. While factors like hashtags may have some influence, they aren’t a direct ranking signal for the algorithm.
Here are some key things to know about how Facebook’s algorithm interacts with hashtags:
– Relevancy is key. The algorithm aims to show each user the most interesting and engaging posts for them. Hashtags that are irrelevant to the post content or the target audience may be ignored.
– Relationships matter more than keywords. Posts from friends, family, and followed pages are prioritized over posts with certain hashtag keywords.
– Facebook has an index of hashtag usage. Frequently used hashtags can help surface content. But uncommon or spammy hashtags are likely discounted.
– Facebook tracking is user-centric. The algorithm interprets how individual users interact with hashtags and may adjust relevance accordingly.
So in summary, while hashtags aren’t necessarily weighted as keywords, they can provide hints about relevancy. But the unique personalization of Facebook’s algorithm makes hashtag impact unpredictable and inconsistent across different users and pages.
Best Practices for Using Hashtags on Facebook
Given the nuances of Facebook’s algorithm, what are some best practices around using hashtags? Here are some tips:
– Use 1-2 highly relevant hashtags. Don’t overdo it. 3+ hashtags runs the risk of seeming spammy.
– Put hashtags at the end of the post. This keeps the content clean and readable.
– Use a branded hashtag. Create and use a consistent hashtag tied to your brand, campaigns, or events.
– Leverage trending hashtags carefully. Don’t force irrelevant trending hashtags just to capitalize on volume. Make sure they align with your post topic and brand.
– Monitor performance and iterate. Analyze how different hashtags influence reach and engagement over time and adjust your strategy accordingly.
– Promote hashtags in other ways. Share hashtags prominently on your Facebook profile or other social channels to increase exposure.
Following these best practices can help fine-tune hashtag usage specific to Facebook’s ecosystem. But even with strategic hashtagging, results may vary. Thorough testing is key to knowing if it moves the needle for your brand.
Metrics to Analyze Hashtag Performance
To assess if hashtags are having a positive effect, here are some key metrics to analyze:
– Reach: Track how many unique users your posts with hashtags are reaching. Is it higher or lower than posts without hashtags?
– Engagement rate: Measure overall engagement (likes, shares, comments) as a percentage of reach. This normalization helps compare engagement between posts.
– Hashtag clicks: Facebook provides the number of times your hashtags are being clicked on. Higher click rates may indicate relevancy.
– Saving the post: See if hashtags impact how often viewers bookmark your post to read later. Saved posts tend to have valuable info.
– Following your page: Check if hashtags correlate to higher rates of users following your Facebook page directly from the post.
– Clicks to your site: If added to the end of posts with a link, see if hashtags drive more traffic to your website.
Analyzing these metrics over time can reveal whether hashtags are improving visibility and response rates or not. Be sure to compare similar types of posts (news, promotional, etc) with and without hashtags to isolate the impact. If hashtags don’t appear to make a difference for your audience and content style, reconsider their use in your strategy.
Case Studies on Facebook Hashtags
Looking at real examples can help illustrate when hashtags may or may not be effective on Facebook. Here are a few studies on brands using hashtags in their Facebook content:
Case Study 1: Small Business Using Local Hashtags
Sarah’s Seaside Bakery is a small seaside bakery with a local customer base. They promote their artisanal baked goods and morning coffee on Facebook. Sarah finds that using local hashtags like #seasidebakery and #seasidecoffee in her posts helps drive engagement from local followers. These niche hashtags don’t have broad usage, so they accurately target nearby customers. The highly relevant hashtags have increased engagement rates by 5-10% on average.
Case Study 2: Mega Brand Using Branded and Trending Hashtags
McDonalds has millions of global followers on Facebook. They frequently use branded hashtags like #imlovinit in their posts. For relevant trending topics, they selectively add widely used hashtags like #fifaworldcup or #tbt. But they limit these trending hashtags to 1-2 per post to avoid looking spammy. For McDonalds, branded and trending hashtags align well with their mass audience and increase engagement by 2-3% on average. The broader the audience, the more useful broad hashtags become.
Case Study 3: eCommerce Company Hashtag Testing
FashionSpace is an online clothing retailer targeting younger female audiences. They test using 1-2 branded hashtags like #fashionfinds and #styleinspo in their product posts on Facebook. However, over time they find the hashtags don’t impact reach or conversion rates. The hyper-specific nature of their product images and captions already provides enough relevance signals. Furthermore, their target audience doesn’t extensively use hashtags in their own posts. After testing, FashionSpace determines hashtags don’t fit their niche and stops using them without impact.
Conclusion
There is no universal answer to whether hashtags boost Facebook performance. It depends on your audience, content, and the relevancy of the hashtags used. Smaller businesses with local audiences may see better results from niche community hashtags. Mass consumer brands can leverage branded and trending hashtags to increase reach. But for some companies, hashtags don’t align well with their audience behavior and provide no added value.
The best approach is to thoroughly test hashtag usage over time. Analyze reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions across posts with and without hashtags. Measure their impact across different audiences, content types, and objectives. This will provide the insights needed to determine if hashtags belong in your Facebook content strategy or if your efforts are better spent elsewhere.