Since the introduction of hashtags on Facebook, people have been
using them more and more often, much to the annoyance of some people.
The main question is however, has your business started benefiting from
the hashtag or are you wondering how to use it properly. There are four
main ways to use this hashtag and all shall be explained below, from
promoting your brand to promoting offers e.t.c.
A Brief Explanation of Facebook Hashtags
When you use a hashtag (#) in front of a word or phrase, the hashtag enables the word/phrase to become a clickable link.
When this link has been clicked on, you will be provided with a
large or small feed of public posts (this can totally depend on the
security settings that you have on Facebook) that include the same
hashtag. Below I will explain how the hashtags can be used to help your
business.
1. Expand your Companys Reach
Although hashtags have only just began on Facebook, they will soon begin
to build momentum, just like they already have on several other social
networks, such as twitter for example. These hashtags will then allow
people to search for things within the topic of their interest, allowing
you to expand your reach by simply posting about relevant things.
Hashtags have been a great way to provide people with information about
their interests.
By using a hashtag within your post you are able to connect with
those who may not have seen your post otherwise. You are able to monitor
this by using Facebook Insights however. When you are using Facebook
Insights, always make sure to watch your Reach and Engagement Numbers,
this will provide you with the information needed to determine if your
hashtags are making a difference in your posts.
2. Amplify Your Brand
Although using generic topic based hashtags is a great way to gain new
customers, sometimes it is a good idea to amplify your own brand with a
special hashtag. As an example of this, if we as a company were to use
hashtags on Facebook, we would use something like “#Weblinxseoservices.”
By branding all of your posts you are able to reach a much wider
audience and provide people with an easier way to share information.
it is always important however to think about the types of things
that people would be interested in. If your posts become to promotional
people will simply block you or hide you from their timeline.
3. Cross Social Platforms
Just as I mentioned earlier, hashtags have been used on some social
network sites for a while now and if you have been using these, you will
be used to the hashtag. Due to the fact that most social networks are
now using the hashtag, you will be able to save a large amount of time
by posting the same content across several of the different Social
platforms. This can be done by using a piece of software called
“hootsuite.”
Although it is highly recommend to do this for every single post on
Facebook (as some people are quite frustrated by the hashtags entrance
into the world of Facebook) it will work to your benefit to occasionally
post the same content across a variety of social platforms.
4.Promote Offers and Special Events
Special hashtags are a great way to advertise your offers and events, especially when it comes to contests.
When it comes to Facebook however, you need to realize that you can’t
have people enter your contest on Facebook by including your branded
hashtag like you are able to on Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter. This
is simply because of Facebook contest promotional rules, however you are
able to help people find the content they require by simply including
the hashtag within your Facebook posts.
If you know of some hashtags out there which will be able to help
with your companys goals, make sure to use them within your own post. On
the other hand however, make sure you don’t overuse hashtags as they
can look spammy and people will leave your group, a few relevant
hashtags are always enough.
