Why Use Hashtags On Facebook In 2021?

Written by Bridgette Weller Brown
on 08 Jun 2021

I t’s a daily ritual for many people to spend hour after hour scrolling through Facebook. Every post battles to win their attention, and with so much content out there, it’s not easy. Marketers, social media managers, influencers and everyday people are doing whatever they can to grasp our attention and stand out from the crowd.

Having a well-considered hashtag strategy is the number one way to reach a new audience on other social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

But what about Facebook?

Should you be adding hashtags to your Facebook posts?

The answer is “YES.” Hashtags DO have their place on Facebook for Businesses. We’ll tell you why, and how to best use them within your Facebook posts.

Picture of hashtag sign in storage container.

Hashtags On Facebook ARE A MUST

Facebook itself has encouraged users to add hashtags to their content. The social media giant has said hashtags can increase engagement levels, and increase organic reach. That means more people seeing content within their news feeds, and more ways for content to be found via the search tool on Facebook.

However, Facebook hashtags serve a unique purpose, and we need to take care when using them.

You shouldn’t post hashtags on Facebook just BECAUSE. Your hashtags should be well chosen and well researched for the following reasons.

(READ: What is a Hashtag? And How To Use Hashtags in 2020)

Social Listening

You want to know what your audience is talking about and what they are interested in.

If posts around a specific hashtag or campaign perform well, that is an excellent reason to keep that hashtag in rotation. Also be sure to keep an eye out for trending hashtags to capitalise on.

Make your posts SEARCHABLE.

By using hashtags, you can get more eyes on your posts, and categorise your content so that your audience can come back to it later. All posts relating to a certain hashtag can all be found in one place. Hashtags can help highlight specific campaigns or posts that followers might be interested in.

See this Redbubble post, for example, they’ve used the hashtag #SecretSanta making their post searchable for those looking for Secret Santa presents.

(READ: Social Listening: What, Why and How Ultimate Guide)

Make your posts INTERACTIVE

As well as encouraging your audience to follow a link or comment on your post, hashtags can give your audience an extra incentive to interact with your content. Scoring hashtag clicks from your audience could clue you in on what content your audience is interested in.

See this post by Brownes Dairy, for example, they’ve used the hashtag #gotmilkchallenge – encouraging their users to use the hashtag as well to promote the campaign.

Facebook Privacy Settings

One aspect that could deter users from adding hashtags to their posts is the privacy settings on Facebook, which are unique compared to other social media platforms.

This is unlike other platforms, where the goal (for users) is to be seen by as many people as possible. On Facebook, most users have the option to allow their content to be seen by everyone down to just themselves and everything in between.

This is an issue for marketers on Facebook because 100 people could be using a tag, but only 8 of them have privacy settings open to the public. You’re skewing the data, making something look more or less popular than it might be.

Should I Be Adding Hashtags On Facebook?

YES!

The goal is to get NOTICED, and hashtags can help you get there. After all, anything that can help you get noticed on the platform is a plus, right?

Here are some handy tips to get hashtagging on Facebook.

Tips For Hashtags On Facebook

Less is more.

#Don’t #write #your #post #like #this

Instead, use one or two hashtags related to a niche in your post/ industry. Many influential brands only use ONE hashtag on Facebook. Many researchers say that maximum engagement occurs with only one hashtag.

2. Get funny.

Following the less is more approach, hashtags on Facebook often go with a humorous or creative approach to their hashtag strategy.

Look at this Redbubble post as an examples #caturday is a funny word that goes great with their brand.

3. Create Content For That Platform.

Create content that fits with Facebook’s platform.

Sharing content from Instagram with the dots leading down to 1000 hashtags reveals to consumers that you’re double-dipping on content and not putting time and effort into a Facebook strategy.

Re-write your captions and post them to Facebook directly, and watch the likes roll in!

(READ: Create Scroll-Stopping Content For Social Media)

What do you think? Do you use hashtags on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!

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