9 years ago, the term ‘hashtag’ was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), and its usage has never stopped rising ever since. Nowadays, hashtags are a common sight on nearly every social media platform.
This doesn’t mean hashtags work just the same way on each platform. Some might know that certain platforms make hashtags more accessible than others; take Twitter, for example, where hashtags hold significant power.
On the flip side, hashtags don’t seem to get as much attention on Facebook. They almost appear out of place there. To put this into perspective, think about when you last used a hashtag or clicked on a hashtag on Facebook. This might explain why many brands haven’t really embraced the use of hashtags on this platform.
However, a single hashtag holds a hidden power you might not be aware of. In 2020, Facebook began suggesting hashtags to include in your posts and started highlighting the advantages of using them.
So you might find hashtags on Facebook more important than ever before, especially thinking of Facebook’s complex and often hard-to-understand algorithm these days.
This article covers everything you need to know about #hashtags on Facebook – from their benefits and marketing strategies involving hashtags to ways of tracking trending hashtags.
Join us for a step-by-step walkthrough. Your social media game is about to get a lot stronger!
Trending Facebook Hashtag in 2024
By this point, you might already be convinced that adding hashtags to your Facebook posts is a smart move. Now, you’re probably wondering which hashtags are trending and how to stay ahead of any algorithm changes. We’ve put together a quick list for you, but remember, the relevance of each hashtag to your business or product is key!
In this list are examples of hashtags on Facebook that are recently trending in 2024. However, this should serve as a guideline only, and these hashtags aren’t ranked by popularity:
- #tbt
- #trending
- #photography
- #photooftheday
- #motivation
- #creativity
- #inspiration
- #innovation
- #technology
- #socialmediamarketing
- #personaldevelopment
- #hiring
You can also leverage trending hashtags within specific interest groups to create more targeted posts. For instance, within the world of fashion and beauty:
- #fashionweek
- #fashioninspo
- #outfitoftheday
- #sustainablefashion
- #getfit
- #workout
- #todayiwore
- #lookbook
Or perhaps within the realm of food:
- #foodie
- #foodporn
- #recipeshare
- #recipeideas
- #foodphotography
- #newonthemenu
- #eathealthy
If you’re still uncertain where to begin, consider starting with simple hashtags, such as those related to social media hashtag holidays as it tends to increase your business’s visibility.
One last detail you shouldn’t overlook: Facebook posts with hashtags are only searchable if they’re set to public. So, before you put on the finishing touches, don’t forget to adjust your post settings accordingly!
Benefits of Using Hashtags for Marketing on Facebook
Increased discoverability and reach
Wondering how to boost your organic reach and increase your discoverability on Facebook? Well, the answer is simple: make your posts accessible through the Search feature. And that’s where hashtags come into play.
By including hashtags in your posts, you open up the opportunity for people searching for those specific hashtags to stumble upon your content, even if they aren’t already following your page or profile.
This strategy works for both branded hashtags, such as #NameOfYourEvent or #NameOfNewProductsOrSlogan, and generic non-branded hashtags like #Throwback or #TravelTips.
By utilizing these hashtags, you can expand the reach of your business and products, ultimately leading to improved business outcomes in the long term.
Enhanced engagement and interaction
Another brilliant aspect of hashtags is they can increase engagement and interaction between your brand and your audience.
For example, when you’re incorporating hashtags into your Facebook posts for branding purposes, it can initiate a campaign that encourages your audience to use the same hashtag.
This approach can yield a twofold outcome: not only will your brand or product gain more visibility, but you can also build a community of loyal customers.
Moreover, hashtags can also boost the number of user-generated content. And user-generated content is beneficial to businesses as it opens up more opportunities across various market segments.
Showcasing brand identity and personality
We have already delved into the reasons why you should adopt omnichannel marketing strategies, and the key to omnichannel marketing strategies is to maintain a consistent brand identity and personality. Hashtags come into play here, as they can play a pivotal role in ensuring cohesion across all your channels.
Even if your content takes on different formats on each platform, using the same hashtag will let people know that it’s all part of the same campaign, allowing people to grasp your core message more clearly.
The data also reveals something noteworthy: maintaining consistency in your marketing campaigns can lead to a remarkable 33% boost in revenue. This underscores the importance of showcasing brand identity and personality.
Strategies for Researching Trending Hashtags
Utilizing Facebook’s built-in search
A super straightforward way to research popular Facebook hashtags is by utilizing Facebook’s built-in search feature. Start kicking things off with the simplest step – just type a hashtag directly into the search bar. However, this approach assumes you already know the hashtag you’re after and are seeking to gauge its popularity.
However, if you completely have no clue and are just curious about ongoing online discussions, there’s a feature you can check out within Facebook’s Post Creator instead.
When you type in a hashtag in your post, a dropdown menu with a list of trending hashtags and their respective popularity will pop up. It might be a simple move, but it’s remarkably powerful for staying in the loop and keeping your finger on the pulse of online conversations.
Leveraging third-party hashtag tracking tools
Only manually using Facebook’s built-in search can be quite cumbersome for businesses when you have to read so much data in this fast-paced world. That’s where a helping hand comes in handy, in the form of third-party hashtag tracking tools.
Take, for instance, Mandala AI. This tool collects social data to give you insights into what people are discussing online and spot emerging trends before they take off.
What’s even more convenient is that these tools can sift through vast amounts of data and present the most relevant data in easily digestible formats. With these tools equipped, you can make quicker and more informed decisions.
Analyzing competitors and industry trends
When you’re in the business game, keeping an eye on your competitors and the broader industry is a must-do. This doesn’t mean you will need to uncover their deepest marketing secrets or anything like that. It’s just simply finding their Facebook Pages, keeping tabs on their content, and analyzing their marketing strategies. Take note, for example, of whether they’re utilizing hashtags, what specific hashtags they’re using, and how their audience engagement is looking.
By diving into competitor analysis, you’re not just gaining inspiration or a role model to follow. You’re also getting a chance to glean insights into the current trends within your industry, ensuring you’re never left lagging behind.
So, remember, it’s not about copying, but about learning and staying attuned to what’s happening around you.
Guide to Creating Engaging Hashtags and Implementing
#Understanding your target audience
Before you start creating a hashtag, it’s essential to begin with some planning. The first and foremost step is getting a good grasp of your target audience and your goals.
Naturally, you’d like your message to reach as many people as possible, but remember not everyone is going to be your customer. That’s the reason why understanding your target audience is a critical step in creating effective marketing campaigns because it enables you to customize your messaging and approach to meet their specific needs and preferences.
In short, you want to have insights into who they are and what they’re looking for. Speaking in more detail, these insights include multiple aspects, for instance, you need to understand their behaviors, grasp the unique characteristics of each social media platform (in this case, Facebook), be aware of the type of content Facebook users prefer to consume, and identify which hashtags have proven successful, to name a few.
Admittedly, this process may consume some time, but the results can be incredibly rewarding for your business in the long run.
#Incorporating relevant keywords and topics
Once you’ve identified your target audience and conducted some research, this next step is pretty straightforward. It’s all about incorporating relevant keywords and topics.
Now, within this step, there are a few mini-steps to consider. First and foremost, you’ll need to select the right keywords – those words that your potential customers are likely to use when searching for information, products, or services. These keywords should align with your goals, your audience, and your content.
Furthermore, using keywords strategically is vital. This means knowing where to place them in your posts. Avoid going overboard and stuffing hashtags in a way that feels unnatural.
Lastly, consider the context. Ask yourself, do you appreciate it when a business uses irrelevant hashtags solely for the sake of advertising? Most people would probably say no.
Utilizing irrelevant hashtags can make your business come across as a bit opportunistic and out of touch with the timing. This does no favors for your brand perception at all.
#Keeping hashtags concise and easy to remember
A hashtag is all about being catchy. You wouldn’t want to come up with a hashtag that resembles a mini-essay because, honestly, who could remember that?
Moreover, avoid overloading a single post with too many hashtags. Hashtags should serve as keywords, aiding users in finding your posts and helping the algorithm comprehend your content better. Multiple studies on Facebook have also pointed out that posts with fewer hashtags generally tend to perform better.
The goal should be to craft a hashtag that’s unique, exclusive to your brand, descriptive, yet still concise and easy to recall. Remember, when it comes to hashtags, less is often more!
Step Up Your Facebook Hashtag Game
In a nutshell, Facebook posts with hashtags generally tend to be more engaging, easily searchable, interactive, and reader-friendly.
That’s precisely why it is recommended to include a hashtag in your posts. All the benefits and tips above won’t hold much value unless you put them into action.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you’ll need to experiment and patiently await results to see what works for you. Keep in mind that every marketing strategy involves a process of trial and error.
No need to fret though – just keep in mind that you’ve got this article as a handy guide. So, what are you still waiting for?
