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#HashtagsonFacebook: Dos and Don’ts
DIY Sprocket Solutions
Well it’s official, no matter how you feel about them –hashtags have now officially made their way onto the Facebook playing field. They are fully interactive; not just a sad leftover symbol copied from a Twitter post. What does this mean for your business? Well, as we’ve seen on Twitter, hashtags can be totally beneficial when used properly and nothing but noise when used badly. Surely there will be a few bumps along the way while all of Facebookland is learning this Twitterverse function. When Facebook introduced Graph Search, it was a big deal. Problem is –the reach of the graph search is limited to what is contained in people’s friend’s profiles. Hashtags reach a whole new realm of customers. You just have to have a common idea and viola! #InstantConnection
Here are a few Dos and Don’ts to get your business moving in the right direction:
DO: Make it easy – make your hashtags easy to remember, easy to spell, and easy to pronounce.
DON’T: Forget about the potential problems – there is no limit to post length on FB. Placing 10 hashtags in a FB post looks like spam –don’t do it.
DO: Use unique keywords and hashtags. Be original and be memorable.
DON’T: Make your hashtags too generic. Same as Twitter in this department –it increases the level of noise and decreases visibility. Instead, be more focused and specific to be included in the groups that you want to reach.
DO: Search for hashtags before you decide to use them. You don’t want to make a big embarrassing mistake. It may not be a good idea to say that the lack of coffee in your building is #horrific –only to start trending with the #horrific murder that happened earlier in the day… maybe judge the atmosphere a bit first.
DON’T: Break up words with hashtags. This one is pretty basic but you don’t need to tell people to #learn #how #to #hashtag… You can just say #LearnHowToHashtag.
DO: Use hashtags to keep up with the groups/communities that you and your company are involved in. Stay up to date on industry trends, community events, and hot topics that you should be involved with.
DON’T: Forget to capitalize. Doyoufinditdifficulttoreadthis? Don’t give yourself a headache –or everyone else for that matter. Capitalize the first letter of each word in your hashtag. #WeAppreciateIt
Alright, I’m done with hashtagging you to death. I think you get the point by now. Hashtag for Facebook can be a good tool for businesses if you can really remember two simple things:
1. Don’t annoy your customers
2. Learn how to reach your target audience
What is the most annoying Facebook hashtag post you’ve seen since hashtags have gone live? Post them here!
This article has been updated on 1/18/2021 with the article entitled “Facebook Is Re-Focusing on #Hashtags – So Should You, Too?”
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Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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