Tips and Tricks: Facebook Hashtags
Recently, Facebook has rolled out hashtags (and they’re still rolling it out gradually to their users as they normally do, so don’t panic if you don’t see it yet. You will, probably in the next few weeks.) Those of you who use Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram will be familiar with the concept. This is great news for anyone using FB as part of their marketing effort.
Basically, on FB, a hashtag (example: #corriekuipers) works like a clickable search term. What this means for you is that you can expand your marketing by using hashtags.
If you post greeting cards on FB, some suggested hashtags to add to the end of your update are: #yourname or #yourbusinessname, #greetingcarduniverse. Other relevant hashtags such as #upcomingholiday, #occasion, or #art, #photography, etc can be added as desired.
Be careful, though. You don’t want to pile on the hashtags. Adding twenty hashtags to a one line status update would be crazy. Choose your hashtags wisely.
Read more about Facebook hashtags.
Another use for hashtags from a marketing perspective is “eavesdropping” or getting information to target your audience. For example, let’s say you search for hashtags about the Fourth of July (like #fourthofjuly, #fireworks). If you see a lot of people using a specific hashtag, make a FB post with a Fourth of July card and use the same hashtag. By taking advantage of a trend, you can expand your marketing outside your usual circle.
Have fun!
Edited to add tip by Susan Herbst: “It’s also important to note that if your Facebook feeds to your Twitter account, it’ll be helpful to get those hashtags in the first 100 characters or so. Then they do double duty.”
Thanks, Susan!
GCU Community 
The FB hashtag concept is interesting to me as they have been so bent on getting the biz page owners to pay to reach their fans, now this. I wonder if they plan on charging a fee for certain tags. It will interesting to see how it all unfolds. Also be careful how you tag or else you will end up on pages you really don’t want to be on. I’ve already have seen spamming on FB with tags unrelated to the posts just to be noticed.
Spam is, unfortunately, an inevitable consequence. One should avoid being a spammer, so as I said, choose hashtags wisely.
Corrie
Now this may sound like a stupid question: but how do I hashtag? Where do I put the hashtag symbol? I’m not very facebook savvy 😉 Do I link to something?
You do it as part of your status update. For example, let’s say you want to post a birthday on the fourth of july card. Your status update may look something like this:
Fireworks and Fun for a birthday guy or gal on the Fourth of July! #greetingcarduniverse #barbaraschreiber #fourthofjuly
A hashtag is always set up with the “pound” sign first – # – followed by your text in small letters, no caps, no spaces. You can insert hyphens between words if you wish, but many people don’t bother.
Did that answer your question?
Corrie
It’s also important to note that if your facebook feeds to your twitter account, it’ll be helpful to get those hashtags in the first 100 characters or so. Then they do double duty.
Thank you for this info. I’ll have to give it a try 🙂
Thanks, I always wondered what a hashtag was!
Thanks, Corrie, will give it a try 🙂
Great information, Thank You Corrie!