We all use hashtags to spread content on Twitter, but what role do they play on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, and how do you know which ones to use?
Facebook introduced hashtags way back in 2013, but since then, they’ve offered little guidance on how to use them. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have an impact.
Like other social platforms, Facebook and Instagram use hashtags to help categorize content. So, hashtags make it easier for the algorithms and your followers to find posts. Every time you include a hashtag, your post is also added to that hashtag page on Facebook.
Together, that gives every post more potential reach.
Hashtags can also help you monitor conversations, track mentions, and learn more about what fans are feeling and interested in.
How To Use Hashtags
The team at the social media management platform Hootsuite offers this advice:
- Always start a hashtag with the # symbol.
- Never add spaces – each hashtag must be written as a single word.
- If you want to use a multi-word hashtag capitalize the first letter of each word (#MusicNews) to make it easier to read
- You can use numbers in a hashtag, but you can’t use punctuation or special characters like $ or %
- Avoid niche hashtags: #BestChicagoMetalBand might be descriptive, but its do narrow that few will find it.
Which hashtags work best?
Hootsuite also offers a free hashtag generator that can be customized by social platform, topic description, and keyword. It creates hashtag suggestions in 5 languages.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
