If it’s true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Facebook has showered some serious adulation on the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. The social media giant has just announced that it is launching the ability to follow conversations via hashtags.
Now, when you click on a hashtag – any phrase with the # symbol before it – you’ll get a feed of comments using the hashtag. You can also search for hashtags and write posts directly from the hashtag feed.
Let’s say you’re a tire dealer interested in connecting with off-roading enthusiasts in your market area. You can now search for local people talking on Facebook about “off-roading,” or write a post – “Anyone going #off-roading this weekend?” This could lead to online conversations with local enthusiasts.
The new feature has far-reaching implications for Facebook marketers, especially in making what you say on Facebook more widely visible to others.
Here’s how Facebook explains it:
“Every day, hundreds of millions of people use Facebook to share their thoughts on big moments happening all around them. Whether it’s talking about a favorite television show, cheering on a hometown sports team or engaging with friends during a breaking news event – people on Facebook connect with their friends about what’s taking place all over the world.
“To bring these conversations more to the forefront, we will be rolling out a series of features that surface some of the interesting discussions people are having about public events, people and topics. As a first step, we are beginning to roll out hashtags on Facebook.”
This is a big step forward for marketers because it expands the traditional channels that Facebook users have typically used to the possibility for organic and campaign-driven chat rooms.
As a Facebook spokesperson explained, “Like other Facebook marketing tools, hashtags allow you to join and drive the conversations happening about your business. We recommend you search for and view real-time public conversations and test strategies to drive those conversations using hashtags.”
One of the great things about hashtag marketing is that it enables campaigns to connect with target audiences across multiple social networks. So this takes something marketers are already using and puts it on steroids by tapping into Facebook’s huge user base.
Hashtags are actually a part of a bigger initiative, according to Facebook, which notes that, “hashtags are just the beginning of a plan to “bring these conversations more to the forefront.” In the near future, you can expect to see more Facebook features that allow “public conversations,” such as trending hashtags.
If you’re not seeing any hashtags enabled for clicking on your Facebook page now, don’t worry! As it is doing with Graph Search, Facebook is implementing a gradual roll-out on its clickable hashtags, making this new feature available only to certain brands and users for now. It will probably be another couple of weeks or so for everybody else.
Once hashtags are available on your Facebook page, I recommend that you test the waters – see what topics are the most popular and think about how you can become part of the conversation to promote your business and expand relationships with your target audiences.
And stay tuned for further information on Facebook hashtags; I want to provide specific examples on how tire dealers and companies are using this new feature in their marketing. If you have any case studies or ideas to share, I would love to hear them!
Christine Taylor is vice president of social media marketing for JTMarCom,a Nashville-based marketing agency that helps companies with online reputation management and integration of social media into their traditional marketing programs. With a combined 35 years of experience in the tire industry, the agency places a special emphasis on working with tire and automotive aftermarket companies. Follow Christine on Facebook and Twitter (@chrisgtaylor). She can also be reached at 615-714-5469.
