Do Hashtags Still Work? Pt. 2
We are continuing the conversation today about hashtags and whether it's worth the extra effort on social media. In years past, hashtags were used to organically increase awareness and draw individuals to social posts and pages. With algorithms making it more difficult to organically attract like-minded folks + potential customers, we will be sharing our go-to rule of thumb for each social platform this month. Last week we talked about Instagram, now we are picking the conversation up with Facebook...
FACEBOOK:
Facebook is a platform where you 'pay to play'. Posting does not guarantee that all of your page 'likers' will see or be engaged with a post. And that means hashtagging is a thing of the past. So what can you do to share content that attracts and engages current and potential audiences? Our tips are below:
- Post 2-3 times a day. Each post should offer engaging content (ie. picture, article, video). We encourage breaking up content as well. Our biggest pet peeve is a Facebook page that only has Instagram pictures shared. Share trending articles that are relevant to your audience and brand. Share blog posts from your website. Post video content. Mix it up - keep things interesting.
- Only use a brand specific hashtag and/or a trending hashtag in the caption. Using 30 generic hashtags like Instagram will do nothing for your posts. Hoping on a trending hashtag topic (especially if it's political) could get you some extra eyes + unwarranted page interactions and visitors.
- If you are pushing a seasonal campaign, insert that single hashtag into the caption so your audience picks up on the hashtags and interacts
- Tagging helps. If you are sharing an article from a magazine we always recommend tagging the magazine in the post. This can also offer some additional page visitors.
Even with the algorithm this can help you reach new individuals.