Facebook is giving hashtags a spin on its platform . It is not that they are going to reinvent them by changing their behavior, but they will try to make users use them more. How? Well, firstly adding the number of times a hashtag is used to give it more value.
Quantifying the hashtag
The use of tags or hashtags is something that currently does not involve great mysteries. Practically any user of social networks knows how they work and what their main purpose is: to allow content to be grouped by topic, to help discover other publications as well as to improve their reach.
However, although Facebook has already commented on the importance of its use to improve the reach of publications (something that the vast majority of users look for when sharing on networks), it still does not have the pull and impact that they do enjoy on other platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok.
New? Facebook shows a hashtag count preview when creating a new post pic.twitter.com/3Agg33iD6W
– Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 4, 2020
The reasons for the little use could be several, although everything seems to indicate that it is a simple matter of perception. We usually go to Facebook to see what new content our family and friends have published, not so much to discover new content or see the current trend as it happens with other networks.
Therefore, to change this behavior it seems that Facebook is introducing small, but also important changes. The first is to show the number of times a hashtags has been used . Something that for now does not appear to everyone. For example, in the following screenshot you can see that when we use a hashtag we only see possible suggestions, but not numerical data.
However, the users that do appear will be helped to choose which could be the best in order to try to reach the largest number of new users interested in that topic or who access directly through that tag. In addition, as some users point out, this could also affect and enhance various aspects within the platform. For example:
- It could be useful to improve that reach of the publications of the brands that they referred to through a greater ability to choose the ideal hashtag
- Help with a future deeper integration with platforms such as Instagram. Remember that you can now chat from Facebook Messenger with your Instagram contacts. And from the Facebook app see the stories
- Better ability to create challenges or challengers in the TikTok style and that users can find them. This way they would boost the use of the platform, growing in users and traffic
Hashtags in the middle of 2020
As you can see, the use of hashtags in the middle of 2020 is not going to bring great news to any social platform, but in the case of Facebook, a push in terms of use and improvements in terms of the user experience may be interesting.
Logically it will be necessary to see the own assimilation by the user. Because we already know that there are things that cost to change even if they seem obvious and easy. Anyway, Facebook needs to apply changes to regain some relevance lost in recent times. And, despite continuing to be a giant of social networks, there are many users who ended up tired.