Facebook Hashtags and Stopping the Echo Chamber
Facebook followed Twitter's lead in June when it launched hashtags, allowing users to add clickable tags to their posts, so they can view other conversations with the same tag. The idea is to help otherwise unconnected users congregate around topics and follow streams of related conversations.
Facebook hashtags were brought to the forefront again when EdgeRank Checker released a study that aimed to measure the impact of hashtags on Facebook News Feed content. The study found that posts with hashtags have less viral reach than posts without. On the other hand, tweets with hashtags are more likely to be retweeted.
Facebook is constantly introducing and testing new features, and it's very likely hashtags are still very much in 'testing mode' as they look for signs of abuse and how people respond to them. Just because a feature is new, page managers should not expect it to bring a drastic improvement to content reach and engagement.
The results of the study are less important than what hashtags mean for Facebook.
Why Hashtags?
We see hashtags showing up everywhere, whether it's on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or even TV and print ads. Brands have adopted hashtags en masse as a way to improve campaign vitality, and consumers are getting better at recognizing them. These efforts have been met with varying degrees of success from consumers hijacking McDonald's #McDstories campaign to Nissan using #Nissan360 to successfully promote a press event.
Brand hashtags to date have largely been brand-focused and less focused on what hashtags were originally created to do: organize content in a way that allows you to learn more and join a bigger, better conversation.
Hashtags are a utility, a tool that allows users to dive deeper into a conversation occurring online.
A Solution in Need of a Problem
That's where questions come in regarding Facebook hashtags. Facebook has grown because of its ability to connect users with those they're closest to. There's little desire to connect with a larger online community, which explains why most personal privacy settings are set to limit visibility of content to existing Facebook friends. This includes posts that have hashtags.
Unlike Twitter, Facebook is a collection of millions of echo chambers with little conversation occurring amongst people not connected outside of interactions on pages.
Hashtags are a way to organize public posts on Facebook, but no one asked for that or appears to want it.
It's a Long-Term Play
That's not a surprise to Facebook. It has been pushing for people to be more public with their Facebook content for years now, but instead of waiting for that to happen, they're planting the seeds to encourage it. With hashtags come shared conversations united around TV shows and celebrities. Facebook's also working to encourage journalists to post news to the site. The future Facebook is aiming for isn't based on hashtags. It's based on a more open, public dialogue.