Let’s be honest. It’s not the first time hashtags have been used on Facebook. But as of last Wednesday, it’s the first time hashtags will actually yield something on the platform. The much hyped linking-tool-come-language-trend has been officially adopted for optimized search functionality, so Facebook users can search topics of interest in real time, similar to its recently purchased umbrella brand Instagram, as well as Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Vine.
In a statement from Facebook’s Newsroom, product specialist Greg Lindley laments, “To date, there has not been a simple way to see the larger view of what’s happening or what people are talking about.” As of June 12, a chosen 20 percent of Facebook users can now click select hashtags to broaden conversation topics of choice. Using a particular hashtag on Facebook will link to a feed of what other people and pages are saying about that event or topic, in the same manner that Twitter or Instagram already offer. The function will roll out globally to all 1.11 billion monthly users in the coming months with enhancements such as trending hashtags, a la Twitter.
They’re heeeeerrrreeeee…
Functions enabled via the hashtag include:
• Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar, such as events like #NBAfinals or campaigns like #WantedLight.
• Click on hashtags that originate from other services like Instagram or Twitter. Those multi-platform sites pushing the same hastagged messages are no longer superfluous.
• Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results bar.
Though Facebook is one of the few remaining social sites with privacy control options (Instagram still offers a privacy account option), the hashtagging option will not extend past your privacy options. According to the statement issued by Facebook, and confirmed in articles by the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, hashtagging a post from a personal page (because why would you block content on a public page) will not supercede your privacy options and broadcast your message beyond an unintended audience. Allegedly.
Adroyt’s Facebook page
This information becomes increasingly relevant as just days after the announcement, Facebook finally released the number of requests it receives for user data from all government entities. Though requests over a six month period only number between 9,000 and 10,000, that number quickly extrapolates to hit as many as 19,000 user accounts. We can only imagine what that number would be if marketers were required to report such figures.
There also remains the issue of keeping hashtags relevant to businesses and brands. Though the linguistic trend is growing in popularity—in part because it facilitates out-of-the-box creativity beyond the built-ins of most platforms—they can be used to leverage a campaign across a much broader audience. Robin Thicke’s new video for Blurred Lines, or #BlurredLines if you prefer, unabashedly touts the singer’s name in its featured hashtag, (among other things in its unrated version).
It’s an unusual choice to hashtag a person with their own twitter account, but Jimmy Kimmel found it a suitable substitute for his late night sidekick. We almost agree with you, Jimmy: This could be superior to the original. At the very least, it’s funnier.
Have you seen any “interpretations” of popular music videos lately? We’re tempted to try to make on on an app like Demir Gjokaj’s Reeli but it wouldn’t likely have the same panache a production like Kimmels had.
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