How to Use Facebook Hashtags to Boost Your Page Reach

Wondering about Facebook hashtags?

Do hashtags actually help your Facebook Page posts, or hurt you?

If you’re looking for the latest on using hashtags in your Facebook posts, here’s how they work in 2023.

How to Use Facebook Hashtags Now

Several years ago, using hashtags on Facebook wasn’t a thing.

Some people even thought it reduced the reach of posts. But there’s clear evidence now that hashtags have made a comeback.

Facebook itself is even offering you ideas and giving you figures on the use of each one, just like Instagram.

The push towards using hashtags again first started as a way to promote small businesses a few years back, when so many entrepreneurs suffered from government shutdowns. Now, people are experimenting with putting them in their posts. Or after the main comment.

Truth is, we are still a little in the experiment stage! So, try a few different options, and look at your Facebook Insights to see what works for your audience.

Below you’ll find pointers to help you decide what to try!

How Many Hashtags Should I Use?

With Instagram, the picture is clear. You can and should add all 30 hashtags on Instagram.

But with Facebook, a more moderate approach seems best. Currently, it seems best to add 3-5 key hashtags.

Or if you want, go a bit further and add up to 10-15. But no more.

Studies have shown that too many hashtags can reduce your reach. So the best hashtag strategy is to keep things to as low a number as possible.

Remember to track which posts do well and how many hashtags they have to determine the best practice for your audience.

Adding hashtags to old posts

You can also test going back to best performing older content and adding hashtags.

It isn’t worth it if the post didn’t reach anyone to start with. But if there was organic reach or engagements, you could get that story bump effect by adding hashtags.

It can work a bit like someone commenting on the post. The engagement boosts it to the top of the feed.

Particularly, it can be worth trying on video posts. Because Facebook loves video!

Where Do Hashtags Go When You Click Them?

If you add hashtags, what happens when someone clicks them?

The answer’s a lot like Instagram. Each hashtag has its own page with a chronological feed.

So, if you posted just now, you’ll appear at the top.

But a post from a few days ago will be down the list, if other people have used the same hashtag in the meantime.

That’s as long as you set your posts to public. If you restrict who sees them, they’ll only appear in the feed for people you’ve allowed to see the post.

But Pages post to public anyway, so you’re good.

How Do I Find Hashtags to Use?

One of the easiest ways to find hashtags is to add the # and start typing a word in a post.

Hashtags will automatically pop up that Facebook thinks you might want to add.

This works on Pages and also in groups.

However, if you do it in Creator Studio, the suggestions also have those post numbers.

Just like on Instagram, you can instantly see how many posts have used that hashtag.

And like on Instagram, you might want to go for that sweet spot. Not too many posts but enough to be seen.

Some users have even seen suggestions appear on posts. Under the update, there’s a ‘browse posts about:’ with the hashtag beside it.

Click this and you see the latest posts with the hashtag in them.

Saw this on Facebook for the first time today— suggesting content filtered by are gory via hashtags ? @MattNavarra have you seen this? pic.twitter.com/UOXZ7mOo8Z

— Brandon Arvay @ #INBOUND2020 (@BrandonArvay) April 24, 2020

Facebook Hashtag Best Practices

Facebook hashtags are definitely worth using, but how do you incorporate them into your social media strategy?

Here are some best practices to help you see where they fit into the puzzle.

Use Facebook’s suggestions to help choose hashtags

Those suggestions that appear when you start typing?

They are Facebook’s way of saying these are the hashtags it thinks you should use.

Now, while not all of them will work, they are worth considering.

If they are super broad and large, use a couple of those along with some more specific ones.

Create hashtag groups

If you are an Instagrammer, you probably have hashtag groups you use.

Core hashtags, seasonal, regional, that kind of thing.

Well, you can create something similar with Facebook hashtags.

They’ll be smaller groups than their IG versions, but you can still gather together hashtags that work with each other.

Then test different groups and see which work best.

More tips and FAQs below! Be sure to Pin this for later.

Test some of those IG hashtags

It can also be worth trying some Instagram hashtags on Facebook.

After all, words are words!

If you have ones you see work well on your Instagram posts, try them on Facebook.

You can even do some hashtag research on Instagram to use on Facebook.

The data there is seasoned and more comprehensive, so you get a fuller picture.

Cross-post from Instagram

You can also cross from Instagram with the hashtags present. You’d need to have the hashtags in your Instagram post caption for this to work.

There will probably be more than you’d add to a native Facebook post. But the algorithm knows you have cross-posted so it’ll be fine with it.

Some users have found that IG cross-posted content does better.

Make sure you test and compare on your account to see if this is the case for your audience.

Try creating your own hashtags

Because hashtags create a dedicated page on Facebook now, you can create your own.

The result would be a dedicated page of your content!

Do try creating a branded hashtag or something specific for your blog.

Use hashtags to find content to share

If you’re looking for some content to share with your audience, hashtags can help.

Check the ones you use a lot and see what other content comes up.

If it’s the kind of thing your audience is interested in, share it to your page.

The hashtags you and the shared content use could prompt people to click – then they’ll see the content you created with that hashtag in it!

Who Sees my Posts with Hashtags?

We can’t talk about Facebook and not talk about privacy.

We’re all aware that we need to be vigilant about who sees what in our Facebook lives.

So, who can see the content you post with hashtags?

A lot depends on where you publish the post. For example:

• Hashtag in a post on private personal feed – only the people you allow to see your updates (e.g. friends or specific friends).
• Hashtag in a post in a private group – only the people inside the group.
• Hashtag in a post on a public Page – anyone.

Anytime you want to check the status of a post, click the little icon beside the time stamp.

A globe means ‘public’ while the little group of people means ‘friends’.

Facebook Hashtag FAQs

Should You Use Hashtags in Sentences?

One of the most irritating mistakes people make is repeating the same word—one hashtagged, one not—in the same post.

Not only does it look silly, but it can also be confusing for readers.

Luckily, there is a simpler and clearer alternative. Rather than repeating yourself, try using the hashtag where the phrase is mentioned naturally in the sentence.

This creates a more visually appealing post and eliminates the need for unnecessary repetition.

By following this simple rule, you can make your hashtag usage on Facebook clean and concise.

Do You Need to Add Spaces into Hashtags?

It’s common for marketers to make mistakes when using hashtags on their Facebook pages, especially when separating the words in their hashtagged phrases.

Many still use spaces to separate words, like #Social Media, but unfortunately, only the first hashtagged word counts as the hashtag.

This means that your post won’t be found when your ideal customer searches for #SocialMedia on Facebook but instead will only appear in the search results for #Social, which is entirely irrelevant.

Be wary of using punctuation in your hashtags too, as it applies the same concept.

Should You Use Popular Hashtags Regardless of Relevancy?

When it comes to using hashtags, relevancy is key. You may be tempted to use popular hashtags in hopes of your campaign reaching a wider audience, but this strategy can actually backfire.

Using trending hashtags that have nothing to do with the content you’re sharing can annoy and turn off potential followers.

For instance, if you’re using the popular #ThrowbackThursday hashtag to promote your business, but your content has nothing to do with fond personal memories, you’re likely to frustrate the users who are browsing that hashtag.

Instead, choose relevant hashtags that are directly related to your content, and use them sparingly to keep your post from looking spammy.

Do Privacy Settings Impact if Hashtags Can Be Seen?

If you’re using keywords and hashtags on Facebook, it’s essential to ensure that your target audience can actually see them.

After all, what’s the point of using them if they’re not visible to those who might be interested in your content?

Fortunately, this isn’t entirely down to chance. If your page’s privacy settings don’t allow non-followers to see your posts, they won’t be able to find your hashtagged content in search.

To avoid this issue, check that your Facebook page is published by heading to the settings and then clicking on “Page Visibility.”

By taking this simple step, you can be confident that you’re not limiting your reach and that your best hashtags aren’t going to waste.

Using Facebook Hashtags

Using Facebook hashtags is a smart thing to do.

FB’s former reluctance to make them work well seems to have changed.

So, like with Instagram, they are another opportunity to get your content seen.

Remember to test and see which hashtags work best in which posts. Then refine your strategy for the best results.

If you use other social platforms, be sure to check our complete guide on how to use hashtags.

Let us know in a comment: Have you used hashtags in Facebook posts? What were your results?