#FacebookHashtags Make Their Mark

If you’re an avid social media user you’ve probably heard of the term hashtag.  In case you didn’t know, the iconic tool was first introduced by Twitter as the pound symbol followed by a related phrase or key word without spaces to help categorize like conversations on the social streaming site.  Just this week social media giant Facebook introduced the tool for use and recognition on their site as well.

In an article published early this week by The Wall Street Journal, Facebook Product Manager Greg Lindley was quoted stating, “To date, there has not been a simple way to see the larger view of what’s happening or what people are talking about…Hashtags are just the first step to help people more easily discover what others are saying about a specific topic and participate in public conversations.”

For the social media managers here at McCauley Marketing Services, the roll-out is a direct sign of the increased competition between Twitter and Facebook for users and advertisers.  Though Twitter and Facebook target audiences still have some distinct differences, the two brands both recognize the value of connectivity and visibility of other member’s updates on their sites.

One of the main differences currently between Faceaook’s hashtags and Twitter’s hashtags is Facebook’s inability to display “trending topics” so users can see other popular subjects on the site without having to search them out individually.  Also of note, Facebook’s application of individual user’s privacy settings to the way hashtag containing posts may be viewed- the opposite of Twitter’s broadcast setup displaying every tweet.

Searchability and content organization will undoubtedly continue to change for the two social media sites as will the way members tend to use them.  To stay abreast of the latest social media news and marketing changes be sure to connect with McCauley Advertising on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+