With the implementation of Facebook Hashtags, Facebook users can now search for posts and information on various topics and trending keywords. For businesses, this can lead to many opportunities to participate in larger conversations, and engage users on the topics they’re interested in.
Businesses can proactively create posts and tag them appropriately so that other people will find them. When anyone clicks on or searches a hashtag, Facebook presents them with a Hashtag Search Results page that looks like this:
The search results page displays posts in reverse chronological order, will automatically refresh with new posts, and features a post dialogue box at the top that will automatically populate the hashtag you’re searching, making it easier to participate in the conversation.
But how do you search hashtags?
Unless you see a hashtag you’re interested in and can click on it, you’re going to need to start a new search. There are two easy ways to proceed:
Search Bar
The Facebook Search Bar along the top of the site is the obvious place to start, but you can’t just type in whatever words you want. You have to enter your search exactly according to the hashtag you want to search, including the # symbol. So if you want to see what people are saying about the NHL Playoffs, you will need to enter #NHLPlayoffs.
URL
The other option is to edit the Facebook URL in your address bar. Facebook now uses the convention of https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/<keyword> where <keyword> is the hashtag you want to search without the # symbol. So in our previous example, the URL would be https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nhlplayoffs.
Armed with this knowledge, you can email links to searches, include them on websites and blog posts, and more.
Finding the Right Hashtag
Of course, if you’re hoping to interject your business into a larger conversation, it helps to know exactly what hashtag other people are using. Until Facebook releases actual hashtag tools like Insights and Trending Hashtags, doing searches before posting can help you ensure that you’re using the right hashtag.
You can also check Twitter or Google+ for current trends, and then search Facebook to see if they’re carrying over from the other networks.