Facebook Recommends Hashtags to Boost Organic Reach

Facebook began actively encouraging the use of hashtags in posts starting July 2020. The platform issued notifications stating that adding hashtags can help improve a post's organic reach.

Historically, hashtags on Facebook, which first launched in 2013 with an update in 2016, had not significantly impacted organic reach. Some reports even suggested they might lower it, and their integration from Instagram posts often appeared out of place. This recent endorsement from Facebook, however, signals a renewed utility for hashtags.

Privacy settings for posts containing hashtags remain consistent with other Facebook content. The author or owner controls who can view the post. If a post on a personal profile is set to "friends only," it will still only be visible to friends, even if it appears in a hashtag feed page. Similarly, within private groups, hashtagged posts will only be visible to group members if surfaced in a hashtag feed.

Tips for effectively using hashtags on Facebook include discovering relevant hashtags through the search bar on desktop or mobile apps, where Facebook also provides suggestions. Users are encouraged to include hashtags in their posts and can build sets of hashtags for specific purposes, much like on Instagram. Meta's Creator Studio or Business Suite offers a feature to search, save, and add hashtags when creating posts.

According to Mari Smith FB Marketing, many users have observed a slight increase in reach since adopting the use of hashtags as encouraged by Facebook.