The Gervais Group Analyses Facebook’s Hashtag Strategy
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) September 26, 2013 -- e-commerce sites, has issued its analysis of Facebook’s hashtag strategy, which was launched on June 12th 2013. The hashtags, which enable navigation between topics on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr, have also been seen on Facebook but were not clickable until their recent activation.
According to Jason Gervais, the Senior Project Manager of the Gervais Group, Facebook’s hashtag initiative isn’t attracting a lot of attention so far saying, “The addition of hashtags at Facebook isn’t making a lot of headlines and has not served as the launching pad for viral posts, probably because the site’s ethos is different from the networks where hashtags are a part of daily life.” One of the main stumbling blocks for viral hashtags on Facebook is the network’s culture which mandates the use of true identities, a requirement that isn’t present on hashtag-centric networks. In fact, the authenticity of identities is so secure on Facebook that a growing number of apps and websites default to sign-on process using a Facebook login.
“Facebook has been designed for a higher level of intimacy between people, which can deepen the level of conversation but provides zero anonymity”, said Mr. Gervais. He added “Twitter, on the other hand, does not have the types of personal connections that exist on Facebook, but the anonymity behind tweets on the site allows for a little more outrageousness and the pushing of the boundaries of taste. There are a lot of viral tweets that would have never gotten started on Facebook because anyone in the thread can see who else is participating, which is not desirable when a list of friends includes mom, dad, and everyone at work.”
When clickable hashtags were originally announced, the perception was that businesses would probably see more participation than individuals but that hasn’t materialized either. So far, the impact for businesses using hashtags on Facebook has been negligible as well, due in part to lower brand engagement rates than on other networks and the fact that trending topics are hard to find.
“We’re taking a ‘wait and see’ attitude with Facebook’s hashtag introduction in terms of our social media marketing initiatives”, said Mr. Gervais. He added, “They’re fighting an uphill battle now, so we’re dedicating our resources elsewhere until we see how it works out.”
The Gervais Group creates tailored search engine and social media optimization strategies for e-commerce websites with objectives that include increased penetration of target markets, brand enhancement, and revenue growth.
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Launched in 2001, The Gervais Group has specialized delivering cost effective results for e-commerce websites across a broad scope of industries. For more information, visit http://www.gervaisgroup.com/
Jason Gervais, Gervais Group, http://www.gervaisgroup.com, +1 (800) 381-9358, [email protected]
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