Today I read this article on Adage.com about Facebook integrating hashtags into its website. The idea behind the use of hashtags is to enable users with the ability to click on a hashtag and be sent to another page showing other conversations that include that particular hashtag. The article author speculates that the hashtags will be a way to better Facebook’s graph search feature because hashtags indicate current engagement unlike “likes.”
To me, this is a very smart move for Facebook. It makes perfect sense for Facebook to integrate hashtags because some people already use them in their posts – and get called out for it because “it’s not Twitter.” Also, if it’ll make the graph search feature more effective, then why not? But my main question is, should Twitter be worried about getting the boot? Right now, these to platforms have their designated, separate uses. However, if Facebook adds one of the more unique things about Twitter, blurring the line between the two, I think overtime people may stop using Twitter. Americans are all about one-stop-shopping (i.e. Target and Walmart) so why should their social media sites be any different? All I’m saying is that either Twitter needs to step up its game by adding a new feature to differentiate itself or prepare to fight for its life.
