A viral hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the “#” symbol that is used on social media platforms to label and categorize content, making it easily searchable and discoverable by other users. The hashtag becomes viral when a large number of people use it in their posts, resulting in a significant increase in its visibility and reach.
On Facebook, viral hashtags can be used to promote a particular event, campaign, or cause, to spark a conversation about a trending topic, or simply to have fun and engage with others. Examples of viral hashtags on Facebook include:
- #BlackLivesMatter, a movement that was started to demand justice for black people who have been killed by police
- #MeToo, a movement that aims to raise awareness about sexual harassment and assault
- #ThrowbackThursday (also known as #TBT) where people share old photos and memories
- #IceBucketChallenge, a charity campaign where people dumped ice water on themselves and nominated others to do the same to raise awareness and money for ALS research
- #ChallengeAccepted, a viral trend where women post black-and-white photos of themselves to show solidarity with other women and raise awareness about women’s empowerment.
Keep in mind that viral hashtags can change rapidly and it’s hard to predict which hashtag will become viral next but those were examples of hashtags that were trending in the past on Facebook.