Facebook-owned app will soon let you follow hashtags, not just people

fuad lawal

November 13, 2017 5:20 PM

This might completely change the way we use Instagram, permanently.

Instagram is testing a feature that now lets users follow specific hashtags, instead of people.

One of the most beautiful things about social network is how easily it helps you follow your friends.

Instagram is taking this ease a notch higher by making it possible to follow hashtags.

This new feature was first discovered when a Twitter user shared a screengrab on Twitter.

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This is why it’s so interesting.

It’s like a playlist, but for Instagram posts. So if you like funny videos, and don’t feel the need to follow say, @funnyguy, all you have to do is follow the hashtag #funnyvideos, and you’ll never run out of laughter ever again.

When you compare this with Spotify, the biggest music streaming platform, you get a clearer picture of the potential this has. Playlists have helped new artists break out, and following hashtags, instead of people, might be a great way to help in the discovery of new talent.

It also has the power to even outdo celebrities, because why follow the person, when you can be following the people with one simple hashtag?

Facebook will win here too.

Following a hashtag means Facebook will share more targeted ads to you. So if you like shoes for example, and follow a food hashtag like #JollofRice, you’ll most likely be responding positively to ads about Jollof Rice or similar foods. Because in the end, it’s about the profits.

But doing a quick search now on #jollofrice shows over 53,000 posts. How does Instagram intend to deal with this? It appears that they’ll be limiting this feature to just top posts and recent stories for now.

The feature appears to still be in testing, and only available to a limited amount of users. So it’s clearly still a #comingsoon feature. #wearewaiting

fuad lawal