You’ve been using hashtags for a while on Twitter, but Facebook has now got in on the act too.

On Twitter they help you keep up with particular topics and what’s trending, so are you getting the same value from them on Facebook?

One things is certain and that’s the fact that advertisers will have a field day with them. Advertising on Facebook is already highly targeted, but the introduction of the hashtag means retailers can find the hotspots of user activity around events and topics to help them target even more potential customers.

As for Facebook users, well, they’ll be able to find out what their friends think about trending topics by grouping comments together simply by adding the same hashtag alongside a keyword. Plus, they can search for hashtags using the Facebook search bar.

This is what Facebook has to say about it:

“Every day, hundreds of millions of people use Facebook to share their thoughts on big moments happening all around them. Whether it’s talking about a favourite television show, cheering on a home town sports team or engaging with friends during a breaking news event—people on Facebook connect with their friends about what’s taking place all over the world. To date, there has not been a simple way to see the larger view of what’s happening or what people are talking about. To bring these conversations more to the forefront, we will be rolling out a series of features that surface some of the interesting discussions people are having about public events, people, and topics. As a first step, we are beginning to roll out hashtags on Facebook.”- Greg Lindley, Facebook newsroom.

What do you think?

Is it just a copy of Twitter or is it a useful function to have?