With over 1 billion monthly active users (and counting), tiktok is becoming one of the leading social media platforms. Attracting mostly younger audiences, the platform sees a ton of usage and engagement. in fact, micro-influencers are close to hitting the 18% mark in engagement rates. so it makes sense for businesses to flock to tiktok to expand their reach.
and what is the best way to increase your visibility on the platform? tiktok hashtags.
This post will explore in depth what tiktok hashtags are, why you should use them, and how you can take advantage of them. let’s find out.
what are tiktok hashtags?
tiktok hashtags help categorize video content uploaded to the platform so that users can easily find it. someone searching for the hashtag #gaming on tiktok, for example, may discover gaming-related video content. or if someone searches the hashtag #ptd, they will find content related to the bts song, permission to dance.
hashtags on tiktok work the same as on platforms like instagram and twitter. adding a certain hashtag to a video will make the content discoverable when someone searches for the hashtag. this allows users to join relevant or trending conversations using the correct hashtags.
As an entertainment-focused platform, tiktok naturally has the most hashtag views for entertainment content with 535 billion views. the second most popular category is dance, with 181 billion hashtag views. Jokes, Fitness & Sports, Home Improvement/DIY, and Beauty/Skincare are other popular categories based on the number of hashtag views.
benefits of using hashtags in your tiktok strategy
even if you’re not running a full hashtag campaign, hashtags should still be an important part of your tiktok strategy. From improving the visibility of your content to building a community, there are many things they can help you with. these are the main reasons why your company should use hashtags in its tiktok strategy:
increase visibility
Adding hashtags to your video captions can help you showcase your content to tiktok users who don’t follow your brand yet. When you use a hashtag relevant to the video content, you can attract people who are already interested in the topic. for example, adding the hashtag #diyproject could help your video appear in the search results of people searching for the hashtag.
increase engagement
Better visibility could also translate into higher engagement rates. When more people see your content, chances are many of them will want to interact with it by liking or commenting on it.
build community
brand tiktok hashtags are a great way to build a community around your business. You could encourage your audience to create videos using a brand-specific hashtag. this will help you build a strong community of followers who enjoy sharing content that is related or relevant to your business.
for example, buxom cosmetics managed to create a community around the hashtag #buxombabe. they have beauty enthusiasts and influencers creating tiktok videos using the hashtag.
identify competitors
Industry-specific popular hashtags can also help you discover other businesses using the hashtag. This is a great way to identify competitors you may not already know about. and you can check their profiles and content to compare your tiktok performance with theirs.
get great tiktok content ideas
searches for category-specific hashtags will return results for high-performing content relevant to the hashtag. this is a great way to see what resonates with your target audience and get content inspiration.
find relevant influencers
You can also use hashtag searches to discover influential accounts that are creating content relevant to the hashtag. If you plan to run an influencer marketing campaign, this is a great way to discover tiktok influencers you can partner with.
join the trends
TikTok trends come and go, but capitalizing on the right ones at the right time can help increase visibility and engagement. When you create content based on trending hashtags, you show your followers that your brand is fun and relevant. Plus, there’s a higher chance that your video will appear on the right discovery pages. this further increases the visibility of your content and could help you get more tiktok followers.
how to research tiktok hashtags
When searching for hashtags to use in your brand’s tiktok, you should prioritize those with a high number of views. It’s also a good idea to research trending hashtags on tiktok in a relevant niche or industry. When a hashtag is trending or has a high number of views, it tells you that people are interested in it. this increases the likelihood that the right people will discover and engage with your content when you use the hashtag.
there are several ways to find and research hashtags on tiktok:
- tiktok’s discover tab highlights some of the top hashtags currently trending.
- check out lists that compile the best tiktok hashtags in different categories.
- use a tool like tiktok hashtags to discover the most popular hashtags related to a given topic. This tool will also provide you with useful statistics such as the number of posts, views, and post views.
- make sure your hashtag aligns with your campaign, content or challenge.
- Don’t create too many hashtags as it can confuse viewers. focus on creating one or two great hashtags that are instantly recognizable and easy to share.
- keep your hashtag simple, memorable, and easy to spell.
- look at the hashtags you’ve created on other social platforms. see what works and use it for inspiration.
how to create tiktok hashtags
when creating tiktok hashtags for your brand, follow these best practices to improve your chances of success:
tips on what hashtags to use on tiktok
now that we’ve covered our bases, let’s find out some tips on how you can make the most of tiktok hashtags:
combine niche hashtags with popular/trending ones
While popular and trending hashtags are great for reaching a mass audience, they are also very competitive. this makes it a bit difficult to get noticed unless your account already has a large following. niche hashtags can help you attract people who are already interested in your content. In addition, they are less competitive, which makes it easier for your content to be discovered.
To get the best of both worlds, combine both types of hashtags. The idea is to gain popularity using the niche hashtag so that you can improve your visibility on the trending or popular hashtag.
watch the following tiktok use niche hashtags like #ecohack and #foodwastetip alongside the trending hashtag #tiktokholidays.
always look for the trending hashtags for that moment
Trending on tiktok is often short-lived, which means that a hashtag that is trending today could easily lose its status the next time around. so be sure to research the hashtags that are trending right now. you can use a tool like hashtag expert to find the latest trending hashtags to use with your brand.
consider the number of characters in your subheading
tiktok allows up to 300 characters in your caption and your hashtags will count towards that. so keep your captions short to make room for your hashtags.
be careful with the maximum number of hashtags
tiktok does not set a hard limit on the number of hashtags you can use. but since there is a caption character limit, be sure to keep that in mind when choosing how many hashtags to add. we recommend using 3-5 hashtags so you still have room to write a descriptive or funny caption.
start a tiktok challenge or competition to boost your brand hashtags
one of the best ways to increase visibility on the platform is to start a challenge or competition. Get creative and come up with a branded hashtag that people can use to get involved. the more people create content around the hashtag, the better chance you have of attracting other tiktok users. To further amplify your brand hashtag, consider partnering with influencers who can promote it for you.
for example, chase bank launched the #showmeyourwalk challenge, asking new grads to show off their graduation walk. the challenge was well attended even by celebrities like kevin hart.
use #foryou, #foryoupage or #fyp with caution
you may have come across these three hashtags in many tiktok videos. these very popular hashtags have trillions of combined views. so it’s no surprise that people are using them in hopes of increasing the visibility of their content. many users believe that these hashtags will help their videos appear on more pages for you.
but there is no clear evidence that this is the case. and since these hashtags are highly competitive, it might not be the best idea to rely too heavily on them. instead, prioritize niche and trending hashtags that offer a better chance of visibility. then try experimenting with #foryou, #foryoupage or #fyp to see if they make a difference.
make tiktok marketing work for you
with more businesses leveraging tiktok in their marketing strategies, it’s about time you ramped up your efforts too. Use the tips above to get the most out of tiktok hashtags and gain a competitive edge on the platform. And don’t forget to use tiktok’s analytics to look for opportunities for further improvement.
