How to use hashtags effectively on social media

6 min


Are you creating unique content or a product that’s in demand but you don’t have buyers? Chances are, you’re not using hashtags. These inconspicuous and quirky captions are very helpful for promotion. Here we will understand what hashtags are, why they are needed, and how to use hashtags to promote products and services on social media. 

Once you understand hashtags, you will be able to attract an audience and raise your product to the top of search queries. Most importantly, promotion can be done without cost, all you need is time to do detailed research and spot trends in time.

How to use hashtags effectively on social media
Don’t confuse “tag” and “hashtag”. Image: rawpixel.com

What is a hashtag?

Why are hashtags helpful? For many people, it is an obscure and unnecessary label for photos and posts, but not for us! Promoting products and services is the key to interesting content. 

Hashtag starts with “#”, this is its distinctive feature. A full-fledged hashtag is a link to a shared feed containing specific content.

So why use hashtags? Hashtags are useful for sorting data by query and organizing it into groups. This makes it easier to find and navigate.

Don’t confuse “tag” and “hashtag”. A tag is a label attached to a user, while a hashtag is a label attached to a topic. There is an additional tag known as a geotag, which refers to a specific location or address.

What do you do with hashtags?

So how do you use hashtags to maximize your profits? First, you need to understand that # can be used on many platforms and social networks. As a rule, it carries the basic information about the product or its characteristics. To create a hashtag, you need to put the # symbol in front of the word without leaving a space. After that, the text color will turn blue and become a link.

There are simple rules for writing hashtags:

  • You must write without spaces; 
  • The simpler the better; 
  • There is a purpose for a hashtag. It should be relevant and reflect the meaning of the post as accurately as possible;
  • If you have to write 2 words in a tag, write without spaces; 
  • Separate words with an underscore.

Hashtags should not contain complex words or words that are hard to remember. They should be simple and user-centered.

Below we will look at the specifics of using social media hashtags in different social networks.

How to use hashtags effectively on social media
Hashtags should not contain complex words or words that are hard to remember. Image: Freepik

Instagram

  • The number of hashtags. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but the optimal number is often less – around 5-11 hashtags;
  • Hashtag placement. Hashtags can be placed in the main body of the post, in stories, or comments;
  • Hashtag specificity: Use highly specialized hashtags to attract your target audience and increase engagement.

Twitter/X

  • Several hashtags. Due to the 280-character limit, it’s best to limit yourself to 1-2 hashtags to leave room for the message itself;
  • Relevancy. Hashtags should be closely related to the topic of the tweet;
  • Trends. Using trending hashtags can increase the visibility of tweets, but they should be relevant to the content.

Facebook

  • The number of hashtags. Hashtags are less popular on Facebook and using 1-2 hashtags is considered optimal;
  • Privacy. Consider your privacy settings when using hashtags as they can affect who sees your post;
  • Relevancy. Hashtags should be relevant and specific to your content.

LinkedIn

  • Professional context. Hashtags on LinkedIn are used to categorize professional content;
  • The number of hashtags. It is recommended to use 3-5 hashtags to avoid overloading the post;
  • Networking opportunities. Hashtags can help expand a professional network and increase the reach of publications.

TikTok

  • Viral potential. Hashtags in TikTok are often used to participate in Challenges and Trends, which can significantly increase the reach;
  • The number of hashtags. Due to the limitation in the description, it is better to use 3-5 hashtags;
  • Specificity. Mix general trending hashtags with more niche hashtags for this type of app to attract as much attention to your content as possible.

Pinterest

  • Keywords. Hashtags on Pinterest are used as search keywords and should be as relevant to the content of the pin as possible;
  • Number of Hashtags. It is recommended to use about 2-5 hashtags in your pin description;
  • Description. Hashtags help users find your content through the Pinterest search engine.
How to use hashtags effectively on social media
Some of tha hashtags come with the appearance of a popular news story and quickly go away as well. Image: rawpixel.com

Most popular hashtags on social media

Understanding the basics is certainly a good thing, but what are the realities? There are many popular and working hashtags on social media. Some of them come with the appearance of a popular news story and quickly go away as well. Some stay for a long time. Below we show some trending hashtags in 2024.

Instagram 

Since the beginning of the year, the most popular hashtags on instagram are:

  • #Instagram;
  • #Nature;
  • #Beautiful;
  • #Photooftheday;
  • #Trending;
  • #Explorepage;
  • #Viral;
  • #Tbt;
  • #Like4like;
  • #Followme.

X/Twitter

Below are the most popular hashtags on X:

  • #DigitalMarketing;
  • #TechNews;
  • #Innovation;
  • #FitnessGoals;
  • #MondayMotivation;
  • #FashionTrends;
  • #GamingCommunity;
  • #Podcast;
  • #PositiveVibes;
  • #PetLovers;
  • #HealthyLiving.

TikTok

By examining TikTok trends we can identify the following hashtags:

  • #Animes;
  • #Gymgir;
  • #Altgirls;
  • #Brooke;
  • #Memes;
  • #Armybts;
  • #Loves;
  • #Aifilter;
  • #Steam.

LinkedIn

The top 20 LinkedIn hashtags for 2024 are as follows:

  • #India;
  • #Innovation;
  • #Management;
  • #HumanResources;
  • #DigitalMarketing;
  • #Technology;
  • #Careers;
  • #Markets;
  • #Marketing;
  • #SocialMedia.
How to use hashtags effectively on social media
Start by looking for celebrities, popular bloggers, and video bloggers who influence your target audience. Image: Freepik

How to Find Effective Hashtags: Start with Influencers

Finding the right balance between hashtags that are too broad and hashtags that are too specific can be tricky. To understand which hashtags work, it’s worth paying attention to which ones are being used by leading personalities in your field.

If you’re just starting and don’t know who the key players in your niche are, start by looking for celebrities, popular bloggers, and video bloggers who influence your target audience. Many influencers in the B2B world can help boost your marketing, just make sure they are a good fit for your business.

BuzzSumo — is a great tool for finding key influencers in your niche. It will help you find the most popular content, bloggers, articles, and authors. Keep an eye on what hashtags these influencers are using to identify relevant keywords and trends.

Other Research Tools for Finding Hashtags

If you are looking for effective marketing hashtags for your niche, use specialized tools designed for hashtag research. They can help you find the right tags to improve the visibility and engagement of your posts. Here are a few tools worth considering:

RiteTag provides real-time hashtag suggestions, helping you choose relevant tags for your posts.

Hashtagify.me helps you research hashtag popularity and trends, giving you insight into which tags are most effective.

Keyhole offers free hashtag searches and provides real-time data on various parameters to help you analyze their effectiveness.

HashtagsForLikes is a hashtag generator for Instagram and TikTok that provides real-time statistics to help you create effective campaigns.

All Hashtag generates hashtags for different social platforms, simplifying the process of choosing the right tags.

Influencer Marketing Hub’s Hashtag Generator Tool is designed to simplify the search for hashtags for Instagram and TikTok without the need for in-depth knowledge.

Keyword Tool allows you to search for marketing hashtags for Instagram using keywords, making your search more targeted.

Also, don’t forget to regularly check social platforms for keywords related to your content to see what hashtags are being used. Using social monitoring tools can also help you understand what users are talking about and what trends are relevant to your brand.

How to use hashtags effectively on social media
Don’t forget to check social platforms to see what hashtags are being used. Image: rawpixel.com

How to design a hashtag strategy

Using capitalization at the beginning of each hashtag word helps make your message clearer and stand out, although it is not a strict requirement.

Pay attention to your competitors’ social media strategies. How often do they use hashtags and what is the response from their audience? This can give you an idea of what approaches might work for you.

In the world of social media, there are no universal rules regarding the use of hashtags. It all starts with understanding your audience and what works on each specific platform. Constantly learning and analyzing your results will help you optimize your hashtag strategy.

Hashtags are a powerful tool for engaging with your audience, increasing engagement, and attracting new followers.

FAQ

What is a hashtag?

When creating a hashtag, you should put the # symbol in front of the word without spaces. Hashtags should be simple, relevant, and easy to remember. If a hashtag consists of two words, they can be separated by an underscore.

How to use hashtags correctly?

When creating a hashtag, you should put the # symbol in front of the word without spaces. Hashtags should be simple, relevant and easy to remember. If a hashtag consists of two words, they can be separated by an underscore.

How many hashtags are recommended to use on Instagram?

On Instagram, you can use up to 30 hashtags in a post, but the optimal number is often less – around 5-11 hashtags.

What tools can help in finding effective hashtags?

Some tools for finding hashtags include RiteTag for real-time suggestions, Hashtagify.me for researching popularity and trends, Keyhole for analyzing real-time data, and hashtag generators like Copyai and HashtagsForLikes.

Why is it important to choose specific hashtags?

Choosing specific hashtags increases the chances of attracting an engaged audience, as they more accurately reflect the content and help your message stand out from others.


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