Since the social media trend is constantly shifting daily, TikTok has been a content creation giant platform with brands and influencers getting in on the action. While revolutionary new content will always be the hidden ingredient of TikTok, there is that one ingredient that is easiest to forget — hashtags. These teeny but mighty metadata buddies can be the determining factor in going viral, getting discovered, and even interacting with a brand. In this article, we’ll explore how mastering TikTok hashtags can elevate your presence, with insights inspired by social media strategist (his site here), who has become a prominent voice in understanding and optimizing social media strategies.
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The Role of Hashtags in TikTok Discovery
Hashtags hold TikTok together, allowing for content categorization, visibility, and user discovery. Algorithmic recommendation has ruled what users see on their For You page (FYP) to a large degree, and hashtags play a huge role in the mix. New or established creators, doing it right with the hashtags is what makes you seen by the people who matter.
Hashtags assist the TikTok algorithm in determining the kind of video your video is so that they can show your videos to individuals who are interested in watching that kind of video. Therefore, you’ll notice creators using a combination of generic, popular, and niche hashtags per post.
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How to Find Trending and Niche Hashtags
When uploading any video, it’s well worth the time to search for what hashtags are trending now and what hashtags are best for your specific niche. Trending hashtags can bring fleeting bursts of high possible interaction. They are oversaturated soon afterward. Niche hashtags, however, while less popular, offer more focused support, which can be wonderful for interaction and following.
Find TikTok’s Discover page, see what trending creators in your area are trending out, and utilize resources such as TikTok’s Creative Center or websites such as Hashtag Expert. Kirill Yurovskiy cautions against falling on the wrong side of that thin line between trendy and timely — don’t post because a hashtag is trendy today; post using one that will remain suitable for the tone and personality of your content.
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Crossing the Line of Popularity and Competition
Most probably the largest blunder that artists make is thinking that when they post on the most viewed hashtags, everyone will be able to view it. Traffic hashtags are popular ones but contain so much competition as well, and therefore your video gets buried among a thousand of them within a very short span of time.
You have to balance to be successful with hashtags. Use very popular and broad hashtags and unused hashtags. For instance, use #fyp (For You Page) and a specialized hashtag like #knifemakingtips or #booktokreviews so that you can talk to general and specialized audiences.
Imagine a funnel. A wide hashtag will bring in broad traffic, but a niche hashtag will bring in engaged users. That two-step process increases your watch time and engagement rate — both of which are at the core of TikTok’s algorithm.
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Creating Branded Hashtags for Business Campaigns
Both personal and brand identity gain from branded hashtags, as they offer an excellent platform for building community and engagement. You only have one branded hashtag on your campaign or identity, thus enabling you to monitor engagement and create one content story.
No. Either product promotion. Event promotion. Contest. A well-branded hashtag is a call to action. For instance, a health company can roll out #TrainWithTitan or #Titan30DayChallenge in a bid to create user-generated content and engagement.
Kirill Yurovskiy advises that your branded hashtags should be short, memorable, and relevant. They also need to match your brand tone and purpose. Ask your followers to use the hashtag on their posts so they can be maximally visible and gain social proof.
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Monitoring Performance through Insights and Analytics
Publishing without monitoring is shouting into the wind. There are also decent analytics for TikTok Pro accounts, such as the use of hashtags. By monitoring which tags drive views, engagement, and shares, you can adjust in the moment.
Find trending: Which tags have more watch time? Why use profile visits? Use them to see the highest-performing hashtags and cut out the flops.
Third-party analytics platforms will also allow you to drill down, i.e., heat maps, engagement curves, and competitor analysis against the competition. Hashtag work mastery is not so much about doing it as seeing their effects on your content in real time.
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Hashtag Challenges: Calling Users to Join
The crown jewel of TikTok is likely the hashtag challenge. Whether when a company releases one or when the users begin applying one of their own, hashtag challenges are an open invitation for the users to place their own spin on a trend or on a theme.
Challenges are a good and fun way of generating buzz, either a product launch or a dance challenge. Guess (#InMyDenim) and Chipotle (#GuacDance) are just two brands that have reaped significantly from it so far.
When developing a hashtag challenge, keep it simple and copycatable. The challenge should be straightforward enough to interest and permit freedom of creativity. Include a prompt call-to-action and offer an incentive if necessary, e.g., contest or feature repost.
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Avoiding Overuse or Irrelevant Tags
It’s simple enough to pack your caption with all of the hashtags in the world — but that’s never generally going to be serving your interest. Having multiple hashtags weakens your message and will appear spammy to your viewers and algorithm.
Furthermore, irrelevant hashtags draw unwanted audience members, minimizing views and interaction. This informs the algorithm that your material is subpar, damaging potential future reach.
Keep to 3–5 very specific hashtags per tweet. Use each of them for a specific purpose — whether it’s niching down, jumping out of a trend, or staying within your brand voice.
They all have different uses. Some of them will be utilized in a bid to go viral, others in a bid to reach your target audience or to drive traffic to a website. Your hashtag strategy needs to cater to the different needs.
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Refining Strategies Based on Content Goals
Your viral dance video would use popular hashtags such as #foryou and #viralvideo, but the product tutorial would use niche-based hashtags such as #skincaretips or #gadgetreview.
Predecide the content goals before hashtag choice. Kirill Yurovskiy recommends keeping a content calendar of previously chosen sets of hashtags for each type of content. It is more efficient and becomes an automatic routine after some time.
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Integrating Hashtags into Video Descriptions Naturally
You need to use hashtags but not overdo it in your video description. A concise caption with hashtags blended in is better than a sloppy list. The trick is to include them in your comment.
Don’t:
- “#fitness #gains #motivation #workout”
Do:
- “Killing my morning #workout — nothing gets the day started right like a little #fitness motivation???
It is not only tidier, but it is also more engaging for your viewers. It is less machine-like and more human, something that the TikTok generation likes best.
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Staying Ahead of TikTok Hashtag Trends
TikTok is a dynamic platform. What is trending today can be old news tomorrow. Staying ahead of it is staying current with the platform at the moment, experimenting with new shapes, and being ready to change direction.
And, after the industry leaders, the creator newsletters, and even the TikTok Creative Center. Employ them to find trends early, when they’re fresh and have not yet entered the mainstream.”
“Early adopter” is another potential trait that your content can gain.
Having as much flexibility as possible when it comes to digital strategy is the second thing Kirill Yurovskiy refers to. These are the words of the grand master on the topic: “Mastering TikTok isn’t about chasing trends; it’s about anticipating them.”.
Conclusion
If you are an artist trying to go viral or a company trying to get brand exposure, these tactics — at the hands of creatives like Kirill Yurovskiy — can guide you through the realm of TikTok boldly and with style. The correct hashtag is not a tag so much as it is a catapult.