There are many discussions about the importance of hashtags regarding publishing videos on TikTok and the platform’s algorithm. Everyone agrees on one thing – hashtags are an important and effective way to improve and optimize your content on TikTok, and anyone creating content who wants it to reach maximum distribution needs to learn how to use hashtags. In this article, we will go over the ways you can find the right hashtags for every video and piece of content you create on TikTok, and also discuss the importance of hashtags and the different types.
Why is it important to use hashtags on TikTok?
Using hashtags is part of the experience of using TikTok, for both viewers and content creators. In fact, TikTok’s Discover tab is organized by trending and popular hashtags, basically serving as a free tool for you to help find the hottest hashtags on the social network today. Hashtags on TikTok work identically to Instagram; they help the system organize content by topics that gain significance through user interaction, so the content gathered under a specific hashtag automatically contains the most relevant and popular content created for that hashtag. If you have a public TikTok account and add a hashtag to your video, the video is classified and organized under the hashtag you added (or hashtags), and you can appear for anyone searching for that hashtag.
What is a branded hashtag?
One of the popular uses for hashtags on TikTok is creating hashtags related to your brand. In most cases, unless you work at a popular place like Google or Facebook, a branded hashtag will not have any views or searches (or will have very few) because not many users will use your brand’s hashtag. However, the more extensively you use hashtags related to your brand, the company’s TikTok followers can adopt it and use it as well. In addition, using branded hashtags (for example: #FialkovDigital, #Fialkov) will differentiate you from your competitors and emphasize the content you created on TikTok as belonging to the brand itself.
How to find the right hashtags for your videos?
Hashtags hold significant importance in TikTok advertising because they help the platform’s audience find content created by your brand through the use of trending words and phrases. Users will search for a specific topic or phrase and receive a list of videos related to the searched topics – if you used a hashtag matching what users are searching for, there is a high probability your video will appear for that user. Based on this principle, we will now go over 4 principles that will help you find hashtags for your videos:
1. Find a balance between popular and niche hashtags
This may be the most challenging aspect for you when using hashtags on TikTok – knowing which hashtags to use in terms of niche and phrase length, and how many to use. In principle, I recommend using hashtags that are as specific and accurate to your niche as possible, but it is important to include at least one or two broader hashtags that speak about the topic generally. Before you use a specific hashtag, think beforehand whether the user will actually use this phrase when searching for content on TikTok. The best way to find a balance between popular hashtags and niche hashtags is to start broadly with 1-2 hashtags on very central topics that the video covers and move deeper with more focused hashtags.
Example: #Digital_Marketing #Marketing and #Organic_Store_Promotion #Facebook_Campaign_Management
2. Search for trending hashtags on TikTok
TikTok is the social network where it will be easiest for you to find new trending hashtags. To see topics that are rising in demand and are “hot” in terms of hashtags, go to the Discover tab on TikTok. Here you can scroll and browse through videos to understand which content is trending, getting shared by the platform, and ultimately reaching a wide audience. It is a great idea to create content related to current trends because many users are searching for this content. What you need to do before publishing a video is search for your main keyword in TikTok search and go through the videos that appear on the first pages of Discover. In these videos, you will find a hashtag that is similar or identical to the main word you typed in the search, alongside several other hashtags related to the topic. You can draw inspiration from such videos to understand how the hashtags in your video should look.
3. Research the leaders and competitors in your industry
If you want to increase the number of hashtags you use when creating and uploading content to TikTok, getting inspiration from top accounts in your niche and direct competitors’ accounts is a great solution, because if it works for them it can work for you too. Build a document where you list all the leading accounts in your niche as well as your direct competitors. Then, go over their accounts and the content they produce, and try to generate a detailed list of hashtags related solely to the niche (without brand hashtags). After preparing a detailed list of hashtags relevant to competitors and leaders in your industry, use these hashtags in different content pieces you create and see which hashtags generate more value for you over time.
4. Test constantly and see what works better
The surefire way to know which hashtags generate more traffic for your account is to test a large number of hashtags across different content and measure their performance. Testing various hashtags allows you to understand which hashtags your audience connects with more, and you can also evaluate user engagement, referrals from content to an external page, and other metrics in the context of the hashtags you used. Think of your hashtags like keywords on websites, where you need to understand which words bring you more exposure and revenue.
In conclusion - How many hashtags should you use?
We covered the importance of hashtags and the right ways to find relevant hashtags for your TikTok content. Regarding the recommended number of hashtags – there is no set rule regarding quantity, but it’s important to remember that the more text overshadows the video on TikTok, the more viewership drops. TikTok has a 100-character limit for descriptions (including hashtags), and with a limited amount of real estate on the platform, you need to make the most of what you have. Make sure to keep the description on TikTok as concise as possible to leave room for as many relevant hashtags as possible. The widespread recommendation is to add 3-5 hashtags per post, but there are some large, high-quality accounts that add 7-8 hashtags to every piece of content, and it works great for them.
About the author
Dvir Naaman, 27, graduate of the digital marketing course at HackerU College. Experienced in building WordPress websites, paid advertising on Google, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok platforms. Specializes in search engine optimization (SEO) at Fialkov Digital. Possesses rich experience in eCommerce and dropshipping, and is the owner of Merchant Center – a website aggregating information on eCommerce systems and advanced marketing systems to increase business conversions with a focus on eCommerce store sales.
