Whichever social media platforms your make uses as part of its social media strategy , knowing how to use hashtags will help heave your make's social media reach and engagement .

Simply if you're sticking with #ThrowbackThursday posts on Twitter, unsure of how else to employ hashtags, stay right here. Your brand can do a lot more.

This post breaks down the basics of effectively using hashtags on social media and why you should apply them.

You'll also learn:

  • how to observe hashtags that will piece of work best for your brand
  • why using but popular hashtags isn't the right approach
  • essential tips for using hashtags on every social media platform out there

Permit's become started.

Bonus: Read the footstep-by-pace social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to abound your social media presence.

What is a hashtag?

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the pound symbol.

On social media, it serves as an indication (for users and algorithms) that a piece of content relates to a specific topic or belongs to a category.

Hashtags help make content discoverable in on-platform searches and, effectively, reach more people.

Hashtag nuts

  • They always first with # but they won't piece of work if you lot apply spaces, punctuation or symbols.
  • Make sure your accounts are public. Otherwise, the hashtagged content you write won't exist seen by any not-followers.
  • Don't string besides many words together. The all-time hashtags tend to be relatively brusque and easy to remember.
  • Use relevant and specific hashtags. If it is too obscure, it volition be difficult to notice and it won't likely be used by other social media users.
  • Limit the number of hashtags you use. More isn't always better. It really looks spammy.

The history of hashtags

The pound symbol on your keyboard—also called an octothorpe— was initially used to mark numbers.

They were first used as hashtags in the summer of 2007 past Chris Messina . That's when the web marketing specialist walked into Twitter's offices with an idea. Because of the platform's brevity, he suggested the visitor beginning using the pound symbol to grouping related Tweets together.

This was the commencement-e'er use of the hashtag:

Since and then, the employ of hashtags, their reach, and their effectiveness has simply grown.

Hashtags are a way to connect social media content to a specific topic, result, theme or conversation.

They're not but for Twitter anymore, either. Hashtags are constructive on other social media platforms too. (Observe more details on how to utilise hashtags for each platform below.)

Why use hashtags?

Increment date with your followers

Including hashtags in your posts means taking part in a conversation happening on that social media platform. And most importantly, information technology makes your posts visible in that conversation.

This tin can pb to greater engagement, boosting your brand'due south social media date through likes, shares, comments, and new followers.

Build make awareness with branded hashtags

Creating a branded hashtag tin can be an effective fashion to promote your business and drive conversations.

For example, the Raptors' branded hashtag #WetheNorth lit upward during the team'southward winning 2019 season. Information technology has universal appeal, and was one of the almost-used hashtags by Canadians in the offset one-half of 2019 .

Another case is Cheerios and its #CheeriosHeartHuntSweepstakes campaign. This competition encouraged followers to buy Cheerios products and also spread awareness of the brand by posting photos on social media.

Show support for social issues

Using a hashtag that's connected to an issue beyond your brand is a style to mobilize behind an important crusade or issue.

For case, #EachforEqual and #IWD2020 were used across social media platforms, including LinkedIn, on International Women's Day.

Rio Tinto post on LinkedIn using hashtag #eachforequal

Brands tin can also create a branded hashtag that also shows its connectedness to a social issue.

For instance, the Canadian telecommunications company Bell uses the branded hashtag #BellLetsTalk to promote mental wellness awareness.

Add context to a social media post

On Twitter, you don't have a ton of space to write a caption. You lot accept 280 characters, to exist exact.

On Instagram, longer captions aren't e'er the about effective. Same with Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn or whatsoever other platform—sometimes less is more.

Using a hashtag can be a simple way to contextualize what you're talking about, without using up valuable characters or writing repetitive captions.

For case, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 2019. Using the #Apollo50th hashtag was office of its digital campaign. On Earth Emoji Day, which is also in July, NASA posted one of the most popular tweets:

Hashtags contextualize this creative Tweet, making information technology clear that NASA is celebrating both the ceremony and taking part in the World Emoji Mean solar day conversation.

Assist your target audience find you lot

On Linkedin and Instagram, users can follow hashtags as well as other users. Using a few popular hashtags can be another way to help new users find your brand.

For example, if y'all employ #travel on your Instagram posts, someone who follows that hashtag will see your contempo post in their feed. You might proceeds some new followers this manner.

Tag page in Instagram Explore. Results for #travel

Disclose sponsored partnerships

This section is for influencers and brands who work with influencers.

When working with brands, influencers have to let their audiences know that a piece of content is sponsored. Information technology's the constabulary — the FTC (Federal Trade Commissions) released detailed advertisement disclosure guidelines for online influencers in 2019.  Failure to comply can upshot in high fines for both the influencer and the make.

And then, influencers: ever add hashtags clearly indicating a sponsorship to branded posts.

Brands: make sure that you wait for such hashtags when reviewing and accepting influencer content.

The most popular hashtags of 2021

The most popular hashtags out there aren't necessarily the best hashtags.

For example, the hashtag #followme has more 575 million posts on Instagram. Hashtags that solicit likes don't engage your followers and don't add together whatsoever meaning to your social media post.

They likewise await actually spammy. And yous don't want that.

Only don't ignore popular hashtags, either. For example, #throwbackthursday or #flashbackfriday or other daily hashtags can be fun ways for your brand to join a wider social media conversation.

As of June 2021, some of the near popular Instagram hashtags of all fourth dimension include:

  1. #dear (2.1B posts)
  2. #instagood (i.3B posts)
  3. #style (972M posts)
  4. #photooftheday (931M posts)
  5. #photography (769M posts)
  6. #cute (749M posts)
  7. #instagram (691M posts)
  8. #picoftheday (655M posts)
  9. #nature (639M posts)
  10. #happy (639M posts)

Of course, popular hashtags differ depending on what social media platform you're using. On LinkedIn, popular hashtags include #leadership and #productivity.

While there are millions—even billions—of posts using popular hashtags, they're relatively universal. They aren't specific to an industry or a theme. And don't say a lot about your brand.

So, try to identify niche hashtags that are relevant to your brand and what yous represent.

6 ways to discover the best hashtags

To find hashtags that are specific to your brand, your manufacture and your audience, you'll have to practise a little research.

1. Monitor social media influencers and competitors

Start by doing a competitive analysis on social media. Gather intel near your competitors and any relevant influencers within your brand's niche.

Brand note of which hashtags they use nearly often and how many hashtags they use in each of their posts. This volition help you learn how your competitors are engaging with your shared target audience and which keywords they tend to apply.

2. Utilise Hashtagify.me

Hashtagify.me helps y'all detect the best Twitter hashtags or Instagram hashtags for your brand.

With this tool, you can search whatsoever hashtag and see how pop it is. For example, if yous search the popularity of #springtime, you will become results showing you this hashtag's overall popularity, its recent popularity, and the trends for the month and calendar week.

hashtag analytics results for "spring time"

You can also blazon in your Twitter or Instagram explanation. And then, it will provide you with hashtag suggestions.

3. Know which hashtags are trending

RiteTag lets you blazon your social media explanation into the text bar and upload the photo you'll pair with your caption.

RiteTag generates trending hashtag suggestions based on your content. You lot'll see the best hashtags to get your mail seen immediately, as well as hashtags to get your mail seen over time. Click "Go Written report" for detailed analysis on the hashtags information technology displays.

hashtag comparison page on RiteTag

4. Get a social media listening tool

A tool like Hootsuite lets your brand use search streams to observe which hashtags are the all-time for each social network y'all're on. Put simply, search streams make it piece of cake to see which hashtags are the most popular and the near effective.

Acquire more than past watching this video:

five. Find related hashtags

If you already have a good grasp of which hashtags are working well for your brand, consider using related hashtags. These might exist a niggling more specific than the popular hashtags you lot're already using, which could help you connect with a more targeted audience.

On Instagram, the related hashtags show just in a higher place the "Top" and "Recent" tabs when in the Explore section of Instagram.

hashtag page for "travel" on Instagram, highlighting related hashtags

On LinkedIn, you tin can notice more hashtag recommendations afterwards clicking on a hashtag. Choose the "Discover more hashtags" buttons later clicking on the ellipsis.

Highlighting "Discover new hashtags" for #marketing hashtag on LinkedIn

6. Analyze which hashtags were successful on past posts

Keep track of which hashtags you've used on past posts. Analyze which posts have been most popular, so see if there's a trend with the hashtags you lot've used.

If you find some of your well-nigh popular posts always contain a few of the aforementioned hashtags, make a indicate to include those in your time to come posts as well.

How to employ hashtags on every network

Here, detect unproblematic, like shooting fish in a barrel-to-read tips for using hashtags on different social media platforms.

How to use Twitter hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to utilise:

i-two

Where you lot'll find hashtags on Twitter:

You tin can use hashtags anywhere in your Tweets. Use them at the commencement for emphasis, at the end for context, or in the middle of your mail to highlight a keyword.

Hashtags tin also be added in a comment when yous Retweet, in replies and in your Twitter bio.

Y'all can also:

  • Type a hashtagged keyword into Twitter'due south search bar to discover hashtagged content.
  • Run into trending hashtags in Twitter'due south trending topics.

A couple essential hashtag tips to keep in mind:

  • Technically, you tin use as many hashtags as you similar in a Tweet, within the 280-character limit. Merely Twitter recommends using no more than two.
  • If y'all're creating a new hashtag, do some research starting time. Make certain information technology's non already being used.

How to use Facebook hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to utilise:

1-2

Where yous'll find hashtags on Facebook:

Hashtags tin be included in any part of your written Facebook mail or in the comments.

Hashtags are as well useful for grouping content in individual Facebook groups by theme or topic. This is of import for brands to keep in mind considering Facebook is seeing its users shift to private channels.

Y'all can besides:

  • Search for a hashtag using Facebook's search bar.
  • Click on a hashtag to see a feed of Facebook posts using that same hashtag.
  • Search hashtags used in individual Facebook groups using the "search this group" bar nether the group's carte du jour.

A couple essential hashtag tips:

  • Because so many users' profiles are individual on Facebook, retrieve that it'south more challenging for brands to runway how users are interacting with your hashtags.
  • Monitor your brand'due south hashtags and see which public profiles are joining in the conversation by using the URL facebook.com/hashtag/_____. Include the keyword you desire to search at the end.

How to use Instagram hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to use:

five-10

Where yous'll find hashtags on Instagram:

Include hashtags subsequently writing a nifty Instagram caption. Y'all can also include hashtags in the comments department when engaging with your followers.

And you can include up to 10 hashtags in your Instagram Stories. (However, Instagram Stories are no longer featured on hashtag pages or shown to users who follow a tag. This ways that hashtags won't necessarily help get your Stories in front of new audiences, only you tin can even so use them to add context to your content.)

It's also possible to include hashtags in your make'due south Instagram profile bio.

For even more than tips on Instagram hashtags, read this detailed guide.

And, of course, sentry our strategy video:

Y'all can as well:

  • Search hashtags in the Tags tab of Instagram's Explore department.
  • Follow hashtags. That ways content from any creator will evidence in your feed, as long as it includes the hashtag yous're following.

A couple essential hashtag tips:

  • Consider posting your hashtags as the post'southward outset comment and so followers can focus on the bang-up caption you've written.
  • With an Instagram Business account, you tin access Instagram Insights. Then you tin run across how many impressions your profile got from hashtags.
  • Avoid adding hashtags in the middle of your captions or comments, as they can potentially brand your content less comprehensible and accessible to people using text-to-speech readers. Group hashtags at the end of your caption (or in a annotate) is the safest bet. Instagram Insights page showing where to view how many people saw your post because of your hashtags

How to use YouTube hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to use:

ii-3

Where y'all'll find hashtags on YouTube:

Add a few hashtags in your brand's YouTube video title or in the video description.

Click on the hyperlinked hashtag to meet a feed with other videos that as well employ that same hashtag.

Remember: Don't use more than than fifteen hashtags. YouTube will ignore all the hashtags, and maybe even flag your content because of your spammy behaviour.

YouTube hashtags aren't the only manner to assist users find your videos. We have 12 tactics that will help your brand's videos get views.

A couple essential hashtag tips:

  • Hashtags are hyperlinked in titles and descriptions, so followers tin find other content with the same hashtags by clicking on either.
  • If you don't include hashtags in the championship, the first three hashtags in the description will bear witness higher up your videos title.

How to employ LinkedIn hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to use:

1-2

Where you lot'll notice hashtags on LinkedIn:

Contain hashtags anywhere into your LinkedIn posts.

You can as well:

  • Search hashtags using the platform's search bar.
  • See trending LinkedIn hashtags will bear witness in the "news and views" section on the dwelling page.
  • Get hashtag suggestions from LinkedIn as you write an update.

For more tips, read this guide to using hashtags on LinkedIn.

A couple essential hashtag tips:

  • LinkedIn is a professional platform. Proceed the employ of hashtags professional person too.
  • Follow hashtags on LinkedIn to see recent posts incorporating that hashtag.

How to apply Pinterest hashtags

Optimal number of hashtags to utilise:

2-5

Where you'll find hashtags on Pinterest:

When using Pinterest for business concern, include Pinterest hashtags when writing a Pin description or in a written description when Repinning.

Pinterest even offers hashtag suggestions (in the mobile version merely) when creating a new Pin.

A couple essential hashtag tips:

  • Recall of Pinterest as a search engine. Employ hashtags that are searchable, specific and that contain relevant keywords.
  • Don't utilise more 20 hashtags in a Pin description.

If you're not already, it'south time to start using hashtags in your social media posts. Even though they outset gained popularity in 2007, they're even more useful today for your brand!

With Hootsuite you can set up streams to monitor hashtags and see how finer you're using them. Try it free today.

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