Find the Hottest Hashtags on TikTok to Grow Your Following
If TikTok is part of your digital marketing strategy, you’ve likely invested time into understanding how hashtags come into play. Along with the production of high-quality content, specified engagement with users, and adherence to TikTok best practices, developing a solid hashtag strategy can benefit your business’s growth.
What Are Viral TikTok Hashtags?
Hashtags on TikTok work the same as other social media platforms – they are a way to organize content by category, so it reaches the right users. On TikTok, users brand their videos with specific hashtags related to their content, current trends, or even with a simple #FYP in attempts to make it onto the For You Page.
Hashtags are such an important element of TikTok strategy that there are tools like hashtag generators, designed to help brands find ones that will elevate their follower count and engagement. But why are hashtags so influential for your TikTok success?
Why You Should Be Using Strategic Hashtags
Because hashtags are one of the main ways the TikTok algorithm identifies what content should be seen by who, they’re important in developing your brand’s presence on the platform. Strategically choosing your hashtags can not only help you get in front of the right audience, but it can support your engagement, boost your following, and even connect you with TikTok influencers in your niche.
For example, the Discover tab, the search feature on TikTok, is arranged by the trending and popular hashtags at any given time. That means that your discoverability hinges on your use of hashtags – without them, getting discovered by your target audience is nearly impossible.
Anyone searching for words or phrases relating to your niche can see your relevant TikTok videos when they hit that in their search bar. And when you choose the right hashtags – and develop a strategy that overlays those hashtags across media on your TikTok account, the algorithm will begin to pave your place in the niche.
What Are the Hottest Hashtags on TikTok?
When you open your For You Page, you’re likely to see the same hashtags reappear throughout your scrolling. The most popular TikTok hashtags are general or broad-reaching, like #FYP, #TikTok, #ViralVideos, ##Funny, #Love, and others. They’re universally usable, don’t define a niche, and you’ll see them used on a small business account just as likely as on a non-business user’s page.
Other high-power hashtags include anything trendy, from dance challenges to memes, to sounds. They’ll climb exponentially in popularity for a few days or weeks, then slowly lose momentum as trends die down. New trends like hashtag challenges are great to hop on as they rise in popularity, but shouldn’t be the only element of your strategy, as you’ll read next. Similarly, while consistently trending TikTok hashtags like #TikTok stay popular, that doesn’t mean they’re the best choice for your marketing strategy.
How to Find the Best TikTok Hashtags for Your Brand Growth
Effectively using hashtags can be key in elevating your follower count on TikTok. Getting high-quality content in front of the right users is the first step in reaching that level of engagement, and following that can lead to brand growth outside of the app. To find the right TikTok hashtags, employ a few different strategies based on the app’s unique strengths:
Understand Your Target Audience
Trending hashtags shouldn’t be the core foundation of your hashtag strategy because they may not reach the users you want. Insight into your target audience is the best way to know what hashtags they’re looking for. Use the data you already have on your potential customers from other social media marketing strategies to outline a plan of action that includes relevant hashtags they’ll actually seek.
Use the Tools TikTok Offers
TikTok makes it easy to explore your niche and competition. Utilize the Discover tool and Explore page to find new hashtags that people in your niche search for and engage with. Searching #TrendAlert can also help you stay on top of trends that may apply to your niche.
Explore Hashtags in Your Niche
Using TikTok’s exploration tools, take time to see TikTok posts within your niche. Not only can this give you critical insight into the type of TikTok content that’s working (tutorials, duets, etc.), but it may also lend you a better understanding of which hashtags are working and how.
Analyze the Competition
Your competition is one of your biggest assets on TikTok. Because the app’s landscape changes so quickly, it can be difficult to stay on top of what users want to see. By keeping a keen eye on your competitors, you save yourself some of the time and energy it takes to evaluate the behavior of TikTok users interested in brands like yours.
Find the Right Level of Specificity
Balancing the line of too broad to too specific is a challenge in TikTok marketing. While you shouldn’t use basic or imprecise language, it’s also important to avoid narrow words that hyperfocus on a single element of your niche. Finding a balance can take some trial and error, so when in doubt – check out your competition and assess your videos to see which performs best.
Keep it Short and Searchable
TikTok limits video captions to 300 characters, meaning you need to stick to the most relevant, valuable hashtags. With that limited space, make sure each of your niche hashtags – and the content in your caption – is a searchable keyword that viewers will have no trouble finding.
Experiment with Branded Hashtags
One of the great parts of TikTok’s hashtag strategy is that it allows you to create your own hashtags and custom hashtag challenges, promoting engagement inside your follower count and across a broader audience. Try a branded TikTok challenge, like Colgate’s #MakeMomSmile, Chipotle’s #GuacDance, or Guess’s #InMyDenim. Each of these high-performing TikTok trends used a catchy hashtag that sparked user-generated content by boosting an engaging activity viewers were excited to join in on.
Evaluate Your Data
TikTok Analytics allows you to see a variety of metrics about your account, including follower count, likes, comments, shares, and weekly and monthly growth. The app also offers specific data on each video you post: views, likes, comments, shares, average watch time, and whether users are finding the video on their For You Page or your profile. As you develop your TikTok hashtag strategy, incorporate time dedicated to assessing those analytics so you can learn what type of hashtags have been high performing for you and which need to go.
Developing a Top-Tier TikTok Strategy with First Media
The rise of TikTok has revealed a change in internet culture that is here to stay, and we’ve been navigating that evolution as leaders in the TikTok world. Finding top TikTok hashtags for your brand is one small part of an effective TikTok strategy. The platform raises a unique set of challenges and success points, making it a complex beast for any business to negotiate alone. Partner with First Media to gain access to a wealth of industry knowledge, human experience, and proprietary technology designed to expand your business.
