What is there to consider about hashtags on TikTok in 2022? How are hashtags on TikTok different from those on Instagram? And what different strategies can brands pursue within their influencer marketing campaigns? In its guide to using hashtags on TikTok in 2022, Kolsquare offers some insights for marketers.
The fact that using the hashtag symbol creates a so-called hashtag, which in turn categorizes content on social media, is clear to everyone by now. In general, hashtags help to get more visibility and reach. In addition, hashtags are usually clickable, which means that interested people can see any content related to the same hashtag on an overview page.
Consequently, hashtags can be used in different ways. For example, a promotion or a competition, a podcast or a personal project can be classified in this way and easily found again. Fashion retailer Gina Tricot uses the hashtag #GinaMyWay to generate user-generated content and repost fans’ content on their own site.
On TikTok, hashtags have two different purposes. On the one hand, they help the algorithm to identify which users might be interested in the content, and on the other hand, hashtags serve to easily categorize the videos.
As with all things in life, the same goes for hashtags on TikTok: The right measure is crucial. If you use too many different hashtags, the AI will find it difficult or impossible to categorize your content. As a result, there is a risk that your video will not play well or will rarely be suggested to viewers. Three to four hashtags for a video are recommended. These should be a mix of those that are trending and those that describe your content as specifically as possible.
Finally, users can easily follow their favorite hashtags on TikTok. You might even end up on your brand’s profile and hit the follow button.
If you want to use hashtags on Tiktok in a targeted manner, you must not simply adopt 1:1 what you are used to from Instagram, for example. Instagram allows the use of a maximum of 30 hashtags, while TikTok hashtags count for the character count of the caption, which is up to a maximum of 150 characters in total.
Also, on Instagram, hashtags can simply be posted in the comments to avoid a bulge of hashtag symbols in the actual caption. TikTok offers this option, too, but unlike Instagram, the hashtags in the comments are not clickable and therefore only serve half of their purpose.
Furthermore, the For You page is a special feature for TikTok, as users land directly on it when they open the app. On this different kind of landing page, TikTok shows popular content, no matter how many followers their creators have. If your content appears on the For You page, it can be enormously helpful and may even go viral.
Of course, it is advisable to keep an eye on the trends. Especially on TikTok, you can often find short-lived hits that have just gone viral. Hence, the easiest way is to watch the For You page and use the same hashtags promptly. Under “Discover” you can also find an overview and the most popular songs with the hashtags that are currently hot.
As on any social platform, it is also worth keeping an eye on your competition. You will be doing a market and competitor analysis before planning the campaign anyway, so take advantage of the results. Moreover, relate the hashtags of other companies and influencers to their videos’ likes. This will tell you what works really well and what generates a lot of engagement. Similarly, you can critically examine your own content and its hashtags: what resonated well with your target audience and why?
Be aware that the more popular a hashtag is, the faster you also risk getting lost in the big mass of videos. That is why the combination of big hashtags with niche hashtags is recommended. Furthermore, you can likewise look for related hashtags in order to achieve a certain variance and ultimately a target group penetration.
If necessary, you can consider whether it makes sense for you to work with third-party providers and hashtag tools, too. On the other hand, you can always create your very own hashtags, perhaps even very specific ones to your content or brand. This is especially interesting for brand awareness, as it allows you to build and grow a following or community. Again, get to the point though. Hence, think of simple and understandable hashtags that pick up on one of your products, for example, or pick up on an event.
Finally, location-based hashtags also make sense if you want to promote an event or something local in general. Especially for small businesses, a regional reference is helpful to address the appropriate target group.
TikTok itself provides you with a list of the most popular hashtags within their Creative Center. There, you can even select the tag and define your search more precisely based on the industry.
Screenshot via TikTok
If you click on “analytics”, you will get even more details about the respective hashtags. TikTok also tells you how likely the hashtag is to persist. You can watch videos with the hashtag to get little inspiration as well. Furthermore, you can use the data on age and other relevant interests to your advantage.
If you scroll further, you will also find out the regional popularity, in which countries the hashtag is also very popular in and which creators perform best with which videos.
Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.
Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.
With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.
As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.
Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.
