Chapter 8: Hashtag Strategy
Chapter 8: Hashtag Strategy
8.1 Hashtag Research
Effective hashtag research helps you reach new audiences, join relevant conversations, and increase discoverability. Research hashtags that align with your content and audience.
Research Methods:
- Platform Native Tools: Use Instagram's search, Twitter's trending, LinkedIn's hashtag suggestions
- Hashtag Tools: Hashtagify, RiteTag, Display Purposes, All Hashtag
- Competitor Analysis: Study hashtags used by successful competitors
- Industry Research: Identify industry-specific and niche hashtags
- Trend Monitoring: Track trending hashtags in your industry
Hashtag Categories to Research:
- Branded: Your brand name and campaign-specific hashtags
- Industry: Broad industry terms (#marketing, #business)
- Niche: Specific topics (#contentmarketing, #socialmediatips)
- Community: Community and engagement hashtags (#smallbusiness, #entrepreneur)
- Trending: Current trending topics (use when relevant)
Research Criteria:
- Post volume (not too saturated, not too empty)
- Engagement levels on posts using the hashtag
- Relevance to your content and audience
- Competition level (balance popular and niche)
- Long-term viability (avoid overly trendy hashtags)
8.2 Hashtag Usage
Strategic hashtag usage increases reach and engagement. Each platform has different best practices for hashtag quantity and placement.
Platform-Specific Guidelines:
- Instagram: 5-10 hashtags (mix of popular and niche), can use up to 30
- Twitter: 1-2 hashtags per tweet, focus on trending or relevant
- Facebook: 1-2 hashtags, less common but can be effective
- LinkedIn: 3-5 hashtags, professional and industry-focused
- TikTok: 3-5 hashtags, mix trending and niche
- Pinterest: 2-5 hashtags, keyword-rich
Hashtag Mix Strategy:
- High Volume (100K+ posts): 20-30% of hashtags - broad reach
- Medium Volume (10K-100K): 50-60% of hashtags - sweet spot
- Low Volume (1K-10K): 20-30% of hashtags - niche targeting
- Very Low (<1K): 10% of hashtags - hyper-niche
Placement Best Practices:
- Place in first comment on Instagram (optional, captions work too)
- Integrate naturally in Twitter captions
- Use at end of LinkedIn posts
- Avoid hashtag stuffing in captions
- Keep branded hashtags consistent
8.3 Hashtag Performance Tracking
Tracking hashtag performance helps you identify which tags drive the most engagement and reach.
Metrics to Track:
- Reach from hashtags (Instagram Insights)
- Engagement rates by hashtag set
- New followers from hashtag discovery
- Top-performing posts and their hashtags
- Hashtag ranking in search results
Tracking Tools:
- Platform native analytics (Instagram Insights, Twitter Analytics)
- Third-party tools (Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Later)
- Hashtag tracking tools (Hashtagify, Brand24)
- Manual tracking spreadsheets
- A/B testing different hashtag sets
Optimization Based on Data:
- Remove underperforming hashtags
- Double down on high-performing tags
- Test new hashtag combinations
- Adjust mix based on performance
- Create hashtag sets for different content types
8.4 Branded Hashtags
Branded hashtags build community, track user-generated content, and increase brand visibility.
Creating Branded Hashtags:
- Keep them short and memorable
- Make them easy to spell and type
- Ensure they're unique to your brand
- Consider campaign-specific hashtags
- Check availability across platforms
Branded Hashtag Uses:
- Campaign hashtags for specific promotions
- Community hashtags for user-generated content
- Event hashtags for conferences or launches
- Product hashtags for specific offerings
- Brand identity hashtags for general use
Promoting Branded Hashtags:
- Include in bio and profile descriptions
- Use consistently across all posts
- Encourage followers to use them
- Feature user content using your hashtags
- Promote in email signatures and marketing materials
8.5 Hashtag Best Practices
Follow best practices to maximize hashtag effectiveness and avoid common mistakes.
Best Practices:
- Use relevant hashtags only (no spam)
- Mix popular and niche hashtags
- Research before using trending hashtags
- Create hashtag sets for different content types
- Update hashtag strategy regularly
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Using banned or shadowbanned hashtags
- Hashtag stuffing (too many irrelevant tags)
- Using only high-volume hashtags
- Ignoring platform-specific best practices
- Not tracking or optimizing hashtag performance
Hashtag Maintenance:
- Review hashtag performance monthly
- Update hashtag sets quarterly
- Remove underperforming hashtags
- Test new hashtag combinations
- Stay updated on platform algorithm changes