How to Find Popular Hashtags on TikTok: A Creator’s Handbook

Finding popular hashtags on TikTok is crucial for increasing your video’s visibility, reaching a wider audience, and boosting engagement. The most effective method involves a multi-faceted approach combining TikTok’s native features, third-party tools, and a keen understanding of trending content.

Leveraging TikTok’s Native Features

The platform itself offers several built-in tools to help you discover relevant and trending hashtags:

• The Discover Page: This is your go-to resource. The Discover page showcases trending sounds, challenges, and, most importantly, hashtags. Pay close attention to the hashtags featured prominently on this page, as they reflect what’s currently captivating the TikTok audience.
• Search Bar Suggestions: Start typing a broad keyword related to your video’s content into the search bar. TikTok will provide a list of suggested hashtags and the estimated number of views associated with each. This gives you a quick snapshot of which hashtags are currently performing well.
• “For You” Page (FYP) Analysis: Your FYP is curated based on your viewing habits. Analyze the videos that appear frequently on your FYP and identify the common hashtags they use. This offers insight into hashtags that resonate with your target audience, given your interests.
• TikTok Analytics: If you have a Pro account, you gain access to valuable analytics data. Review your previous videos’ performance and identify which hashtags drove the most traffic. This helps you understand what works best for your specific content.

Utilizing Third-Party Tools

While TikTok’s native features are useful, third-party tools provide deeper analytics and broader insights:

• Hashtag Generators: Numerous websites and apps offer hashtag generators. These tools typically require you to input a keyword related to your video. They then generate a list of relevant hashtags, often sorted by popularity or trendiness. Be cautious and avoid generic, overused hashtags.
• Social Media Analytics Platforms: Platforms like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Later offer advanced social media analytics, including hashtag tracking. These tools allow you to monitor the performance of specific hashtags over time, identify emerging trends, and analyze competitor strategies.
• TikTok-Specific Analytics Tools: Some tools are specifically designed for TikTok analytics. These tools often provide detailed information about hashtag performance, competitor analysis, and audience demographics. Examples include Analisa.io and Pentos.

Identifying Trending Content

Beyond tools, understanding what’s trending is vital:

• Monitor Influencer Activity: Pay attention to what popular TikTok creators are using. Influencers often set trends, and their hashtag choices can be a reliable indicator of what’s gaining traction.
• Participate in Challenges: Challenges are a cornerstone of TikTok culture. When participating in a challenge, always use the official hashtag. This increases your video’s visibility within the challenge community.
• Stay Updated on News and Events: Tie your content to relevant news, events, or cultural moments. Using hashtags related to these topics can significantly boost your video’s reach. For instance, use a relevant hashtag for a worldwide event or a festival.

Choosing the Right Hashtags

It’s not just about finding popular hashtags; it’s about choosing the right ones:

• Balance Popularity and Specificity: A mix of broad, popular hashtags and niche-specific hashtags is ideal. Popular hashtags can attract a wider audience, while niche hashtags can target a more engaged audience.
• Avoid Overused Hashtags: Extremely popular hashtags like #fyp or #tiktok are often oversaturated. Your video may get lost in the noise.
• Research Hashtag Meanings: Ensure you understand the meaning and context of each hashtag before using it. Avoid using hashtags that are irrelevant to your video’s content.
• Create Your Own Hashtag: Consider creating a unique hashtag for your brand or content series. This can help build brand awareness and foster a community around your content.

FAQs

1. How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok video?

There’s no magic number, but a good rule of thumb is to use 3-5 relevant hashtags. Avoid stuffing your caption with too many hashtags, as it can look spammy. Focus on quality over quantity.

2. Are hashtag generators reliable?

Hashtag generators can be a helpful starting point, but they shouldn’t be relied on exclusively. Always manually review the generated hashtags to ensure they are relevant and appropriate for your video. Many tools give you options to filter the hashtags, for example, by country, by number of posts, and by difficulty.

3. How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

Your hashtag strategy should be continuously evolving. Regularly monitor hashtag performance, stay updated on trends, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Trends can change rapidly on TikTok.

4. Can using irrelevant hashtags get me penalized on TikTok?

While TikTok doesn’t explicitly penalize users for using irrelevant hashtags, it can negatively impact your video’s performance. If your video is shown to users who are not interested in the content, they are less likely to engage, which can hurt your overall reach. It also diminishes trust between you and your audience.

5. What are some examples of niche-specific hashtags?

Niche-specific hashtags vary depending on your content. Examples include #BookTok for book-related content, #GamingTikTok for gaming content, #FitnessMotivation for fitness content, and #TravelVibes for travel content. Consider your content and research hashtags specific to that niche.

6. How can I track the performance of my hashtags?

Use TikTok analytics (if you have a Pro account) or third-party analytics tools. These tools will provide data on views, likes, comments, and shares generated by each hashtag.

7. Is it better to use broad hashtags or specific hashtags?

A combination of both is ideal. Broad hashtags can help you reach a wider audience, while specific hashtags can target a more engaged audience. Finding the right balance is key.

8. Can I use the same hashtags on every video?

While you can reuse successful hashtags, it’s important to vary your hashtag strategy based on the content of each video. Using the exact same hashtags on every video can make your content feel repetitive.

9. How do I find trending challenges on TikTok?

The Discover page is the best place to find trending challenges. You can also follow popular creators who often participate in and promote challenges.

10. What should I do if a hashtag I’m using suddenly becomes associated with something negative?

Immediately stop using the hashtag. Research the hashtag to understand the negative association and avoid any potential backlash.

11. Do hashtags work differently on TikTok compared to other social media platforms like Instagram?

Yes, they are slightly different. While the basic principle remains the same, TikTok relies more heavily on hashtags to categorize and recommend content. Instagram uses hashtags to a lesser extent for content discovery. TikTok’s algorithm heavily relies on the right hashtags to expose the content to the right target audience.

12. Can I see the analytics of a hashtag I did not use in my video?

No, unfortunately, you can’t directly see the analytics of a hashtag you didn’t use. TikTok analytics only provides data on the hashtags you included in your videos. However, using third-party social media analytical tools, you can find relevant hashtags, and analyze their historical performance and trend.

By strategically using TikTok’s native features, leveraging third-party tools, and staying informed about trending content, you can master the art of finding popular hashtags and unlock the full potential of your TikTok videos. Remember to be authentic, engage with your audience, and continuously refine your strategy to achieve long-term success on the platform.