We’re constantly talking about TikTok, aren’t we? I mean who isn’t in 2021? It’s one of the greatest apps of all time. It isn’t yet certain how long this hype will last, with something quite niche, there tends to be a period where it’s in demand and then this slowly starts to decline. Unlike the staples of social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. However, it doesn’t look like TikTok is going anywhere soon. So, if you can’t beat them, join them.
Why are hashtags important?
They help people find you. Believe it or not many people search for certain hashtags on a daily basis. Myself included. You can search for quite literally anything you want to find. For example, if you’re looking for restaurants in a local area, why not take to social media and see the ones people are sharing? If it’s worth sharing, it must be good. This works for everything though which is why they’re so vital. If you’re an independent artist starting out in the game, you want all the exposure you can get. It’s important to gather strong, but relevant hashtags straight away if you want to see your content perform well.
Without using hashtags, you’re essentially limiting yourself to only your followers. Unless they share your work round, and it blows up this way, it will only ever be them who see what you post. When you first start your account, unless you have a large following elsewhere, it will be difficult to get people watching your videos. You’ll be heavily relying on friends and family to help spread your content. Using hashtags expands your audience dramatically, providing you’re using the right ones. You’re probably not likely to gain followers if you’re posting hashtags that are completely irrelevant.
TikTok’s algorithm will favour you higher if you’re using popular hashtags. You’re far more likely to appear in TikTok users For You pages if you’re adding the correct tags to your work. When people are searching for a specific trend or topic that they’re interested in, they’ll look up hashtags related to it within the search bar. This is where you want your content to be.
What hashtags should you use on TikTok?
Above are multiple hashtags that are performing well currently. There are so many sites that produce this information that it’s really easy to locate. When choosing what hashtags to use though, make sure they make sense to your content as I mentioned. Otherwise, you’re not going to gain the views, and if you do, you won’t grow your following which will reflect badly on your account. TikTok’s algorithm is smart, just like its competitors on other social media platforms.
Another important thing to consider is picking the highest trending hashtag within the selection. By this I mean, like on all social media accounts, there are always multiple options that are so similar. You might have #influencer and #influencers trending. It’s one letter different, however quite often the numbers are drastically different. It’s the same with emojis and numbers on TikTok, some might be trending better than others.
Remember though, while hashtags are trending, everyone will be using them. That’s great as more people will be searching through the content, however, you are also then fighting between more creatives. Ensure each video you create is powerful, so it stands out for good reason from the rest. Quality over quantity always. Especially in such a competitive career. You’re not going to be able to use the same hashtags for every single video which is something you must keep in mind. For example, if you have a unicorn theme in one clip, you can’t then place #unicorn on your next video about dinosaurs…
Take a look at what your viewer’s hashtag. This might give you clues as to what they’re interested in and what they want to watch next. You can continue to study these choices and see if anything changes along the way. We would always recommend constantly checking stats and figures, because how else are you going to improve? It’s important to be aware of what works and what doesn’t. While studying your audience, remember to analyse your competition also. Even if you don’t get content ideas, you might get hashtag ideas and that’s only going to grow your following further.
PUSH Tip: Try creating your own personal hashtag to add into every video as well. That way when you grow your account, you’ll be the only one using it, and it will be easy to locate your videos and any created by your fans. Encourage them to use it too!
