DigiKitHow to Build a Hashtag Strategy
Just using popular hashtags usually doesn't work, since competition on those tags is intense and content gets buried fast. A better mix combines tags from different popularity tiers.
Summary
Just using popular hashtags usually doesn't work, since competition on those tags is intense and content gets buried fast. A better mix combines tags from different popularity tiers.
Step by step
- Pick a few narrow, topic-specific tags. Low competition, but a clear audience.
- Add two or three medium-popularity tags that are a bit broader.
- Use at most one or two very popular tags, just for a shot at extra discovery, not as the main strategy.
- Instead of repeating the exact same set every time, swap a few tags based on the specific content.
Why it matters
Hashtags are one of the few ways to put your content in front of people who don't follow you yet. Used carelessly, they can backfire. People who arrive through irrelevant tags don't engage, and that can tell the platform the post isn't landing. A good set of tags gets your content to a smaller audience that actually cares.
How to research tags
- Search a candidate tag on the platform and look at recent posts. If they resemble yours, you're in the right place.
- Look at which narrow tags active accounts in your niche use, but don't copy their sets wholesale.
- Note the words your followers use in comments. Those tend to be the phrases people really search for.
- Each platform treats hashtags differently. Check your platform's own help pages for its current guidance.
Common mistakes
- Adding a trending tag that has nothing to do with the post. You reach the wrong people.
- Writing multi-word tags in all lowercase. Capitalizing each word, as in #HomemadeJam, reads better and works better with screen readers.
- Using tags that have filled up with spam without checking them first.
- Never looking at whether the tags did anything.
A worked scenario
A small business selling homemade jam uses only broad tags like #food and #delicious and isn't reaching anyone new. It switches approach: a few narrow tags combining its city and product type, a couple of mid-sized tags around homemade food and breakfast, and one broad tag at the end. A sour cherry jam post gets a tag naming the fruit, which is swapped out for the quince jam post. After a few weeks, the owner checks which tags brought new profile visits and drops the weak ones.
How to measure results
Business and creator accounts usually have an insights screen showing where a post's views came from. Track reach from hashtags across several posts, and don't judge from a single one. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what made the difference.