How to Use Hashtags

Written by Ramin Ahmari | Edited by Eric McClure

Last Updated: July 8, 2022 References

Hashtags (#) are used to sort and categorize content on certain social media sites. Using hashtags makes it easier to find the things you post online, and they’re a great tool if you’re growing a business or looking for more followers. If you’ve never used them before, don’t worry! It’s super easy and you have a lot of freedom when it comes to inventing your own hashtags. All you have to do is put a # symbol in front of a word (or string of words with no spaces) and you’ve made a hashtag! #SuperEasy

1

Hop on popular trends.

Check out what’s trending on Instagram or Twitter for ideas. Most websites that use hashtags have a “trending” or “top” tab where you can see the most popular posts. If you want to hop on the bandwagon to get most eyes on your posts or you’re just digging for fresh ideas, this is a great place to start.^{[1]
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- There are only a handful of websites that support hashtags, although they do tend to be bigger platforms. The popular sites that use hashtags include Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Pinterest.^{[2]
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- You can also pull up a third-party search site, like Keyword Tool or Hashtagify, to scan through the most popular hashtags showing up on a given website.

2

Add additional commentary

Use hashtags to punctuate a comment with added flair. Hashtags are a great way to emphasize a point you make, pepper in a little colorful commentary, or drive home the tone of your post. The benefit here is that you can sneak in additional information as you see fit. This is especially helpful if you don’t want your post to be misinterpreted.^{[3]
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- For example, if you posted a complaint about a big truck blocking your street, you might use something like #CityLiving or #FirstWorldProblems to contextualize your frustration.
- If you post something political, you can throw in something like #Discourse or #PoliticalAnalysis to emphasize the seriousness of your post, or #ImpeachEverybody to throw a little humor in there.

3

Stick with a few simple tags for search purposes.

If you aren’t trying to get fancy and you want views, use 3 hashtags. Choose a few simple hashtags that directly pertain to the subject of your post. Make one of them extremely short and broad, another one slightly more descriptive, and a third tag that’s highly specific. This will keep readers from feeling overwhelmed with tags, while increasing the odds that people stumble on your post.^{[4]
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- For example, if you’re a food blogger, you might use #Food, #Foodie, and #GourmetMeal to make that photo of the artisanal flatbread you just ate more searchable.
- If you are commenting on a political story, you might use #Politics, #America, and #CongressionalDebate.
- The classic #Selfie, #NoFilter, and #NoMakeup, is a popular example of this streamlined approach.

4

Inject a bit of humor.

A hashtag is a great way to present a punchline or include a joke. Since hashtags are naturally tacked on at the end of content, they’re a great way to “hide” a punchline without giving the joke away at first glance. A lot of hashtags become popular exclusively because they’re funny, and you can put your spin on a popular joke or try to come up with your own!^{[5]
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- If you post a photo of yourself wearing an ugly sweater and your caption is something like, “Look at this beautiful sweater my friend bought me!” you might add something like #WorstGiftEver or #TooCoolForSchool.

5

Categorize your own content.

If you post often, hashtags can make it easier to sort through old posts. You don’t have to use hashtags to reach other people or add additional information to your posts. Hashtags were originally invented to categorize things, so they’re a great way to sort stuff out. It’ll be a lot easier to find things in the future if you want the ability to go back and check out a previous post.^{[6]
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- You can do this on any platform where you have the ability to search your own content. So, in Twitter, you would search @YourUsername followed by the hashtag you used. You won’t be able to do this on every site, though.
- For example, if you post about political issues, but you also catalogue your vacations online, you might use #Politics and #Vacation to separate your posts into digital folders.
- If you do this, keep it simple. You want to be able to remember your categories in the future and the more specific you get, the harder it will be to recall the hashtag.

6

Contribute to a specific conversation.

Subcultures often use hashtags to hold public conversations. If you’re always posting about skateboarding, look at other posts by skateboarders to see what hashtags they use. Historians, political commentators, and even medical professionals are in the habit of using hyper-specific hashtags to hold large-scale conversations in their fields of interest, so don’t hesitate to use hashtags this way.^{[7]
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- You may not get a ton of views on every one of these posts, but it’s a great way to reach a specific demographic if you want to contribute to conversations you care about.

7

Overload your posts to get more views.

Spamming your posts with hashtags can draw you massive attention. If your only goal is to get as many eyeballs on your content as possible, using as many hashtags as possible is the best way to get your views up. Some people may get frustrated with you for doing this, but the more hashtags you use, the more likely your content is to pop up in the search engine.^{[8]
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- Be careful with this one. You may get more views, but people may see through what you’re doing, and some folks may stop following you.
- While a lot of hashtags definitely lead to a lot of views, there’s no evidence that it means more interaction. Don’t expect a ton of people to comment or like your content when you do this.^{[9]
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8

Use hashtags to get your brand out there.

If you own a business, hashtags are a phenomenal tool. If you haven’t used hashtags before and you’re looking to develop your online business, you’re missing out. A lot of potential customers may not be seeing your advertisements or posts, so getting in the habit of attaching hashtags to your content is a great way to expand your market reach.^{[10]
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- If you have any doubts about hashtags from a marketing perspective, know that tweets with at least one hashtag are 55% more likely to be retweeted!^{[11]
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9

Find popular trends to promote your business.

Seek out hashtags that tie your service or product to popular trends. This is a great way to sneak your content into a larger conversation that’s taking place online. If you can find a trending hashtag online that somehow relates to your product or service, then you’re going to see a lot more traffic.^{[12]
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- For example, the #Merica tag is used to poke fun at American stereotypes. If a fast-food company starts promoting their new bacon double-cheeseburger, they might use #Merica to get some fresh eyes on their content.
- There are apps and software out there, like RiteTag and Hashtagify, that will try to match your content to popular and related hashtags people are engaging with.^{[13]
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- Always make sure that you’re using hashtags responsibly. If everyone is tweeting #DownWithBigBrands because some CEO committed a crime or something, using the hashtag to promote your small business may be seen as opportunistic and tone-deaf.^{[14]
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10

Create an original tag to improve your brand.

Crafting fresh, brand-specific hashtags is a great way to go viral. Even if going viral isn’t your primary goal, using a consistent hashtag or two will make it easier to see how folks online are interacting with your business. If you use the same original tag over and over again, you can search it online to see what other people think of your brand.
- This is also a great way to tie your business to a certain geographic location. If you own a shop in downtown Buffalo, you might use #BuffaloNY or #BuffaloBusiness to emphasize the location of your shop.
- For example, if you own a business called Joe’s Watch Repair, a tag like #JoeKnows or #JoesOnTime can really stick out online. It’s likely that some people out there may even use your tag for some other reason to give you an even bigger boost online!
- If you go this route, you can always pay an influencer or give them products to promote your business on their platform!

Expert Q&A
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Question

How many hashtags should I use on each Instagram post?

Ramin Ahmari
Social Media Expert
Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

Ramin Ahmari

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The average number of tags is around 11, but some people use up to 30. I think when you're first starting out you should use 30 since they're your way to be discovered.
Question

What are the best hashtags to use?

Ramin Ahmari
Social Media Expert
Ramin Ahmari is the CEO & Co-Founder of FINESSE, an AI-led fashion house using machine learning on social media to forecast trends & eliminate fashion's problem of overproduction. Before his time at FINESSE, he worked with influencers on growth and sponsorships and has worked with major brands on implementing influencer & marketing strategy by leveraging his expertise in data science & artificial intelligence on social data.

Ramin Ahmari

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Don’t use hashtags like #beauty or #fashion since they're already on millions of posts. If you’re not big, you won't be discovered there. Within seconds, your post will fall 50,000 pictures down. Instead, make specific tags. Maybe even create a personal tag that people can relate to.
Question

Can I set up my own hashtag for my company?

Community Answer

Yes, of course! I would recommend brainstorming with your coworkers to find out the best hashtag for your company.

Warnings

It’s important to note that you can use numbers inside of a hashtag, but you can’t use symbols or punctuation. In other words. #hashtag4ever will work, but #hashtag-4-ever will only be interpreted as #hashtag by search engines.^{[15]
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