You want to grow on social media but you’re still struggling with this prompting question: how to use hashtags? Are hashtags still relevant?
Don’t worry; we’ll be answering all your questions here.
But has it ever occurred to you how this hashtag word even came up? Where did it all start?
Let me tell you, It all started in 2007 when Chris Messina first introduced the pound symbol (#) on Twitter (now called X) to organize groups and spark conversations around specific topics.
His simple idea changed the way we connect online, and the rest is history.
Now, the question of all times: are hashtags still relevant in 2025? Absolutely, they are if you use them right. Whether you’re a brand or a creator, a solid hashtag strategy can uplift your social media game multi-fold.
In this guide, we’ll break all the myths, tell you exactly how to leverage hashtags for every platform, and a lot more.
Bonus: Get your hands on our latest “Trending Hashtags Ebook” and start 2025 with a banger.
What Is a Hashtag?
This is a no-brainer but just for the sake of search engines, A hashtag is a word or a phrase preceded by the (#) symbol that helps categorize content on social media. It acts as a grouping tool that helps users discover posts related to specific topics, like using #travelDiaries to find vacation stories.
Whether you’re joining a trending topic or starting a niche conversation, hashtags make your content more visible and engaging.
#DoItRight
The right hashtags can get you the right traffic.
SocialPilot helps you find and use the right hashtags.
Hashtags provide additional context and branding edge to your posts. But that’s not it. Here’s a list of advantages that will convince you of hashtag importance for your business.
1. Boosting Discovery
You must have noticed that your posts get engagement from individuals who don’t even follow you. Top hashtags are the contributing cause for this unexpected reach.
All your efforts of providing value are streamlined with a hashtag strategy for social media. It narrows down the impression pipeline based on viewers’ interests and relevance.
For example, if you are a wedding planner in New York City, using #nycweddingplanner in your posts will make you discoverable to the locals looking for a helping hand for their big day.
Tip: Make sure your profile stays public for the hashtags to work their magic.
Want to know what’s happening in your niche? Then follow the niche-based hashtags.
A whole new community opens up where everyone actively shares their views and news. Hashtags act as group filters bringing in like-minded people archiving discussions based on topics.
Here’s an example of #digitalmarketingagency on Facebook that has 132K followers. If you are an agency that focuses on providing digital marketing services, adding this hashtag is a no-brainer.
3. Enhancing Engagement
Want to pour in some engagement? Drizzle industry hashtags into your posts! They work like magic in fast-paced social media like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, and your chances of being viral go up.
You can filter out the trending hashtags in general or based on your niche. Spark a conversation thread and encourage others to participate actively.
You can also put your views across and support a trending cause keeping trending tags in the loop.
4. Creating Brand Exclusivity
Using brand hashtags will filter out more user-generated content (UGC), which can boost a brand’s credibility when reshared.
Generally, the brand name and its tagline are typical choices for branded hashtags. You can also come up with Campaign hashtags that are massive hits.
Reels hashtag challenge is a brilliant example that guarantees engagement off the roof.
Here’s how Netflix celebrated the popular show Squid Games with a relevant hashtag. Many creators worldwide jumped on, sharing reels on themes of the show, further fanning its fame. The hashtag has more than a million posts on Instagram alone.
Adding a random chunk of top hashtags will fetch you no result! You need a well-thought-out strategy that comes into play. So, now let’s outline a hashtag strategy for social media by creating specific approaches for each platform.
Finding the right hashtags can be the secret ingredient to increasing your social media engagement. But it’s not just about slapping on popular hashtags and hoping for the best. The key is to use relevant and targeted hashtags that resonate with your audience and fit your content’s purpose.
Here’s how you can find the perfect hashtags to boost your engagement:
1. Analyze Your Competitors
Look at what hashtags your competitors or industry leaders are using. This can give you valuable insights into trending and effective hashtags in your niche. For example, if you’re in the fitness industry, check out what hashtags top influencers are using, like #Fitspiration or #WorkoutGoals.
2. Tap Into Trending Topics
Keep an eye on trending hashtags on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Trending hashtags can give your content a visibility boost, but make sure they’re relevant to your brand. Using an irrelevant trending hashtag might come off as spammy.
Broad hashtags like #Travel are often overcrowded and competitive. Instead, go for niche hashtags like #SoloTravelTips to target a more specific audience. Community-focused hashtags, such as #BookLoversClub, help you engage with a smaller, dedicated group of people.
Using a social media tool makes finding hashtags easier and more efficient. For instance, SocialPilot’s Hashtag Generator is a fantastic resource for discovering trending and relevant hashtags tailored to your content. With SocialPilot, you can:
- Generate hashtags based on your keywords.
- Discover hashtags that are trending in your niche.
- Analyze hashtag performance to see which ones drive the most engagement.
This saves time and ensures you’re using the most effective hashtags for your campaigns.
5. Explore Platform-Specific Features
Each platform has unique tools to help you find hashtags. Instagram’s search bar suggests related hashtags as you type, while Twitter’s trending section highlights popular tags in real time. Take advantage of these built-in tools to stay current.
Pay attention to what your audience is using. Often, user-generated hashtags can give you fresh ideas and help you connect with your community. For example, a customer tagging your brand with #MyFitnessJourney can inspire a new campaign hashtag.
Monitor which hashtags are driving the most engagement using analytics tools. SocialPilot also helps you track the performance of your hashtags so you can refine your strategy and focus on what works best.
By combining these methods and leveraging tools like SocialPilot, you can craft a hashtag strategy that increases engagement and connects your content with the right audience. Start experimenting, analyzing, and watch your engagement grow!
Though hashtags are great for reach, you can’t use them anywhere randomly. In fact, using 10+ hashtags can reduce engagement by 68.2%, as inferred from the Social Baker study.
Most marketers believe using 1-3 hashtags work best on most platforms. But, when it comes to hashtag optimization, it is better to ditch the one-size-fits-all approach to hit the bull’s eye.
And thankfully, we have got all estimates for every platform ready for you. Along with this, we’ll also shed light on post frequencies and the best time to post on each social media network, so you create a solid marketing plan from start to finish.
1. Hashtag Strategy for Facebook
Using hashtags effectively works best for Facebook audiences who are already inclined toward your offerings. We advise you to use 2-3 Facebook hashtags to boost your reach.
Posting 3-5 times a week on Facebook is ideal. Go for a branded or an industry-specific hashtag as they are great for cross-media promotion and help you monitor key activities throughout the network.
Have a look at this KitKat post. A perfect one-liner with a brand and relevant hashtag on a Facebook video post got them 4.2K reactions.
When you think about videos, you absolutely can’t forget Facebook Reels. As of February 2022, Reels reaches 150 countries. So leverage this immense reach, and don’t forget to add the best hashtags for Facebook reels relevant to your content. You could go to Instagram as well to find which ones are grabbing more attention.
Tip: Opt for a location-specific and brand-specific hashtag on Facebook.
2. Hashtag Strategy for Instagram
Stir your Instagram presence with an apt Instagram hashtag strategy. As per Fohr Insights, the platform sees an engagement spike of 12.6% with just one hashtag compared to posts with no Instagram hashtags.
But how many hashtags on Instagram should you use?
Well, it allows up to 10 hashtags per story and 30 hashtags per post and reels. However, this does not mean you clutter your posts with the best Instagram hashtags. Liberal use of 3-5 Instagram hashtags is good enough to get you a killer engagement.
Club relevant popular hashtags on Instagram and use a bunch in stories, reels, and posts. The branded ones can find a home in your bio.
Target to share 2-5 posts weekly, keeping the quality standard intact. The same applies to Instagram reels hashtags as well. You can go with multiple story posting though.
Look at the Instagram hashtag strategy in this Lego post. They’ve used Star Wars-themed hashtags on Instagram that fetched them 122K+ likes and 800+ comments.
Tip: Use Instagram hashtag generators to access the top Instagram hashtags. Ensure your hashtagged stories and reels are engaging, and only then will they appear on the aggregated hashtag pages.
3. Hashtag Strategy for LinkedIn
Despite LinkedIn being a professional platform, it bears no exception. The only condition is they need to be formal. LinkedIn poses no limits on hashtags.
However, when it comes to hashtag optimization, go for 3-5 hashtags to foster more engagement. You can use the LinkedIn hashtag generators and Linkedin hashtag analytics tools to get the top-performing ones.
Aim to share 2-5 posts a week to get the needed traction. If you run a LinkedIn page, you can follow a maximum of three hashtags and share your posts to those hashtag pages in specific.
It is a vital but underrated page feature that lets you track posts from your competitors who are using the same hashtags.
Google on LinkedIn has 22M+ followers. The minimal posting attracts a mass following like this one. They have used 2 hashtags here and ended it with a CTA to click on a link to read about a Googler’s journey.
Tip: Use a CTA-based hashtag encouraging people to follow you.
Pro-tip
Do you think hashtags in the description clutter and make your posts look less appealing? You aren’t the only one. Many feel like that and, therefore add hashtags inside comments.
But doing the drill of manually adding hashtags under comments for all your client posts is not practical. So, SocialPilot came up with the “First comment” feature.
With this, you can add your hashtags, links, and any other call to action inside the comments section for Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram while scheduling your post with SocialPilot.
Start Your 14-day Trial
4. Hashtag Strategy for Pinterest
Pinterest hashtags are an excellent way to rank your pins in the crowd of billions. They work like keywords in search engines, updating the results with fresh content.
Hashtag search here works like standard keyword search as they have SEO benefits. So, having them in description opens up avenues for faster discovery.
Pinterest allows 20 hashtags per pin, but 2-6 hashtags in pin description will fetch you a decent result. Also, it is recommended to go for 6-15 pins a day.
Use the autocomplete feature to include the relevant popular hashtags with pin counts. This feature is only available in the Pinterest Mobile app as of now.
Chelsweets on Pinterest boasts 67K+ followers. They post recipe videos with ingredients and steps mentioned in the description. Towards the end of each description, they make sure to add 3-4 social media hashtags to skyrocket their reach.
Tip: Focus on keyword and hashtag-based descriptions.
5. Hashtag Strategy for X/Twitter
Twitter gave fame to hashtags. And inarguably, to this date, it’s an essential feature of the platform. From joining a heated discussion or amplifying branding, a hashtag does it all.
As per Twitter hashtag analytics, tweets with top hashtags improve engagement by 2x for individuals and 1.5x for brands. A Hubspot research also revealed that businesses tweeting with hashtags are 33% more likely to get retweets.
If you are leveraging hashtags too, then make sure to add 1-2 hashtags for decent reach. Conduct a proper Twitter hashtag search from the “Trends For You” section or leverage Twitter hashtag generators to find the best-performing tags. Use them in 5-20 tweets per day to stay on top of your user’s feeds.
MacCosmetics are top players in social media. Their Twitter profile with 1.5 million followers is a testament to that. They also adhere to the hashtag limits and receive stellar engagement.
Tip: Don’t compromise on content to add a trending hashtag on Twitter. Use them on a contextual note for the best result.
6. Hashtag Strategy for TikTok
Hashtags trending on TikTok unravel opportunities of potential collaboration and millions of views. Climbing the success ladder is much easier on this platform.
35% of TikTokers take part in hashtag challenges. So make sure to look for these in your TikTok Hashtag searches.
TikTok hashtags are instrumental in bringing a dramatic rise in engagement, upsurging views and shares within no time. Good use of 4-5 hashtags can make all the difference.
It opens doors to collaboration partners. It also leads you to a mine of content ideas which you can improvise to create brand-relevant versions. Share 1-4 posts a day for attaining branding goals.
Flighthouse, the creative studio of TikTok, has an engagement-dripping presence on the platform with 2.4 billion likes and 28M+ followers. Here’s a post with multiple TikTok hashtags garnering them more than a million likes and 4000+ comments.
Tip: Search for the TikTok hashtag trending today to take part in challenges for your brand and encourage followers to recreate them. You can even use TikTok hashtag generators.
7. Hashtag Strategy for YouTube
Hashtags on YouTube can starkly improve SEO rankings, as suggested by YouTube Creator Academy. There are three ways to display hashtags on YouTube.
You can use hashtags on YouTube videos in the description, title, and above the title. You can include it in the video title and description.
The official YouTube hashtag limit is 15, but 3-5 hashtags are good enough. Also, uploading one video per week on YouTube shows jaw-dropping results.
The YouTube channel Angry Birds uses branded tags in every upload. This video with 2 hashtags got 2.3M+ views and 8.8K likes.
Tip: Try incorporating hashtags you got from YouTube hashtag generators into post descriptions.
Hashtag Strategy for Threads
Threads, Meta’s text-based social media app, currently doesn’t support clickable hashtags like other platforms. However, you can still use hashtags to enhance your content’s discoverability and tone.
Adding hashtags like #MorningThoughts or #WellnessTips can signal the theme of your post, helping users understand your focus even if they can’t click on them.
Stay ahead by integrating hashtags naturally into your text to keep it conversational and engaging.
For example, instead of adding hashtags at the end, weave them into your sentences: “Starting the day with some #Motivation to keep you inspired!” Though limited, this strategic use of hashtags can still enhance brand voice and content clarity on Threads.
Hashtag Strategy for BlueSky
Currently, BlueSky, the decentralized social media platform, doesn’t support traditional clickable hashtags. However, hashtags can still play a role in shaping your content’s message and context.
Adding hashtags like #TechTrends or #BookRecommendations within your posts can help emphasize the topic or theme, making it easier for readers to identify with your content.
Although they aren’t clickable, hashtags can add personality to your posts and make them more relatable. Keep them relevant and seamlessly integrate them into your text.
For instance, “Loving these #EcoFriendly tips today!” can make your message clearer while maintaining a conversational tone. As BlueSky evolves, hashtags may gain more functionality, but for now, they remain a useful stylistic tool.
A well-thought-out hashtag strategy can significantly boost your social media visibility, engagement, and brand recognition. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting a winning strategy:
1. Define Your Goals
Start by identifying what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase reach, boost engagement, promote a campaign, or build a community? Your goals will determine the types of hashtags you use, such as branded hashtags for campaigns or community-focused hashtags to foster conversations.
2. Understand Your Audience
Research your target audience’s interests, language, and the hashtags they frequently engage with. Tools like SocialPilot’s Hashtag Generator can help you identify relevant and trending hashtags that resonate with your audience.
Combine:
- Trending hashtags for visibility (#ViralContent)
- Niche hashtags to target specific audiences (#YogaForBeginners)
- Branded hashtags to promote your business or campaign (#MyBrandStory)
This mix ensures both broader and targeted reach.
4. Research and Analyze
Use hashtag research tools to find high-performing hashtags. Monitor your competitors to see what’s working for them, and experiment with similar tags that align with your content.
5. Test and Refine Your Strategy
Track the performance of your hashtags using analytics tools. Platforms like SocialPilot allow you to see which hashtags are driving engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.
6. Stay Relevant and Consistent
Update your hashtag strategy regularly to include seasonal or trending hashtags while maintaining consistency with your brand voice.
By following these steps, you’ll create a social media hashtag strategy that’s not just effective but also aligned with your brand and audience goals.
Use Your Hashtags Aptly
Mastering the art of hashtags is no longer optional in 2025—it’s essential for social media success. Whether you’re a brand, influencer, or casual user, knowing how to use hashtags effectively can amplify your reach, boost engagement, and connect you with the right audience.
From crafting a solid hashtag strategy to leveraging tools like SocialPilot’s Hashtag Generator, the possibilities are endless. Remember to keep your hashtags relevant, targeted, and purposeful to get the best results.
So, start experimenting with trending, niche, and branded hashtags today. With the right approach, your content can stand out and make a meaningful impact in the fast-paced world of social media.