How to Research Popular Hashtags in Your Niche
Hashtags are a cornerstone of social media strategy, offering a powerful way to expand your reach, increase engagement, and connect with your target audience. However, not all hashtags are created equal. To see meaningful results, you need to identify and use hashtags that resonate with your niche. This article explores how to research popular hashtags effectively, helping you harness their full potential.
Why Are Hashtags Important?
Hashtags function as searchable keywords on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, allowing users to categorize and discover content. They help your posts appear in feeds of users interested in a particular topic, boosting visibility and engagement.
For businesses, influencers, or creators, choosing the right hashtags can make your content more discoverable, attracting the right audience and driving organic growth.
Step 1: Define Your Niche and Audience
Before diving into hashtag research, it’s essential to clarify your niche and audience.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What topics or industries does your content cover?
- Who is your ideal audience? (age, interests, location, etc.)
- What keywords or phrases are relevant to your content?
For instance, if your niche is fitness, your hashtags might relate to workouts, nutrition, or wellness trends. Knowing your niche ensures you target hashtags relevant to your content and audience.
Step 2: Analyze Competitors
Competitors are a goldmine for discovering effective hashtags. Identify industry leaders or creators in your niche and examine the hashtags they frequently use.
How to analyze competitors:
- Visit their profiles and look at their most popular posts.
- Note down hashtags with high engagement (likes, comments, and shares).
- Avoid copying blindly; instead, analyze which hashtags align with your content.
For example, if a competitor frequently uses #HealthyLifestyle or #FitnessJourney and sees good engagement, these may also work for your posts.
Step 3: Use Hashtag Research Tools
Several tools are designed to streamline hashtag research by analyzing trends, reach, and engagement. These tools can provide insights into the popularity and effectiveness of specific hashtags.
Popular hashtag research tools:
- Hashtagify: Helps you discover trending hashtags and analyze their performance.
- RiteTag: Suggests hashtags based on your content and images.
- All Hashtag: Generates hashtag suggestions and ranks them by popularity.
- Hootsuite: Includes hashtag tracking and analytics for social media campaigns.
Use these tools to generate relevant hashtag ideas and identify high-performing options for your niche.
Step 4: Explore Platform-Specific Trends
Each social media platform has unique hashtag trends and usage. Researching hashtags specific to the platform you’re targeting ensures maximum impact.
- Use the search bar to type a keyword and browse related hashtags.
- Check the number of posts under each hashtag to gauge its popularity.
- Opt for a mix of high-traffic hashtags (millions of posts) and niche-specific ones (tens of thousands of posts) for better visibility.
- Monitor Trending Topics to discover relevant hashtags in real-time.
- Use Twitter’s Advanced Search to find hashtags linked to your niche.
TikTok
- Browse the Discover tab to explore trending hashtags.
- Participate in hashtag challenges relevant to your content.
- Search for hashtags within your industry by typing keywords in the search bar.
- Follow hashtags to stay updated on related content and trends.
Step 5: Study Audience Behavior
Understanding how your target audience interacts with hashtags can guide your selection.
How to study audience behavior:
- Analyze the hashtags your followers use in their posts or comments.
- Engage with users who use niche-related hashtags to understand their interests.
- Use polls or questions in Stories to ask your audience about their favorite hashtags.
For instance, if your followers frequently use #MindfulEating or #PlantBasedDiet, incorporating these into your posts may enhance relatability.
Step 6: Experiment With Hashtag Types
Not all hashtags serve the same purpose. Experimenting with different types helps you find the best combination for your niche.
Types of hashtags to consider:
- Branded Hashtags: Unique to your business or content (e.g., #NikeRunning).
- Community Hashtags: Used by specific groups (e.g., #BookLovers).
- Descriptive Hashtags: Directly describe your post (e.g., #VeganRecipes).
- Event Hashtags: Tied to holidays, trends, or events (e.g., #BlackFridayDeals).
- Trending Hashtags: Popular at a specific moment (e.g., #WorldCup).
Step 7: Test and Track Performance
After implementing your researched hashtags, track their performance to determine which ones deliver the best results.
How to track hashtag performance:
- Use Instagram Insights (or analytics tools on other platforms) to monitor reach and engagement.
- Test different combinations of hashtags on similar posts to identify patterns.
- Regularly update your hashtag strategy by dropping underperforming ones and adding new ones.
Step 8: Avoid Overused or Irrelevant Hashtags
Overused hashtags like #love or #instagood may have millions of posts but won’t necessarily drive meaningful engagement. Instead, prioritize niche-specific hashtags.
Why avoid overused hashtags?
- Your post may get lost in a flood of content.
- They attract spammy accounts or irrelevant audiences.
Pro Tip: Combine high-volume hashtags with smaller, community-focused ones to balance visibility and relevance.
Step 9: Create Your Own Hashtag
Creating a branded or campaign-specific hashtag helps establish your identity and encourages user-generated content.
How to create and promote a custom hashtag:
- Choose a short, memorable phrase (e.g., #TravelWithUs).
- Incorporate it into all your posts and encourage your audience to use it.
- Promote it in Stories, Reels, or campaigns to increase visibility.
Step 10: Stay Updated With Trends
Social media trends evolve quickly, and hashtags that are popular today may lose relevance tomorrow. Regularly revisit your hashtag strategy to stay aligned with current trends.
Ways to stay updated:
- Follow industry influencers to see what hashtags they’re using.
- Check trending topics on platforms like Twitter and TikTok.
- Subscribe to newsletters or blogs focused on social media marketing.
Conclusion
Researching and using popular hashtags in your niche is an essential part of any social media strategy. By understanding your audience, leveraging the right tools, and experimenting with different hashtags, you can amplify your reach and foster meaningful engagement. With consistent effort and analysis, hashtags can become a powerful tool in growing your online presence.
