Hashtag Research
Hashtag research is the process of finding, analyzing, and selecting the most effective hashtags for your content to maximize reach, engagement, and discoverability on social media platforms.
Why hashtag research matters
Increases content discoverability
Well-researched hashtags help your content appear in relevant searches and feeds, reaching people who don't already follow you.
Targets specific audiences
Strategic hashtag use connects your content with people interested in your topics, products, or services.
Improves engagement rates
Relevant hashtags attract genuinely interested users who are more likely to engage with your content.
Builds community connections
Hashtags help you join conversations and communities relevant to your brand and industry.
Types of hashtags to research
Branded hashtags
Company hashtags, Unique tags specific to your brand or business
Campaign hashtags, Tags created for specific marketing campaigns
Product hashtags, Tags related to specific products or services
Event hashtags, Tags for conferences, launches, or special events
Industry hashtags
Niche-specific tags, Hashtags popular within your specific industry
Professional terms, Tags used by professionals in your field
Trend hashtags, Currently popular tags in your industry
Location-based, Geographic hashtags relevant to your business
Community hashtags
Interest-based tags, Hashtags around hobbies, interests, or lifestyles
Movement hashtags, Tags associated with social causes or movements
Seasonal hashtags, Tags related to holidays, seasons, or time periods
Challenge hashtags, Tags associated with social media challenges
Competition levels
High-volume hashtags, Very popular tags with millions of posts
Medium-volume hashtags, Moderately popular tags with thousands of posts
Low-volume hashtags, Niche tags with hundreds or fewer posts
Long-tail hashtags, Specific, multi-word phrases with lower competition
Hashtag research process
Initial brainstorming
Core topics, List main subjects your content covers
Target audience interests, What your ideal customers care about
Product/service keywords, Terms directly related to what you offer
Industry terminology, Professional language and jargon in your field
Competitor analysis
Competitor hashtag audit, Analyze hashtags successful competitors use
Performance observation, Note which hashtags generate engagement for competitors
Gap identification, Find relevant hashtags competitors aren't using
Strategy differentiation, Develop unique hashtag approaches
Hashtag validation
Volume analysis, Check how many posts use specific hashtags
Engagement assessment, Look at typical engagement on hashtagged posts
Relevance verification, Make sure hashtags actually relate to your content
Competition evaluation, Assess difficulty of ranking for specific hashtags
Platform-specific hashtag research
Instagram hashtag research
Hashtag limits, Up to 30 hashtags per post, but 5-10 often perform better
Story hashtags, Different strategy for Instagram Stories
Reel hashtags, Optimizing for Instagram's short-form video format
Hashtag analytics, Using Instagram Insights to track hashtag performance
TikTok hashtag strategy
Trending hashtags, Identifying currently viral hashtags
Sound-hashtag combinations, Pairing hashtags with trending audio
Challenge hashtags, Participating in viral challenges
Niche community tags, Finding smaller, engaged communities
LinkedIn hashtag research
Professional hashtags, Business and industry-focused tags
Hashtag limits, LinkedIn recommends 3-5 hashtags per post
B2B focus, Tags that resonate with business audiences
Thought leadership tags, Hashtags that position you as an expert
Twitter hashtag analysis
Trending topics, Real-time trending hashtags
Chat hashtags, Tags for Twitter chats in your industry
Event hashtags, Tags for conferences and live events
News-related tags, Current events and breaking news hashtags
Facebook hashtag considerations
Lower hashtag usage, Facebook posts typically use fewer hashtags
Local hashtags, Geographic tags for local businesses
Group hashtags, Tags relevant to Facebook Groups
Page-specific tags, Hashtags unique to your Facebook Page
Hashtag research tools
Free research tools
Platform search, Native search functions on each social media platform
Google Trends, Trending topics and seasonal hashtag patterns
Social media explore pages, Discovering popular hashtags organically
Competitor profiles, Manual analysis of successful competitors
Hashtag-specific tools
Hashtagify, Hashtag analytics and related tag suggestions
RiteTag, Real-time hashtag suggestions and analytics
All Hashtag, Hashtag generator and analytics tool
Display Purposes, Instagram hashtag suggestions and filtering
Complete social media tools
Sprout Social, Hashtag performance tracking within broader analytics
Hootsuite Insights, Hashtag monitoring and trend identification
Later, Visual hashtag suggestions based on image content
Buffer, Hashtag performance analysis and suggestions
Analyzing hashtag performance
Volume metrics
Post count, Total number of posts using specific hashtags
Recent activity, How frequently hashtags are being used currently
Growth trends, Whether hashtag usage is increasing or decreasing
Peak usage times, When hashtags are most actively used
Engagement analysis
Average engagement, Typical likes, comments, and shares on hashtagged posts
Top-performing content, What types of posts perform best with specific hashtags
Engagement rate, Interaction percentage relative to hashtag reach
Quality assessment, Whether hashtags attract genuine, relevant engagement
Competition assessment
Difficulty score, How hard it is to get noticed with specific hashtags
Top competitors, Who ranks highest for target hashtags
Content quality, Standard of content typically associated with hashtags
Opportunity identification, Underused hashtags with good potential
Strategic hashtag mixing
The hashtag pyramid
High-volume tags, 2-3 very popular hashtags for maximum reach
Medium-volume tags, 5-7 moderately popular hashtags for targeted reach
Low-volume tags, 10-15 niche hashtags for specific communities
Branded tags, 1-2 unique hashtags specific to your brand
Hashtag categories
Industry hashtags, Tags specific to your business sector
Location hashtags, Geographic tags relevant to your audience
Descriptive hashtags, Tags that describe your content or product
Community hashtags, Tags that connect you with relevant communities
Content-specific optimization
Post type matching, Different hashtags for different content types
Audience targeting, Hashtags that reach your specific target audience
Goal alignment, Hashtags that support specific post objectives
Seasonal adaptation, Adjusting hashtags based on time of year or events
Advanced hashtag strategies
Hashtag campaigns
Branded campaign creation, Developing unique hashtags for marketing campaigns
Community challenges, Creating hashtags that encourage user participation
Event hashtags, Tags for conferences, launches, or special occasions
Series hashtags, Consistent tags for ongoing content series
Long-tail hashtag optimization
Specific phrases, Multi-word hashtags that target niche audiences
Question hashtags, Tags that address specific questions or problems
Solution-focused tags, Hashtags that highlight benefits or outcomes
Local combinations, Mixing local and industry hashtags
Hashtag A/B testing
Performance comparison, Testing different hashtag combinations
Engagement tracking, Measuring which hashtag sets perform better
Reach analysis, Comparing reach achieved with different hashtag strategies
Optimization iteration, Continuously improving hashtag selection
Common hashtag research mistakes
Using only popular hashtags
High-volume hashtags often have too much competition for smaller accounts to get noticed.
Ignoring hashtag relevance
Using trending hashtags that don't relate to your content can hurt credibility and engagement.
Not updating hashtag strategy
Using the same hashtags repeatedly without research can lead to declining performance.
Overdoing hashtag quantity
Using too many hashtags can look spammy and reduce post quality.
Hashtag organization and management
Hashtag libraries
Category organization, Grouping hashtags by topic or purpose
Performance tracking, Recording which hashtags work best
Regular updates, Refreshing hashtag lists based on performance
Team sharing, Making hashtag research available to all content creators
Documentation systems
Hashtag spreadsheets, Organized lists with performance data
Strategy documentation, Written guidelines for hashtag use
Campaign tracking, Monitoring hashtag performance for specific campaigns
Competitor monitoring, Regular updates on competitor hashtag strategies
Hashtag research with SocialRails
SocialRails supports hashtag research through:
Cross-platform optimization, Research hashtags that work across multiple platforms
Performance tracking, Monitor which hashtags drive the best results
Content scheduling, Plan hashtagged content for optimal timing
Analytics integration, Track hashtag performance alongside other metrics
Strategy optimization, Use data to continuously improve hashtag selection
Quick hashtag research checklist
✅ Research your industry hashtags and trending topics
✅ Analyze competitor hashtag strategies and performance
✅ Mix hashtag volumes, combine popular, medium, and niche tags
✅ Test different combinations to find what works best for your content
✅ Track performance of different hashtag strategies over time
✅ Update regularly based on trends and performance data
✅ Stay relevant, only use hashtags that genuinely relate to your content
Effective hashtag research transforms your content from being seen only by your followers to being discovered by the right people who are genuinely interested in what you offer.