Hashtags are crucial for marketers because they enhance content visibility and engagement. They help categorize posts, making them easier for users interested in specific topics to discover. Whether you’re diving into omni-channel marketing, optimizing for mobile, leveraging Pinterest marketing, or creating short-form content and livestream shopping experiences, mastering how to do hashtag research is crucial.

This article will guide you through the process of hashtag research to help you understand their importance across various types of marketing. Whether you’re a novice or looking to refine your approach, this guide is designed to make hashtag research relatable and actionable.

What Are Hashtags?

Hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by the pound sign (#) used on social media to categorize content and make it discoverable. They help users find posts related to specific topics and join conversations around those topics. For example, #Travel, #Food, or #Marketing.

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How Are Hashtags Used?

Hashtags are used to tag posts on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. By clicking on a hashtag, users can view all posts tagged with that keyword, making it easier to find and engage with relevant content. Businesses use hashtags to increase visibility, reach a wider audience, and engage with followers on specific topics. They play a crucial role in various content promotion strategies, such as guest blogging, cornerstone content, content pruning, and content syndication.

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Are Hashtags Still Relevant Today?

Yes, hashtags remain relevant today as they help increase the visibility and reach of social media posts. When used correctly, hashtags can significantly boost engagement and drive organic traffic to your profile or website. However, their effectiveness depends on proper research and strategic usage.

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How to Do Hashtag Research

This section will guide you through the steps to conduct thorough hashtag research.  Mastering hashtag research will enhance your content promotion strategies and overall marketing success.

Identify Your Goals

Determine what you want to achieve with your hashtags by doing research, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, or boosting engagement. This clarity will guide your hashtag selection process and ensure alignment with your broader marketing strategy. Incorporate SEO content to boost website ranking, and utilize tools like a content calendar and content gap analysis to plan and optimize your hashtags effectively. Integrate your hashtags within topic clusters and content hubs for better organization and reach. Follow press release best practices to maximize visibility and impact across all platforms.

If your goal is to drive traffic to your eco-friendly product blog, you might use hashtags like #EcoFriendly, #SustainableLiving, and #GreenProducts, while ensuring these align with your content hubs and topic clusters.

Use Hashtag Research Tools

Leverage tools like RiteTag, and Keyhole to discover popular and trending hashtags in your industry. These tools provide valuable data on hashtag popularity, usage trends, and related keywords. Integrating insights from keyword research 101 and keyword mapping, these tools can help you optimize your on-page SEO. By using these tools, you can strategically select hashtags that enhance your content’s visibility and engagement to align with your SEO and marketing goals.

Use Keyhole to analyze the hashtag #DigitalMarketing. The tool shows its popularity, related hashtags, and usage trends, helping you decide to use related hashtags like #SEO, #ContentMarketing, and #SocialMediaStrategy for better reach and engagement.

Analyze Competitor Hashtags

Observe the hashtags used by your competitors and industry leaders as part of their social media branding. Identify which hashtags drive engagement and incorporate similar ones into your own strategy to boost your social media branding. Understanding how competitors leverage hashtags can also highlight gaps and opportunities in your content marketing efforts. By aligning your hashtag strategy with successful practices in the industry, you can enhance your visibility and engagement, making your content marketing more impactful and relevant.

If a competitor in the fitness industry frequently uses hashtags like #FitLife, #WorkoutMotivation, and #HealthyLiving with high engagement, consider incorporating these hashtags into your posts. Additionally, use tools like Keyhole to analyze the performance of these hashtags and identify any additional related hashtags you can leverage.

Explore Relevant Hashtags

While researching, look for hashtags related to your niche on social media platforms. Look for hashtags that your target audience is using and engaging with frequently. This helps you tap into conversations that are already happening and attract more attention to your content. Eliminate duplicate content by ensuring each hashtag serves a unique purpose. Repurpose content by using hashtags to reach new audiences with existing posts.

If you are in the eco-friendly products niche, explore hashtags like #SustainableLiving, #EcoFriendly, and #ZeroWaste. Analyze their engagement rates and incorporate them into your posts to attract a relevant audience. Additionally, if you have a blog post on sustainable practices, use these hashtags to repurpose it for social media, reaching a broader audience.

Test and Analyze

Experiment with different hashtags and analyze their performance to refine your strategy. Use social media analytics tools to track engagement metrics like likes, comments, and shares. Adjust your hashtag strategy based on these insights, ensuring you optimize keyword placement and technical SEO for better results. Regularly reviewing and tweaking your approach will help you identify the most effective hashtags.

After testing hashtags like #DigitalMarketing and #SEO, use analytics tools to discover that #ContentStrategy performs better. Shift your focus to include this hashtag more frequently in your posts for improved engagement.

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Conclusion on How to Do Hashtag Research

Hashtag research is crucial for maximizing the impact of your social media posts. By understanding what hashtags are, how they are used, and their relevance today, you can effectively incorporate them into your strategy. Identify your goals, use research tools, analyze competitors, explore relevant hashtags, and continually test and refine your approach to drive engagement and achieve your marketing objectives.