Introduction
TikTok is a popular short-form video app where users can create and share 15 to 60 second videos. Hashtags play an important role on TikTok as they help make videos more discoverable. When you add relevant hashtags to your TikTok videos, it makes it easier for others who are interested in those topics to find your content.
Using trending hashtags can help expose your videos to a larger audience and potentially go viral. TikTok features a Discover page that showcases top videos organized by hashtag. Getting your video featured under trending hashtags gives it a boost in views, likes, comments and new followers.
Benefits of Trending
Using a trending hashtag on TikTok can significantly increase the visibility and reach of your videos. When a hashtag starts trending, it means that a large number of people are searching for and engaging with content using that tag. By including trending hashtags, you make your content more discoverable in TikTok’s search and recommendation engine. This allows your videos to reach new audiences outside of just your current follower base. According to Sprout Social, using hashtags can boost engagement by up to 12.6% on average. So trending hashtags in particular have the potential to drive massive amounts of views, likes, comments, and shares if leveraged properly.
One study by Buffer found that videos using trending hashtags received over double the amount of engagement compared to videos without them. So if going viral and getting your content in front of more people is a goal, focusing on timely trending hashtags is a proven strategy. With TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm, a single video can quickly snowball in reach if given the right initial boost from a viral hashtag.
Criteria for Trends
For a hashtag to trend on TikTok, it needs to meet certain criteria in terms of usage and engagement. Some of the key factors that contribute to a hashtag trending include:
Number of views – The more views a hashtag gets, the more it will trend. TikTok’s algorithm surfaces trending hashtags that are gaining a high volume of views across the platform.
Number of uses – A hashtag needs to be used in a large number of videos to trend. The algorithm tracks tags that are being widely adopted and used in lots of content.
Engagement – Trending hashtags tend to have high engagement in the form of likes, shares, comments, etc. This signals to the algorithm that a hashtag is resonating with users.
Video views – Hashtags used in videos that go viral or get lots of views have a better chance of trending since the algorithm also tracks view velocity.
In addition to numeric metrics, factors like relevance, timing, and uniqueness also play a role in determining rising hashtag trends. But overall, usage volume and engagement are the two critical criteria.
Optimize Hashtag
When creating a hashtag to trend, it’s important to make it short, catchy, and relevant to your target audience. According to Buffer, hashtags should be 1-3 words or around 20 characters to be most effective on TikTok [1]. Keep your hashtag simple yet compelling. For example, #TikTokDanceChallenge tells users exactly what to expect from that hashtag.
Additionally, ensure your hashtag directly relates to the content you are posting. As Sprout Social explains, targeted hashtags align your videos with users who are likely to be interested in them [2]. Do keyword research to determine topical and trending hashtags, and incorporate a mix of popular and niche tags. Just make sure not to stuff too many unrelated hashtags, as this can diminish their impact.
Cross-Promote
One effective strategy to make a hashtag trend on TikTok is to cross-promote it on other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. As outlined in this Buffer article, cross-posting allows you to maximize the reach of your content by sharing it across multiple networks.
To drive traffic and exposure, use the same hashtag on your posts across different platforms. For example, if you create a hashtag campaign on TikTok, also encourage your Instagram and Twitter followers to use the hashtag. This gives it more visibility and increases the volume of posts. According to this LinkedIn post, leveraging multiple networks with cross-promotion taps into a wider audience and helps propel your hashtag.
Encourage Engagement
Encouraging your followers to engage with your hashtag is key to making it trend. In your captions, explicitly ask people to use your hashtag and share posts with it. You can offer incentives like giving shoutouts to top contributors or running hashtag contests. According to PlannThat, using clear call-to-actions in your captions can increase engagement by over 20% (1).
When posting about your hashtag, use language like “Be sure to use #MyHashtag!” or “Share your #MyHashtag posts!”. Asking followers directly to participate makes them more likely to do so. You can also engage followers by liking and commenting on posts using your hashtag (2). This shows you are paying attention and encourages them to keep posting.
By actively engaging your audience around the hashtag, you demonstrate its relevance and make it more likely to keep gaining momentum. This personal outreach is key to transforming a regular hashtag into a trending topic on TikTok.
Sources:
(1) https://www.plannthat.com/7-proven-tiktok-engagement-hacks/
(2) https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/guide-to-tiktok-engagement
Post Consistently
To make a hashtag trend on TikTok, it’s important to post multiple videos using the same hashtag consistently. According to this article, TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day for the best results. The more frequently you post videos featuring your chosen hashtag, the better chance it has of being discovered and going viral.
Aim to post at least one video per day using your target hashtag. The more exposures that hashtag gets across multiple videos, the more it will gain momentum with the TikTok algorithm. TikTok’s FYP page tends to recommend hashtags that are being used consistently by creators. Make your hashtag familiar by incorporating it into your video captions routinely.
It’s also a good idea to post your hashtagged videos at optimal times when you know a large number of users will be online and engaged. Analysis from TikTok shows late evenings are often a popular viewing time. Posting multiple videos showcasing your hashtag during prime hours can give it a significant boost.
Consistency over an extended period is key. Don’t just post a flurry of videos one day and then stop. Keep up a steady stream of content featuring your chosen hashtag for the best chance of making it trend.
Analyze Performance
It’s important to track the performance of your hashtags to see which ones are gaining traction. TikTok provides analytics within the app that allow you to see views, engagement, and more. You can view daily, weekly, and monthly data to identify trends.
Tools like TikTok’s hashtag analytics give you valuable insight into how well your hashtags are performing. You can see total views, engagement rate, top contributing videos, and more. Monitoring this data will help you double down on hashtags that are working and potentially drop ones that aren’t driving results.
Third party analytics platforms like Keyhole also provide detailed hashtag performance tracking. Their dashboards allow you to compare hashtag metrics over time to optimize your strategy. Focusing your efforts on proven winning hashtags can help increase your odds of going viral.
Partner With Influencers
One of the most effective ways to get a hashtag trending on TikTok is to partner with influencers who have large followings on the platform. Influencer marketing has become hugely popular on TikTok, with brands partnering with creators to promote products, campaigns and hashtags. According to Sprout Social, paid partnerships with influencers accounted for a majority of branded content on TikTok in 2021.
To make a hashtag go viral, identify influencers in your niche with at least 10,000 followers. Reach out to them and offer an incentive to use your hashtag in their content for a period of time. The larger the influencer’s audience, the more exposure your hashtag will get. A post from an influencer with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers can expose your hashtag to a massive audience very quickly.
Platforms like Aspire and Influencer Marketing Hub have databases of TikTok influencers and tools to identify potential partners. They also facilitate outreach and campaign management. Using an influencer platform can streamline the process of executing an effective influencer hashtag campaign.
With the right influencer partners promoting your hashtag to their followers, you can increase the chances of it catching on and trending organically. Focus on influencers with high engagement and authentic connections with their audience for best results.
Stay Relevant
One of the most effective ways to make a hashtag trend on TikTok is to align it with current events, challenges, or popular topics. As trends and viral moments arise on the platform, create content using hashtags that tie into those trends. For example, when sea shanties exploded in popularity on TikTok in early 2021, creators started using #seashanty and #shantytok hashtags to gain more visibility. According to Buffer, tagging content with timely, event-related hashtags can help your content reach new audiences hungry for that type of content.
Keep an eye out for trending challenges like the silhouette challenge or popular audios like the M to the B audio. Hopping on these trends early with relevant hashtags can give your content a boost. You can also take advantage of cultural moments and holidays like the Super Bowl or New Year’s Eve. Tailoring content for what is popular at the current moment will make it more discoverable on TikTok.
