What Are Hashtags and How Do You Use Them?
A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the pound (#) symbol that helps categorize content on social media. Hashtags allow posts to be easily discovered by users interested in a particular topic. By clicking a social media hashtag, users can view a feed of public posts that use the same term, making it easier to engage with larger conversations.
At a basic level, using hashtags is fairly straightforward. To create one, simply add a # in front of a word or short phrase without spaces (e.g., #SocialMediaTips, #DogsOfInstagram). Hashtags can be integrated naturally into the body of a caption or added at the end of a post for emphasis. When choosing hashtags, make sure they are relevant, concise, and easy to understand in the context of your post.
Purpose of Hashtags in Social Media
Even though hashtags have seen a decline in raw power, they still serve a purpose for social media marketing. So, what do hashtags do today? In short, they:
- Help categorize content, making it discoverable by users following specific interests.
- Support community engagement by linking posts across users under a common theme or event.
- Boost campaign awareness by providing a unified thread for participants to follow.
- Aid in tracking conversations, especially during events or awareness initiatives.
Hashtags create opportunities for brands and individuals to build community, drive participation, and track engagement. While their role has changed over the years, hashtags remain a smart marketing tool when used intentionally and strategically.
Hashtags Based on Platforms
There’s no universal rule when it comes to hashtag usage across social media platforms. Instead, a case-by-case approach is the best choice, taking into account each platform’s best practices and algorithm behaviors.
Community Engagement & Campaign Categorization
Hashtags are especially valuable for bringing users together around events, challenges, or awareness campaigns. Whether it's #PrideMonth or #BackToSchoolSale, targeted hashtags can centralize conversations and inspire engagement.
Industry Conversations & Event Monitoring
In the context of professional or industry-specific events, hashtags like #CES2025 or #InboundMarketing are critical social engagement tools. They allow brands and individuals to monitor discussions, measure participation, and join in real-time conversations during conferences or summits.
Platform-Specific Usability
Not all social media platforms treat hashtags equally. Some, like Instagram and LinkedIn, still promote hashtag use for content discovery. Others, like X (formerly Twitter), have deprioritized hashtags in favor of broader keyword search. Social platforms are increasingly relying on sophisticated AI to categorize and surface content without the need for user-supplied metadata. In short, hashtags remain relevant but must be used differently depending on where (or what) you’re posting.
Why Hashtags Are Less Impactful Today
Once the golden ticket to virality, hashtags have lost some of their luster. The primary reason lies in the rapid evolution of social media algorithms. Today’s platforms use artificial intelligence and natural language processing to prioritize content based on quality, engagement, and context, not simply on metadata like hashtags as they once did.
Additionally, user behavior has changed significantly. People are more likely to search for content using keywords rather than browsing through hashtags. As a result, captions and post text with naturally integrated, relevant keywords now perform better for discoverability than keyword-stuffed hashtags.
So what’s this modern approach? Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content first. If your post is valuable and interesting, it will surface organically. While hashtags might add a slight boost, they aren't the driving force anymore.
Hashtag Best Practices by Platform
To make the most of hashtags today, it’s crucial to adapt your strategy to each social platform’s evolving norms:
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
Hashtags can still add value, but should be used sparingly. We recommend using one or two branded or campaign-specific hashtags per post. These can be woven naturally into the caption or added at the end to maintain readability.
YouTube
Both tags and hashtags are important for YouTube. Tags (up to 500 characters total) are entered behind the scenes and help YouTube’s search engine understand a video’s subject matter for search and categorization. Hashtags, by contrast, are visible to users and should be placed at the end of the video description. Using three to five relevant hashtags is a best practice for helping your videos show up in hashtag-specific searches.
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X (formerly Twitter)
The platform no longer prioritizes hashtags for content discovery and has publicly indicated that hashtags provide little to no added benefit. That said, hashtags may still be useful for live tweeting during events or for tracking specific campaigns.
Threads
Threads takes a different approach by offering a "Tag" feature instead of traditional hashtags. Users are allowed only one Tag per post, and it can consist of multiple words (e.g., Social Media Strategy). Like hashtags, Tags help categorize content and connect posts around shared topics, but feel more integrated into the platform’s UX.
Across all platforms, flexibility is key. Hashtags should serve the post's purpose without overwhelming the caption or distracting from the content itself.
Hashtag Tips from Social Media Experts
Quality trumps quantity when it comes to hashtags. The best practices today involve:
- Using hashtags selectively to support larger initiatives like fundraising drives, awareness months, or major events.
- Limiting usage to one or two relevant hashtags per post.
- Ensuring hashtags either flow naturally within the copy or sit cleanly at the end to work alongside the branding without cluttering the main message.
- Staying aligned with each platform’s guidelines to ensure hashtags complement, rather than hinder, the reach and engagement of your content.
In other words, hashtags are no longer the main attraction - they’re a supporting act!
Get Hashtagging Today!
While the heyday of hashtags may be behind us, their strategic use remains an important piece of a successful social media plan. They help rally communities, organize campaigns, and add an extra layer of discoverability when used thoughtfully.
To use hashtags effectively today, focus first on creating high-quality, relevant content. Then, add hashtags selectively to support your broader goals, ensuring they fit naturally into your post without disrupting the user experience. And of course, always be flexible and adapt your strategy based on the platform you’re working with.
Feeling overwhelmed by changing trends? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Reach out to Zero Gravity Marketing’s expert social media marketers for guidance on building a modern hashtag strategy that delivers real results!
Danni Reid
