How To Choose the Best Hashtags for TikTok (2023)

“TikTok is where you can actually acquire consumers,” Inkbox cofounder Braden Handley told Shopify Masters. As more brands incorporate TikTok into their marketing campaigns, it’s essential not just to create content, but to ensure people can find it. So how can you get your TikTok posts on the coveted For You page? One easy way to expand your TikTok presence is with a solid hashtag strategy.

What is the purpose of hashtags on TikTok?

TikTok allows users to search for and follow hashtags, making hashtagged content easier to find. TikTok differs from other platforms because of the algorithm-curated For You page (FYP). Users primarily interact with videos suggested by the TikTok algorithm, which uses hashtags to inform recommendations. 

How to use TikTok hashtags to promote your brand

1. Find your niche
2. Engage with relevant trends
3. Keep it simple
4. Start (or join) a TikTok challenge
5. Create branded hashtags

Hashtags can help users discover your content, but the key is using the right ones for your brand. Here’s how to find the best TikTok hashtags for your next video:

1. Find your niche

It might be tempting to just add the most popular hashtags to your post—like #fyp, or For You page, which has almost 35 trillion views—but these ultra-popular tags also have a ton of competition and tend to be generic. Shifting your focus to niche hashtags means there will be less competition. More specific hashtags will also make it easier for users to find your content and for the TikTok algorithm to understand your content and share it with the right audiences.

In an example of leveraging niche hashtags, Mush Studios, which sells hand-tufted rugs, uses simple but niche hashtags. Its video on making a rug using the tufting process has 8.8 million views and just three hashtags: their brand, #mushstudios, as well as #tufting and #rug. 

@mushstudios Lets make a mush rug 😉 #mushstudios #tufting #rug ♬ Do Ya Think I’m Sexy – Paris Hilton

It might seem niche, but #tufting has 4.5 billion views and is an accurate description of the video. To get hashtag ideas for your industry or niche, open the TikTok app, tap the magnifying glass in the top right corner, and search for a keyword relevant to your business or product. Under the search bar, scroll all the way to the right to “Hashtags” (after “Top,” “Videos,” “Users,” “Sounds,” “Shop,” and “LIVE”).

2. Engage with relevant trends

A great way to stay relevant and capture new audiences beyond your niche is to engage with relevant TikTok trends. You don’t need to spend all day on TikTok to find out what’s currently trending; you can find the top 100 TikTok hashtag trends on the Trend Discovery page of the TikTok Creative Center. Think of it as Google Trends for TikTok.

By default, TikTok will show you the trending hashtags for your country from the past seven days, but you can filter by different countries or see the top hashtags from the past 30 or 120 days. You can also filter by industry or show only hashtags that are new to the top 100. 

If you find a hashtag that could be a good fit for your brand, click “See analytics” to pull up a report that will show interest over time, related videos, audience insights including age range and related interests, and regional popularity. Checking this page will help you decide if a trend is a good fit and if the trend is growing, so you won’t waste time on outdated hashtags. 

3. Keep it simple

There is no maximum number of hashtags you can use on TikTok, but there is a 2,200 character limit to the video caption, which is where the hashtags go. That doesn’t mean you should stuff as many hashtags as possible into your description. Too many hashtags could confuse the TikTok algorithm and look spammy to your audience.

Fireflyslime founder Angelina Ly recommends keeping content simple. “With TikTok, I make all of my videos very straightforward. I go to the best parts and make everything under 30 seconds if I can, with a good hook in the beginning,” Angelina told Shopify Masters. The same philosophy applies to captions. For example, this slime video with 3.1 million views has just two hashtags: #instantsnow and #asmr. 

@fireflyslime what color(s) should I do next? #instantsnow #asmr ♬ original sound – fireflyslime

4. Start (or join) a TikTok hashtag challenge

Hashtag challenges are one of the most fun ways to interact with TikTok users. A hashtag challenge is a challenge, like a dance or specific action, paired with a song and a unique hashtag. As a brand, not only can you join an existing challenge, but you can sponsor your own Branded Hashtag Challenge. According to a global TikTok study, 78% of TikTok users like it when brands come up with new challenges, trends, or memes for others to join in.

5. Create branded hashtags

Most creators consider a custom hashtag featuring your brand name a must. Gourmet marshmallow company XO Marshmallow uses the branded hashtag #xomarshmallow on all its videos. Custom hashtags are an easy way for users to find all the content related to your brand, and, as a business owner or social media marketer, they allow you to source user-generated content for your feed quickly.

@xo.marshmallow The only problem is i dont know the first thing about slime. Maybe @Peachybbies Slime would do a collab with us someday. #xomarshmallow #fluff #oddlysatisfying #notslime #smallbusiness ♬ Living in a Haze – Milky Chance

Best hashtags for TikTok

These were the most popular TikTok hashtags as of January 2023, in order of number of views. Remember to mix popular hashtags with more niche tags for the most visibility:

1. #fyp 
2. #foryou
3. #foryoupage
4. #viral
5. #tiktok
6. #trending
7. #duet
8. #funny
9. #comedy
10. #trend
11. #humor
12. #greenscreen
13. #anime
14. #love
15. #stitch
16. #meme
17. #pov
18. #football
19. #explore
20. #like
21. #dance
22. #bts
23. #learnontiktok
24. #food
25. #memes
26. #greenscreenvideo
27. #video
28. #art
29. #gaming
30. #minecraft