Utilizing the appropriate hashtag can help you gain brand awareness, reach, and engagement. It is a clever step in making the most of your social media marketing strategy. However, shoving in random hashtags won’t deliver the results you covet. Manually searching for trending hashtags will be a waste of time, and copy-pasting everything will be impossible to accomplish. Hence, getting your hands on the best hashtag research tools will be favorable for you.
Key Takeaways
- Hashtags play a crucial role in increasing the visibility and reach of your brand’s content on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
- Using relevant and popular hashtags can help your content reach a larger audience, attract more engagement, and boost brand awareness.
- Hashtag research tools offer valuable insights into trending hashtags, their popularity, and their relevance to your brand or industry, helping you choose the most effective hashtags for your content.
- By leveraging hashtag research tools, brands can discover new hashtags, track their performance, analyze competitors’ hashtags, and optimize their hashtag strategy to maximize their social media presence and grow their brand.
- Some of the best hashtag research tools include Hashtagify, RiteTag, Keyhole, Trendsmap, Tagboard, Sprout Social, and Later, each offering unique features and capabilities to help brands elevate their social media marketing efforts.
The internet is full of different toolkits, and hashtag research tools are some of these. You go to Google, search on a tool, and receive hundreds of results. And we understand that going over every single result can be tricky and time-consuming. Hence, we have curated this list to help single out some of the best ones.
So, if you want to use the best tool that’s tailored to meet your needs, you better stick around to the end of this article.
What are Hashtag Generator Tools?
If you want to come up with the best hashtags for your content, then a hashtag generator tool is something you should utilize for your business. It is vital to come up with the best hashtags possible, knowing that they are necessary in making your content easily visible to your target audience. Hence, it is profitable for you to invest in a good hashtag generator or research tool.
A hashtag generator is a system developed to generate related hashtags based on a keyword, an image, or a link. There are two types of hashtag generator tools: one type automatically generates hashtags on its own, and the other generates hashtags based on the keywords and phrases you will input.
How Do You Research A Hashtag?
At this point, you might have fully understood what a hashtag is and how to use them. But how do you get started and be confident in using only the best hashtags for your content? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you research a hashtag:
Step 1: Consider your target audience.
The first thing to do is to bear in mind that your target audience in real life might not be similar to your social media target audience. Say, for example, your existing audience is a group of more experienced women; however it is possible that on Instagram or any other social media platform, your content would catch a different group audience.
So, when deciding on a hashtag, think creatively and use the language of your target audience. Take the time to understand the community you want to reach and the terms they use.
Step 2: Strike a healthy balance.
Always remember that relevance and popularity are key considerations when it comes to hashtag research. Your hashtags must strike a perfect balance between the two. You wouldn’t want to use hashtags that are so popular, with posts amounting to millions. Otherwise, yours could get lost in the fray.
It is wise to use hashtags that are relevant to your content and audience, but also hold the right amount of popularity. Ideally, you’ll want a hashtag that has traction minus the millions of uses.
Step 3: Examine your competitors.
Learning from and examining your competitors could sometimes be good for your growth. Remember to peek, but never copy! Examine who your best competitors are and look at their top content. Discover what hashtags they are using, and the kind of audience interacting with their hashtags.
However, it doesn’t automatically mean that their hashtags will bring you the results you desire. So, don’t get too excited and copy whatever you find from them. Only use those that are pertinent to your audience, content, and business.
Step 4: Research significant topics.
If you want to be an outside-the-box thinker, you should spare the time to research topics that are relevant to your brand, such as product categories or hashtags that convey valuable tips and information. From there, you could formulate your own hashtags.
But don’t be too specific, wordy, or lengthy with your hashtags. If you have a skincare brand, examples of safe hashtags would be #hydratingskincare or #brighteningskincare. Also, general hashtags such as #skin or #beauty might be far too broad, so avoid using them too.
Step 5: Select your hashtags.
This step is the most crucial one since you will now be working on the hashtags to put. You have the liberty to pick out your hashtags manually, but if you want to be more precise and certain, using a hashtag research tool is the best path to take.
The number of hashtags that you can place on your post varies highly on the platform. But you can put at least one to five main hashtags, plus some more related hashtags.
Step 6: Add related hashtags.
Once you have generated your main hashtags, you can add your related hashtags. To ensure that you have captured everything, you may still make use of the best hashtag research tools free online.
Make sure to stick to the recommended number of hashtags. Overdoing it might cause you to lose your followers.
What is the Best Hashtag Research Tool for Instagram?
There are plenty of paid and free hashtag research tools that you can find online. And while Twitter was the first platform that popularized the use of hashtags, it was really on Instagram that the use of hashtags for business blossomed. Thus, we have created this list of the top 5 best hashtag research tools for IG.
All Hashtag
All Hashtag was developed in 2015 as a simple generator tool. And since then, the tool expanded continually and added more features. To date, it isn’t just a tool that generates hashtags; it also analyzes and searches for the top ones. All Hashtag provides you with the top 30 and more hashtags relative to your selected keywords. Plus, it gives out some more related hashtags as well.
All Hashtag incorporates four tools:
1) Hashtag Generator – generates top, random, and live hashtags. It shows you what you need.
2) Hashtag Creator – helps you make your own hashtags if you don’t like what it generates.
3) Hashtag Analytics – extracts analytic information about the hashtag that you could incorporate into your hashtag strategy.
4) Top Hashtags – reveals which hashtags are top-performing and the most popular.
Instavast Hashtag Generator
Instavast doesn’t just generate hashtags. It is, instead, a full suite of all Instagram marketing tools you can use for your business, including a hashtag generator that’s still running in beta. One good feature of this tool is that it shows a list of IG’s temporarily and permanently banned hashtags, such as obscene, offensive, and swear words.
Furthermore, the whole Instavast package gives you the ability to automate your comment, like, follow and unfollow, direct messaging, and posting activities on IG. Its hashtag generator provides results based on your selected keyword, photo, or URL.
Ritetag
Ritetag, although a part of RiteKit’s social media toolkit for influencers and creators, can be used separately. The tool provides instant suggestions for texts and images on both desktop and mobile. It establishes its suggestions on real-time hashtag engagements. Additionally, it will show you if a hashtag is banned or underused on Instagram.
Ritetag is a paid tool. Hence, you must purchase it for $49 per month, although you can use it via free trial if you want to test its suitability first. Once you have signed up, you will gain access to the following:
- detailed hashtag statistics both on the web and mobile applications
- instant hashtag suggestions for images and texts on any website through its mobile app for Android and iPhone, as well as its browser extension
- ability to save research results from engaging hashtag analytics pages in TagSets
Hashtagify
You can use Hashtagify to look for insights and real-time data about hashtags on Instagram and Twitter, such as hashtag trends, popularity, and related hashtags. The tool allows you to conduct an in-depth tracking of any hashtag or user for further analysis. It gives you the upper hand to engage with influencers in-line with your brand and monitor all your competitors’ posts. Using this tool, you can download charts and dashboards of your tracked users and hashtags. Also, you can monitor how well your campaign is running.
Hashtagify gives you a wide range of plan premiums depending on the need of your strategy. Even without using the paid plan, you will be able to conduct basic hashtag research.
There is also another software similar to this, read about it on this Hashoff review.
Hashtags For Likes
Hashtags For Likes is way beyond merely generating hashtags. It offers more than just that because it is packaged with analytic features to help you identify the best-performing hashtags. Similar to other research tools, Hashtags For Likes categorizes its results into “Trending,” “Popular,” or “Related” tags. Although, you have to upgrade your plan if you want to see the tag results for both “Trending” and “Popular” categories.
Moreover, the tool also features a Hashtag Popularity meter and other metrics such as hashtag reach and the number of unique posts. The Hashtag Popularity meter also reveals the top 10 hashtags related to your keyword and the percentage that indicates the number of IG posts featuring the tag.
Bigbangram
Bigbangram is an uncomplicated tool to use. You simply have to input up to five keywords, a URL, or an image, then its AI-powered search engine will provide you with at least 30 hashtags relevant to your keywords or image.
The tool is fast, simple, and free. It provides real-time hashtag analytics and doesn’t generate hashtags that can get you banned.
Semrush
Although it isn’t standalone for Instagram hashtag research, Semrush is a social media toolkit that’s proven to help countless brands and marketers across various social media networks. The toolkit also allows you to look into your competitors’ best hashtags, so you, too, would know how to tailor yours.
To know more about this toolkit, check out our Semrush review.
Once you have decided on what hashtags to use, you can use the Semrush Poster to schedule your content with the appropriate hashtags. The toolkit’s pricing ranges from $119.95 to $449.50 per month, depending on the features and services you want to enjoy.
How Do You Measure the Success of A Hashtag?
How Do You Measure the Success of A Hashtag? When applying a hashtag strategy to your social media campaign, it is natural for you to find out how to measure the success of your hashtag. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know what hashtags to use next time and what to get rid of.
So, how exactly do you do it? Simple! With the use of hashtag research tools. As mentioned, the research tools can provide you with data and insights regarding your hashtags, so you will know which ones drive the most results and which ones aren’t bringing anything to the table.
Is There A Hashtag Search Engine?
Yes, Social Searcher is a social media search engine, and you can use it to track users and mentions, including hashtags. With this search engine, you can monitor all public mentions on social media and the web. You can easily track what users are saying about your brand, product, or a particular hashtag.
Furthermore, it allows you to explore the top trending hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms where hashtags are applicable. And the best part is that it’s free!
FAQ
- What Are Hashtag Research Tools?
Hashtag research tools are online platforms or software programs designed to help users discover, analyze, and track hashtags on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. These tools provide insights into hashtag performance, popularity, and relevance, helping users identify the most effective hashtags for their content and marketing campaigns. - How Do Hashtag Research Tools Work?
Hashtag research tools typically work by collecting and analyzing data from social media platforms to identify trending hashtags, measure their popularity and engagement metrics, and provide recommendations for relevant hashtags based on user input or search criteria. Users can input keywords, phrases, or hashtags related to their brand or industry, and the tools will generate lists of relevant hashtags along with insights into their performance and potential reach. - What Features Do Hashtag Research Tools Offer?
Hashtag research tools offer a variety of features to help users optimize their hashtag strategy, including:- Trending Hashtags: Discover trending hashtags related to specific topics, events, or industries.
- Hashtag Analytics: Track the performance of hashtags, including metrics like reach, engagement, and popularity over time.
- Competitor Analysis: Analyze competitors’ hashtags to identify trends and opportunities for your brand.
- Hashtag Suggestions: Get recommendations for relevant hashtags based on keyword input or search criteria.
- Search Filters: Filter hashtags based on criteria like popularity, relevance, and engagement to find the best hashtags for your content.
- Hashtag Tracking: Monitor the performance of specific hashtags and track changes in their popularity or engagement metrics.
- Export and Reporting: Export hashtag data and analytics reports for further analysis or sharing with team members or clients.
- Are Hashtag Research Tools Suitable for All Brands?
While hashtag research tools can be beneficial for most brands looking to enhance their social media marketing efforts, their suitability may vary depending on factors like the brand’s industry, target audience, and marketing objectives. Brands in highly visual or trending industries like fashion, beauty, or lifestyle may find hashtag research tools particularly useful for identifying relevant trends and maximizing their social media reach. However, brands in niche industries or with specific target audiences may need to tailor their hashtag strategy more carefully to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Ultimately, brands should evaluate their specific needs and goals to determine whether hashtag research tools are a valuable addition to their social media toolkit.
Use Hashtag Research Tools to Build Your Brand
You may ask, “Should I Use Hashtag Research Tools?” Using hashtag research tools is highly beneficial. With it, you will be able to gauge whether or not the hashtags you’re using are successful and good for your brand.
There are multiple tools to choose from, so don’t be terrified to look for the one that’s most suitable for you. It won’t always be a bed of roses, but it will be worth it.
Hopefully, the tools we have curated will help you get in the right direction of your hashtag marketing strategy. If you want to learn more about other social media management tools, start by reading our post, “11 Best Social Media Management Software for Successful Campaigns.”
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