According to Statista, TikTok had around 800 million global users in 2023. And 33% of US adults use the platform, up 12% from 2021.
So, regarding user growth and popularity, the only way is up for this video-based social media platform.
💡 Read Creating a Marketing Strategy that Works: Benefits, Steps, Tools
Whether you’re a business owner or content creator, you can tap into this opportunity to reach a wide audience and build brand awareness.
That’s where the power of popular hashtags comes into play, helping you maximize your reach and boost visibility.
In this article, we walk you through several ways to find trending TikTok hashtags for your brand in 2024.
Why Are Hashtags Important on TikTok?
On TikTok, just like any other social media platform, hashtags are included in the algorithm. These identifiers or tags help determine whether your content will appear on a user’s “For You” page (also known as the “For You” feed).
In other words, TikTok hashtags are crucial for discoverability and visibility on the platform.
For example, let’s say that someone searches for a particular hashtag that’s relevant to your industry, business, or product.
If you also created a video and added the hashtag to the caption, there’s a good chance that your content will pop up in the search results.
Read Top 10 Best Hashtag Campaigns Of All Time
6 Ways to Find Top TikTok Hashtags in 2024
So, are you ready to double down on your TikTok strategy in 2024? Here are six tried-and-true ways to find the best TikTok hashtags to land yourself on as many “For You” pages as possible.
1. Research Your Audience
It’s difficult to find the right hashtags if you don’t know what type of TikTok content your target audience wants to see.
Learning the hashtags your audience currently uses will guide your TikTok content strategy. Then, once you find relevant hashtags for your industry or niche, you can start planning content that aligns with those hashtags.
So, how can you find these specific details about your target audience?
Enter the art of social media listening. With the right tools, you can analyze and monitor relevant hashtags and keywords for your brand or sector.
Pro tip: Keep an eye on trending hashtags across social media platforms. You can find a goldmine of information when you diversify your research. Thankfully, with Determ, you can stream all social media mentions in one simple feed with the power of filters.
Let’s look at an example. We know that TikTok is a popular platform for young adults, especially Gen Zers — which includes college students. So, brands heavily investing in a TikTok strategy should ideally target this audience as much as they can.
It’s no secret that college students are burdened by education costs. They often turn to platforms like TikTok for financial advice for attending college.
By incorporating hashtags that are trending among this group, such as #PrivateStudentLoans, #PSL, or #StudentDebt, any brand can effectively connect with students seeking private student loan options.
Check out this example by SoFi. As a personal finance company and online bank, it successfully uses these relevant TikTok hashtags (coupled with other trending influencers) to attract this specific audience.
So, bottom line? Know your audience. And create content that they care about, being sure to strategically incorporate the hashtags they’re searching for.
2. Use a Tool to Find Relevant Hashtags
When you use TikTok hashtags strategically, they can enhance your content’s reach and engagement.
So, how do you find the right hashtags? Use a social media monitoring tool to analyze relevant industry conversations and discover trends. Some tools allow you to sort and filter hashtags based on certain criteria like popularity, relevance, or engagement.
As a result, you can discover the most relevant and effective hashtags for your content strategy. Being able to focus on the most trending TikTok hashtags will increase your content’s visibility.
Let’s go back to the finance example. A hassle-free financial experience is crucial for today’s digital audience. Making a TikTok that outlines the benefits of a debit card online with no fees is an attractive option to generate a buzz.
This can resonate with users looking for simplicity in their online transactions as you creatively showcase the benefits and features and use trending TikTok hashtags to amplify your reach.
3. Look at the Hashtags Your Competitors Are Using
Whether you’re a content creator or a business, you’re likely in a certain niche or industry. So, why not take a peek at the hashtags your top competitors are using on their most viral videos?
Here’s how to analyze your competitors on TikTok.
Step 1: Go to their profiles and scroll through their posts to see what hashtags they’re using.
Step 2: Look at how each post performs.
- How many likes, comments, and shares did they receive?
Step 3: Compare each post to identify trends and factors that may have contributed to the post’s performance.
So, for example, if you see that each of the high-performing posts that you analyze includes a particular hashtag, the hashtag may be a big factor in the post’s success.
If you want to establish a further competitive edge, consider using competitive intelligence tools to gain insights into market dynamics, audience preferences, and competitor strategies. This will help you stay ahead of the curve and tap into hashtags before they hit peak virality.
4. Check Out the Explore Page
Scrolling through TikTok’s Explore page is another way to find trending TikTok hashtags.
To find the page, open the TikTop app and tap the Explore tab on the top left corner of the screen.
Browse through the videos to identify popular hashtags that creators are using in your industry.
Just like we discussed in the above section, cross-reference each video to identify hashtag trends by comparing the audience response in each video.
5. Utilize the For You Page
TikTok’s “For You” tab is also a great resource for finding niche hashtags. This is the main page of TikTok, and it’s curated just for you. The algorithm uses the content you’ve already engaged with on TikTok to fill your feed with relevant videos.
Understanding how the algorithm works is important because there’s a good chance you’ve engaged with plenty of videos covering topics related to your business or industry.
So, you’ll probably see this content fill your For You page during your research. Pay close attention to the hashtags the creators use on your For You page and try incorporating them into your own content.
Consider this example. Say you’re in the cleaning niche. Maybe you sell sustainable cleaning products for people who don’t want to use harsh chemicals.
Your For You page is likely filled with cleaning-related content. Hashtags you might use include #cleaningtiktok. #cleantok, or #deepclean.
Or, to get even more niche-specific, you could use hashtags like #greencleaningproducts, #sustainabilitytiktok, or #ecocleaning like these creators.
6. Leverage TikTok’s Search Bar
TikTok’s search bar is another goldmine for trending hashtags. Start by typing in a keyword related to your content, industry, or niche.
Analyze the search results and look at the suggested hashtags that appear. Take note of the number of views and posts associated with these hashtags.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you operate in the coaching and leadership space. You want to promote your coaching and personal development services.
When you search for the hashtag #leadership or #leaders, you’ll see other related hashtags like #leadershipdevelopment, #leadershipmotivation, or #leadershipskills, as shown in the screenshots below.
Here’s what the results look like from the above search:
And here’s a close-up of one of the top video results (and the hashtags they use):
The same thing is true for the hashtag #coaching. You’ll see related hashtags like #coachingmotivation and #coachingtips. You’ll even get information about what other similar topics people have searched for based on your input.
And when you tap one of the posts, you’ll see even more relevant hashtags: #lifecoach, #journal, and #personaldevelopment.
As you can see, there are plenty of hashtags to use for your own content based on what you find during this process.
Best Practices for Using Trending TikTok Hashtags
After finding popular TikTok hashtags to use, your job isn’t done yet.
You must incorporate these hashtags into your video marketing strategy in a way that’s natural and authentic. Here are some tips to follow:
Stay relevant to current events and hashtag challenges
Participate in TikTok events and challenges. But find ones that fit your content style and brand. Look at your followers and see what challenges they participate in. Keep an eye on the Discover page and use social listening tools to monitor online conversations
Don’t be spammy
Keep your hashtag usage moderate. Or else, you risk looking spammy, which can hurt your online credibility. So, only use a few relevant hashtags per post.
Use a mix of trending and evergreen hashtags
To maximize reach and visibility, use both trending and evergreen hashtags. Trending hashtags will attract a wider audience for a brief period, while evergreen hashtags will do so over time.
Don’t be afraid of small, super-niche hashtags
Just because a hashtag has very few views doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it in your posts. In fact, you can leverage the hashtag to dominate the space.
Consider your location
Social media platforms, including TikTok, tend to show users content by creators who are based in their area. So, consider using hashtags that are specific to your city or state to attract a more targeted audience.
Don’t skip the branded hashtags
Even though this is a guide on trending TikTok hashtags, we couldn’t end it without mentioning the importance of creating branded hashtags. Why? Because they help build a community around your business.
Encourage your audience to create videos using brand-specific hashtags. As a result, you can build a community of followers who enjoy sharing content related to your business.
Boost Brand Visibility and Discoverability With Trending TikTok Hashtags
If you’re a brand in 2024 and you’re not leveraging TikTok, then you’re missing out. This popular platform isn’t just for attracting younger audiences. A wide range of users are using it, too.
You can reach these audiences with popular hashtags.
Level up your TikTok hashtag strategy with Determ. Our tool allows you to identify trending topics and track relevant conversations so that you can stay on top of the latest trends on TikTok. Book a demo today!
Author Bio:
Jeremy is co-founder & CEO at uSERP, a digital PR and SEO agency working with brands like Monday, ActiveCampaign, Hotjar, and more. He also buys and builds SaaS companies like Wordable.io and writes for publications like Entrepreneur and Search Engine Journal.