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Introduction: Hashtags on TikTok
TikTok is a widely popular app worldwide. It has over 2 billion users scrolling diverse video content: dance videos, cooking tutorials, quirky memes, and on-location breaking news. It has become a powerful tool for new musicians, small brands, and creators of all kinds.
Hashtags on TikTok aren’t just random words you stick in a caption. They help TikTok algorithms to understand your content and serve it in front of people who watch similar videos.
Your video has a better chance of appearing in TikTok’s featured videos section when you use popular TikTok hashtags. They can make your content viral and reach a broader audience.
The right hashtags can-
- Increase engagement
- Get your content into TikTok’s featured trending topics
- Help you connect with communities interested in your niche
In other words, hashtags decide whether your video gets lost in the crowd or pushed to TikTok’s discover page.
Table of Contents
Types of Hashtags
1. Broad and Niche Hashtags
- Trending hashtags: Hashtags like “#viral” or “#FYP” are designed to reach a broad audience. They push your TikTok content into the most trending topics. These trending hashtags tend to reach more people.
- Niche hashtags: These hashtags target a specific group/community- like #veganrecipes or #knittingcommunity. These connect you directly to the right audience: the people most likely to engage with your video content.
The best approach is to blend both: Broad and Niche hashtags according to the content. Use broad hashtags to grab attention from a larger audience. Try niche hashtags to reach the groups that may be interested in your content. That balance helps your video show up in TikTok’s search results and align with the right audience.
2. Branded Hashtags
Branded hashtags take things a step further by building identity and sparking interaction. They aren’t just labels, they’re campaigns.
For example-
YSL Beauty’s “#DropTheLook” encouraged thousands of users to join in and show their own style while promoting the brand. This kind of hashtag challenge-
- improves engagement
- strengthens brand presence on TikTok
Branded hashtags also help users discover original content tied directly to your business. They create a searchable series of user-generated content ( UGC ) that supports your TikTok for business strategy.
Popular Hashtags
1. Fashion Hashtags
Fashion hashtags are among the most trending TikTok hashtags. They highlight “ outfits, shoes, accessories, and style inspiration “ in short and engaging clips. Tags like #FashionHaul or #Thrifted connect with audiences who are looking for
- style tips
- shopping hauls
- the latest fashion hashtags trending
Creators use them to highlight personal style or showcase new collections.
These hashtags bring your videos into TikTok’s style-driven communities. The better your content aligns with fashion trends, there is more chance that your video will appear in the discover page and improve engagement.
If you’re a fashion influencer or brand looking to make your mark with popular TikTok hashtags, Varun Digital Media can help fine-tune your strategy for maximum reach.
2. Food Hashtags
Food hashtags are equally effective as the fashion ones. Food Hashtags is for creators posting:
- cooking tutorials
- recipe walk-throughs
- restaurant-style plating tips
- food reviews
Popular hashtags like #cooking or #FoodTok help users discover content related to cooking and food preparation. TikTok videos with food hashtags attract casual home cooks, professional chefs, and viewers who enjoy watching food videos.
Using popular hashtags in your video captions can improve discoverability within TikTok’s search bar. When users search for trending topics around recipes or cooking, they find your content too.
Want your food videos to stand out in TikTok’s algorithm and reach communities interested in food culture? Varun Digital Media helps creators and businesses optimize their use of TikTok hashtags to drive higher visibility. Talk to an expert now.
Using Hashtags Effectively
1. Best TikTok Hashtags
The best TikTok hashtags aren’t about throwing in just random words. They’re the ones that actually make your content easier to find and push it toward a broader audience.
On a wildly popular app like TikTok, hashtags simplify discovery. They connect creators with people watching similar content and even help TikTok Shop sellers get noticed.
While you can create unique hashtags for your content, the most trending TikTok hashtags, those with established audiences, usually deliver faster results. They give your video that extra boost in visibility.
Researching trending hashtags is a must. Without it, you’re just guessing. With it, you’re aligning your content with trending tags that matter.
2. Hashtags Matter
Hashtags matter more than most realize. They aren’t filler; they’re signals. TikTok’s algorithm reads them to decide where your video belongs and who should see it.
Relevant hashtags improve your chances of reaching the right audience for your content. People find videos they search for. Thus, engagement rate naturally rises. Hashtags are a powerful tool for improving your TikTok SEO growth.
3. Hashtag Challenges
Hashtag challenges are one of TikTok’s most trending features, and for good reason.
- They invite participation, and participation fuels virality.
- Launching or joining hashtag challenges is a direct way to make your content more discoverable. The algorithm notices this interaction and places hashtags tied to challenges higher in search results.
- Using three to five hashtags per video usually strikes the balance between clarity and discoverability. It should fit within TikTok’s 2,200-character limit.
When you engage with trending challenges, your video has a better shot at riding new trends and getting into TikTok’s featured videos section.
Optimizing Hashtag Use
1. How Many Hashtags
There’s always a debate on how many hashtags you should use. The truth is, less can often be more. Three to five hashtags per caption is considered the sweet spot. Some creators stretch it to six, but piling on too many hashtags tends to dilute your message.
TikTok’s algorithm favors content where hashtags align cleanly with the video. Overusing hashtags or adding unrelated trending hashtags can make content look spammy and unprofessional.
First, write a strong caption that defines your content. After that, add hashtags that naturally support it and are relevant. That way, you balance discoverability with credibility.
2. Boost Engagement
Using the right and relevant Hashtags can enhance engagement. They improve the chances of connecting your videos with groups/communities interested in your topic.
Relevant hashtags
Hashtags relevant to your topic attract viewers who are more likely to engage: comment, share, and watch your video through to the end. This sends positive signals to the algorithm. In turn, algorithms reward your content with more visibility.
Chasing unrelated trending hashtags might bring a spike in views. But they won’t create meaningful engagement. That viewership declines fast, and the video fails to make any impact.
The goal should always be to resonate with the target audience. Try to use hashtags that align with your video content and audience. This helps your videos reach more right people.
Conclusion
Using the right hashtags to grow on TikTok is essential. You can increase your content’s discoverability and improve engagement by researching trending hashtags and building a mix of broad and niche hashtags.
It’s tempting to rely only on the most trending TikTok hashtags like #FYP. But oversaturated tags often suppress your video in a crowd of similar content. The smarter move is to balance these hashtags with “niche hashtags and branded hashtags” as they connect with communities interested in your work.
When your hashtags align with your TikTok content-
- You boost discoverability
- Tap into trending challenges
- Give your videos a higher chance of going viral
Remember, too many hashtags can spoil your caption and reduce its impact. Stick with three to five hashtags and under the limit of 2200 characters. Hashtags must be clear, relevant, and strong enough to push your content into TikTok’s discover page.
Explore Varun Digital Media’s social media services to
boost your TikTok growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are TikTok hashtags trending in 2025?
TikTok hashtags that are trending in 2025 are a mix of broad hashtags like #viral and #FYP and niche hashtags linked to specific interests. The best way to research trending hashtags is to watch TikTok’s search bar and discover page. This helps to stay updated with new trends and trending topics.
2. How many hashtags should I use on TikTok for the best results?
There are no set rules for how many hashtags one should use. But on consistent usage and pattern analysis, TikTok creators notice that the best performance comes with three to five hashtags per video.
This number allows you to combine trending hashtags, niche targeting, and branded hashtags without spoiling your caption.
3. Do hashtags in comments help boost visibility?
Placing hashtags in captions has the most immediate SEO boost. Comments hashtags may still contribute, but they’re indexed later by TikTok’s algorithm, so they usually don’t carry the same impact.
4. Can using unrelated trending hashtags hurt my TikTok content?
Yes. Non-relevant trending hashtags rarely reach the right audience. They may increase short-term views but decline faster long term. Your video fails to connect with communities interested in your niche without relevant hashtags. This results in lower long-term engagement.
5. How can I find the best hashtags for my TikTok videos?
Finding the best hashtags for my TikTok videos is not that hard.
- Start with TikTok’s search bar and the discover page
- Analyze competitors’ hashtags or hashtags that top creators in your space use
- Keep an updated and organized list of popular TikTok hashtags that align with your video content for better results
6. What are hashtag challenges, and how do they help?
Hashtag challenges are campaigns or trends that are created around a specific hashtag.
They encourage users to
- Participate in the challenge
- Create relevant content
- Share the content to their community
Hashtag challenges often become viral trending challenges. They improve engagement and visibility across a broader audience.
7. Can hashtags make a bad video go viral?
No, hashtags can’t make a bad video go viral. TikTok’s algorithm monitors-
- User watch time
- Content Engagement
- Video completion rate
Hashtags simply increase discoverability. Hashtags can help your video reach the right audience faster if it aligns with what they search and watch.
8. Should I create branded hashtags for my business on TikTok?
Absolutely every business should create branded hashtags on TikTok. Branded hashtags create awareness, build new communities, and support TikTok for business campaigns. They also encourage user-generated content. This makes it easy for users to find and share your brand’s video content.
Published: September 19th, 2025
