YouTube Hashtags: The Complete Guide for Marketers in 2024

Hashtags have become an essential part of social media strategy across all major platforms, and YouTube is no exception. When used effectively, hashtags can significantly boost the reach and engagement of your brand‘s YouTube videos.

But to get the most out of hashtags, it‘s important to understand the unique best practices and tactics for YouTube specifically. In this in-depth guide, we‘ll cover everything marketers need to know about using hashtags to get more views, subscribers, and conversions from YouTube in 2024 and beyond.

YouTube Hashtags 101

First, let‘s cover the basics of how hashtags work on YouTube. Hashtags on YouTube function similarly to other platforms like Twitter or Instagram – they allow you to categorize your video with a specific topic or theme by including the # symbol followed by a keyword or phrase.

For example, a fitness brand might use hashtags like #homeworkout, #fitnessmotivation, and #healthylifestyle on their workout videos. A beauty brand could use #makeuptutorial, #skincareroutine, and #beautyhacks.

When a user clicks on a hashtag on YouTube, they‘ll be taken to a dedicated page showing all the videos that have used that hashtag. This allows users to easily discover more content related to topics they‘re interested in.

Hashtags are typically displayed above a video‘s title on both the video page and in search results. Creators can include hashtags in either the title or description of their video.

According to YouTube, videos can have a maximum of 15 hashtags, but the recommendation is to use no more than 3-5 relevant hashtags per video for the best performance. Hashtags are limited to 60 characters and cannot contain spaces.

Why Hashtags Matter for YouTube Marketing

Now that we‘ve covered the fundamental mechanics of YouTube hashtags, let‘s dive into why they are such a valuable tool for marketers and brands. Here are a few of the top benefits of using hashtags on YouTube:

1. Increased Reach and Discoverability

One of the primary purposes of hashtags is to help users discover content they otherwise may not have found. And with over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, YouTube offers a massive opportunity for brands to expand their reach to new audiences.

When you add a hashtag to your video, you give it the chance to show up in searches and suggestions for that hashtag. If the hashtag is popular or trending, that can translate to thousands of new viewers.

For example, if a plant-based food brand used the hashtag #veganrecipes on one of their cooking videos, their video would have the potential to reach users exploring that hashtag page, even if they had never interacted with the brand before.

2. Improved SEO and Ranking

In addition to helping users discover your videos through hashtag pages, hashtags are also an important signal for YouTube‘s search and discovery algorithm. YouTube has confirmed that hashtags help the platform understand what your video is about and associate it with related content.

This means that adding relevant hashtags can help improve your video‘s search ranking and increase its chances of showing up in suggested videos. In fact, a study by Fullscreen found that videos with hashtags saw a 12% increase in views on average compared to videos without hashtags.

By strategically including popular keywords and phrases as hashtags, you can boost your video‘s visibility in search results and recommendations – leading to more reach and views.

3. Enhanced Engagement and Watch Time

Hashtags don‘t just impact discoverability – they can also help you attract a more engaged and relevant audience to your videos. When users discover your video through a hashtag page, they are more likely to be interested in the topic and therefore more likely to watch a significant portion of the video.

YouTube‘s algorithm heavily favors audience retention and watch time, so having an engaged audience that sticks around is crucial for ranking well. In fact, YouTube has stated that videos with higher watch times are more likely to show up in search results and recommendations.

Additionally, viewers who discover your video through a hashtag are more likely to engage with the video by liking, commenting, or subscribing because it‘s relevant to their interests. More engagement sends positive signals to the algorithm and further boosts your video‘s performance.

4. Competitive Research and Inspiration

Hashtags are a valuable tool not just for getting your own content discovered, but for analyzing competitors and staying on top of trends in your industry. By exploring popular hashtags related to your niche, you can see which videos are performing well and identify opportunities for your own content.

Look at the type of videos ranking for relevant hashtags and take note of elements like titles, thumbnails, video lengths, and content angles. How can you put your own spin on what‘s working well?

You can also evaluate which hashtags your direct competitors are using and consider ways to differentiate your content. Maybe there‘s a related hashtag that they aren‘t taking advantage of or a trending hashtag you could jump on for more visibility.

Hashtags offer a wealth of insights for marketers to identify gaps and optimize their content strategies. Dedicating time to hashtag research can help spark new ideas and refine your approach.

How to Find the Best Hashtags for Your YouTube Videos

With the importance of hashtags for YouTube marketing clear, the next step is developing an effective process for hashtag research and selection. You don‘t want to just add any random hashtags to your video – being strategic and intentional is key for success.

Here‘s a step-by-step framework for finding the best hashtags for every video you publish:

1. Brainstorm Keywords and Phrases Related to Your Video

Start by brainstorming a list of keywords and phrases that describe the central topic or theme of your video. What is the main subject? What problem does the video solve? What questions might users have that your video answers?

For example, if your video is a beginner‘s guide to email marketing, your keyword list might include:

• Email marketing
• Email marketing strategy
• Email marketing tips
• How to do email marketing
• Email marketing for beginners
• Email list building

Try to think from the perspective of your target audience and what they might search for. Once you have a solid list of keywords, plug them into YouTube‘s search bar to see what auto-complete suggestions and related searches come up. These can also be great options to add to your list.

2. Analyze Hashtag Popularity and Relevance

Next, it‘s time to narrow down your list to a handful of the most effective hashtags. One factor to look at is popularity – in general, you want to target hashtags with a substantial number of views that will expand your video‘s reach.

You can assess hashtag popularity by plugging your options into YouTube‘s search bar and seeing how many results come up or by using a hashtag research tool. However, be careful not to always just go for the broadest, most popular hashtags. While a hashtag like #marketing might get a lot of eyeballs, it‘s also extremely competitive, and your video could get buried.

It‘s better to prioritize relevance and go for a mix of broad and more niche, specific hashtags. You want to find that sweet spot of hashtags that are popular within your specific audience and industry.

Also be sure to consider how the hashtag is actually being used. Just because a hashtag is popular doesn‘t necessarily mean it‘s a fit for your video. Click through the top videos using the hashtag and verify that it‘s being used in the way you think and that your video would be a good addition.

3. Look at Hashtags Used by Successful Competitors

Analyzing what‘s working for leaders in your industry is one of the smartest ways to inform your own hashtag approach. Look at a few of the most successful competitors or peers in your niche and see what hashtags they‘re including on their top-performing videos.

Do you see any hashtags that come up again and again? Are they using any hashtags that you hadn‘t thought of? Identifying commonly used hashtags that you may be missing out on can help you capture new audiences.

At the same time, don‘t just copy competitors entirely. Adding a unique or brand-specific hashtag here and there can help you differentiate your content and build an engaged community specifically around your brand.

4. See What‘s Trending

Another aspect to consider is jumping on breakout or trending hashtags when they relate to your brand and content. Following trends is a powerful way to increase your reach and tap into a new audience of users who might not otherwise discover your channel.

Keep an eye on YouTube‘s trending topics page to see if any particularly relevant or applicable hashtags are taking off. If one seems like a fit for your video, consider creating content tailored to the trend and including the hashtag.

Of course, avoid latching onto every viral hashtag just for the sake of chasing views. Only participate if it‘s authentic to your brand voice and you have a unique and valuable perspective to add to the conversation.

5. Refine and Iterate Over Time

Finally, remember that effective hashtag usage is an ongoing process. Track the performance of your hashtags in YouTube Analytics to see which are driving the most impressions, views, and conversions for your videos.

Do you see any patterns around which hashtags are most impactful? Maybe broad industry hashtags drive lots of views but more specific, niche ones lead to more engagement. Regularly monitoring your results will allow you to constantly refine your hashtag selection.

Don‘t be afraid to experiment with new hashtags and see how they compare to your usual go-tos. You never know when you might uncover a hidden gem! Continuously iterating and optimizing your hashtags will help you maximize your YouTube success over time.

Hashtag Best Practices and Mistakes to Avoid

We‘ve covered the why and how of YouTube hashtags for marketing – now let‘s close out with a few essential dos and don‘ts to keep in mind. Follow these best practices to get the most out of hashtags:

Dos

• Do your research. Don‘t just guess or go with the first hashtags that come to mind. Invest time into strategically choosing hashtags for every video using the process outlined above.
• Use 3-5 hashtags. YouTube‘s recommendation is 3-5 hashtags per video, and research backs this up. An analysis by Briggsby found that videos with 3 hashtags performed best. Stick to a few hyper-relevant hashtags.
• Include hashtags in your title and description. Adding hashtags to both your title and description gives them maximum visibility and impact. Put your most important hashtags in the title if possible.
• Create a branded hashtag. Come up with a unique hashtag specific to your channel or brand and include it on every video. This can help you build a community and make your content more discoverable.
• Capitalize multi-word hashtags. If your hashtag contains multiple words, capitalize the first letter of each word to make it more legible. For example: #EmailMarketingTips instead of #emailmarketingtips.
• Mix broad and narrow hashtags. Use a combination of broad hashtags to maximize reach and more specific, niche ones to attract a highly relevant audience.
• Watch your competitors. Keep an eye on what hashtags competitors and leaders in your industry are using and consider implementing them in your own strategy.

Don‘ts

• Don‘t use irrelevant hashtags. Avoid adding popular but unrelated hashtags just to increase views. This will only hurt your watch time and engagement in the long run.
• Don‘t go overboard. Stuffing your title and description with hashtags looks spammy and can deter viewers. Stick to the 3-5 recommended by YouTube.
• Don‘t use repetitive hashtags. Repeating slight variations of the same hashtag (e.g. #marketingtips, #marketingtip, #marketingtips2022) has no added benefit and just looks like spam.
• Don‘t give up too soon. It may take some trial and error to find the most effective hashtags for your specific audience. Don‘t get discouraged if you don‘t see results right away – keep testing and refining your approach.

Key Takeaways

Hashtags are a key lever for boosting the visibility, reach, and engagement of your YouTube videos. And with the platform only continuing to grow in popularity, getting your hashtag strategy dialed in has never been more important for marketers.

To recap, here are the main points to remember about YouTube hashtags:

• Hashtags make your videos discoverable to new users and signal to YouTube what your content is about
• Choosing relevant, thoughtful hashtags can help you attract a more engaged audience and get more overall watch time
• An effective hashtag strategy involves researching popularity, analyzing competitors, and considering trends
• Tracking your results and experimenting with new hashtags over time will allow you to continuously optimize your performance

By understanding how to harness the power of hashtags on YouTube, you‘ll be able to unlock massive growth for your channel and business.

The world of hashtags is always evolving, so stay tuned for the latest best practices and trends. Here‘s to more views, engagement, and results from your YouTube marketing efforts!