How to Create a Hashtag

This article was co-authored by A.J. Aldana. A.J. Aldana is a social media specialist who has been using platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube for over 5 years. A.J. has worked with brands to curate content that has garnered thousands of interactions for various social media campaigns and is passionate about contributing to innovative and trending articles on wikiHow. He holds a BS in Product Design from Stanford University.

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A hashtag is a useful social media tool that helps to tag different posts as being related to the same topic. Hashtags are a great way to promote your idea, event, or brand on social media. They provide a creative way of engaging a target community, or of starting conversations with people from around the world. Coming up with your own hashtag can be a daunting task, but finding one that sticks is worth the effort.

Quick Guide: Making a New Hashtag

Think of an idea, event, or trend for your hashtag.
Consider the communities you're targeting.
Brainstorm a list of ideas.
Keep your hashtag short and memorable.
Ask friends and followers to start using your hashtag.
Track usage of your hashtag.

Part 1 of 3:

Coming up with Ideas

Ask yourself clarifying questions like, “do I want my hashtag to be funny?” “Am I trying to inspire my community?” And “do I want my hashtag to advertise a product or event?”
Think about the reach of your hashtag. What communities are you trying to target? Is your hashtag just meant for friends and family, or are you working on branding for a larger company?

Try using actionable words to engage the readers with your marketing campaign, like Nike’s #justdoit motto and hashtag.
Consider using a common phrase or location in your hashtag, such as the hashtag #GetTogetherAlready used by Tostitos. [3] X Research source That way users will be more likely to tag their regular photos with your hashtag.
Avoid using special characters like exclamation marks or dollar signs.
Use abbreviations and shorten words where you can, like using #tbt in place of #ThrowbackThursday, or shortening the name #Nicholas to #Nick, for example.

You can either use your whole brand name like in #BeatsByDre, or focus on your products, like in Coca-Cola’s hashtag #ShareaCoke.

For annual events, try writing out the full year or an abbreviation, such as either #Coachella2018 or #Coachella18.
Using a year in your hashtag gives you the chance to create a new variation on it the next time the event takes place, like using #Coachella2019 or #Coachella19.
Using a year can add clarity to a hashtag, but makes it harder to reuse. This is something to consider when you're deciding on whether to include a number or not. [5] X Research source

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Perfecting Your Hashtag

Check that your hashtag is unique by searching for it on social media sites. Search on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr to see if your creation is already in use. Be sure that your hashtag is not already associated with a brand, idea, or community. It’s good to have your hashtag stand out, and you don’t want to risk confusing your message when users search for your hashtag online. [6] X Expert Source

Be thorough in your research. The last thing you want is for your hashtag to take off, only to find out afterwards that it’s already associated with something you don’t want attached to your brand.
If your hashtag is already in use, move to a different option on your list, or change the hashtag enough to make it unique.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell that your hashtag spells out multiple words when you write it using capital letters. Try writing your hashtag out in lowercase letters to better tell if it spells out any unintended words.

Ask a family member or colleague to read over your hashtag and help you write down a list of its possible meanings. Sometimes getting a second opinion can help you notice mistakes and any unclear language in your hashtag.

If you want to use a name similar to one in the news, try abbreviating the name, using a nickname, or adding a first or last name or initial to your hashtag for clarity.

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Promoting Your Hashtag

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To further your hashtag even more, consider asking a social media influencer to use it in their posts. This will get even more eyes on your hashtag.

Be mindful of the different audience on each platform. On Instagram, try using an inspirational picture and other trending hashtags to promote your own. Focus more on the written content in your Facebook and Twitter posts.
Make multiple posts on each account to keep your hashtag at the top of the newsfeed.

Get creative with your marketing. You could make a cut out version of your hashtag for visitors to hold up in a picture, or make a bumper sticker with your hashtag on it for your car.

Pay attention to the audience that your hashtag is reaching, and specifically the age group. Think about what content you can post to gain a bigger following in other age groups or communities, and how to keep the attention of the followers you’ve already attracted.

Tips

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Please provide your name and last initial Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Common Questions: Creating Your Own Hashtag

How do I invent a new hashtag?

A hashtag is as simple as putting some words behind a # sign. However, aim for short hashtags that are one to three words long to increase your chances of getting a popular or viral hashtag.

What websites can I use hashtags on?

Almost every social media website allows hashtags, including X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, and even LinkedIn.

What makes a good hashtag?

Keep your hashtag short and easy to remember. Make sure the hashtag is focused on one topic, event, or concept. Center your hashtag around relevant ideas, as something too obscure will go unnoticed. But don't pick a hashtag too close to one that already exists, as this may be seen as copying.