Discover hashtags and trends in your industry

As part of digital marketing, you've set up social media accounts for your business on the networks that are relevant to you, but how do you find topics and hashtags that appeal to your desired audience? That's exactly what we'll discuss in this blog post. Read on quickly to get all the tips!

Why hashtags and trends are important

By following the trends in your industry, you can see what's hot right now and hopefully use this not only in your content on social media, but also on your own website. By writing or creating content on a visual platform such as YouTube, you can ensure that your content is relevant and up to date, and quickly pick up and capitalize on any developments in the field.

For example, a manufacturer has launched a new skate model that allows you to achieve the speed of folding skates without the disadvantages. If you see that this is causing a stir in the skating world and that many people are talking about it and sharing content, then you have an opportunity to contribute your expertise.

Every industry has its developments in this area, and by studying the latest trends, you can ensure that you can enjoy its popularity. And with that, hopefully more discussions on your social media posts, more sharing actions and ultimately more traffic to your website hosting.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool from Google that allows you to see what Google users are searching for the most at the moment. This is often a good reference point to also see what is most successful on social media.

You can use Google Trends and select by country and various other levels so that you can further narrow down your target or industry and see what people are searching for the most.

You can select Most Popular at the bottom of related searches to see what people are searching for the most. As you can see, this isn't always useful, but it can give you an insight into what's popular at the moment.

Trending topics Where can you find them and how can you use them?

Trending topics are popular topics that are talked about a lot on social media and search engines. By responding to these trends in a timely manner, you can increase your reach and engagement. But where do you find these trends?

Social media platforms: Check the trending sections on Twitter (X), TikTok and Instagram to see what people are talking about.

Google Trends: Use this tool to analyze which keywords are currently popular in your industry.

News and blogs: Follow relevant news sites and blogs to stay up to date on emerging topics.

Forums and communities: platforms such as Reddit and Quora provide insight into what questions and discussions are resonating with your target audience.

Take advantage of trends by incorporating them into your content, such as blog posts, videos or social media updates. Just make sure they are relevant to your brand to stay authentic.

Keep an eye on the competition

A clever way to discover hashtags and trends is to observe what your competitors are doing. You can do this as follows:

Follow their social media accounts and see which hashtags they use and which posts resonate the most.

Use analytics tools such as BuzzSumo or Sprout Social to get an insight into their most successful content.

Look at their blogs and newsletters to see what topics they cover and what reactions this generates.

Analyze their interactions: Observe what questions and reactions they receive from their followers and capitalize on these with your own content.

Of course, be aware that blindly copying and exploiting trends or hashtags from your competitors can also be taken the wrong way. So always think twice about whether the hashtag can also be used by you. Simply tagging a major competitor or using their brand-specific hashtag, for example, means you can expect little goodwill from the other party. This could be construed as below the belt.

Starting a "war" on social media has an unprofessional attitude in most cases and is more likely to end badly than well.

Tools for discovering hashtags and trends

In addition to Google Trends, there are several tools that can help you find the right hashtags and trends:

Hashtagify - Analyzes popular and related hashtags.

RiteTag - Gives suggestions for hashtags that get the most reach.

Trendsmap - Shows trending hashtags by location.

AnswerThePublic - Helps you find out what questions people are asking about specific topics.

TikTok and Instagram Search - Type in a keyword and see what hashtags and content are popular for it.

These tools help you better target what your audience is searching for and sharing.

How to use trending hashtags effectively in your content strategy

Finding trending hashtags is one thing, but how do you use them effectively? Here are some key tips:

Use a mix of trending and niche hashtags: combine popular hashtags with specific hashtags that are relevant to your target audience.

Place hashtags strategically: on Instagram you can place them in the caption or in the comments, while on TikTok and Twitter (X) you can incorporate the hashtags directly into the post.

Limit the number of hashtags: too many hashtags can make your post look spammy. On Instagram, 3-5 hashtags work well, while on TikTok and Twitter (X), 2-3 hashtags are often enough.

Use branded hashtags: Create your own unique hashtag to build your community and encourage users to use your hashtag.

Test and analyze: Use social media analytics tools to measure which hashtags work best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Local vs. international: Which hashtags work for your target audience?

When choosing hashtags, it's important to determine whether you want to target a local or international audience.

Local reach: use hashtags with the name of your city, region or country. For example: #AmsterdamMarketing, #MKBNederland, or #RotterdamBusiness. This will help you reach an audience that is specifically looking for local services or products.

International reach: If you want to reach a global audience, use hashtags in English that are popular in multiple countries, such as #DigitalMarketing, #SocialMediaTips or #ContentCreation.

Combine for best results: You can combine local and international hashtags to reach both a specific and wider audience. For example: #DutchMarketing and #MarketingStrategy.

Discovering and effectively using hashtags and trends can significantly improve your social media strategy. With the help of tools, competitive analysis and a strategic hashtag approach, you can increase your reach and better reach your target audience. Experiment, analyze and keep up to date with the latest trends to constantly improve your content strategy!