What could be worse than creating an excellent video for your YouTube channel only to find that it is not getting enough views? Here’s one reason: Not using any trending Hashtags on YouTube.
Believe it or not, hashtags on YouTube play a key role in maximizing the reach of your YouTube videos. Using the wrong hashtags can hamper your reach whereas relevant hashtags can skyrocket your video views through the roof!
But how do you do it? What are the best practices to leverage the best YouTube hashtags? That’s what this blog is about.
In this blog, we’ll help you understand some best practices and learn how to use hashtags on YouTube the right way so your videos get more reach and views.
YouTube hashtags are nothing but words and phrases on YouTube that are preceded by the octothorpe (hash #) symbol. These hashtags are clickable and are used to tag videos to a particular theme or topic so others can find them easily.
They work as excellent filter words and help make your search for a topic much easier. Many YouTubers use popular YouTube hashtags on a regular basis, either as a part of their campaigns or to make their videos known to new viewers.
For example, The Tech Chap (a popular YouTube tech channel) uses hashtags like #OnePlus7T, #OnePlus7Pro, and #OnePlus in his OnePlus 7T vs OnePlus 7T Pro review.
When visitors type for a relevant keyword like “tech review”, YouTube places his video as a recommended suggestion on the results page.
In this way, hashtags can help your videos get the spotlight they need in search results.
With hashtags, visitors can also discover related videos surrounding a particular topic.
There are four main different types of YouTube hashtags:
Each of these serves a different purpose. You have the option to use either one of these or all of them in your videos.
Adding hashtags to your YouTube videos isn’t difficult. By using a different set of hashtags you can make your videos stand out from the rest of the competition.
The best way is to mix match and strategically sprinkle them in certain locations. Doing so dramatically improves the rankings and reachability of your videos.
Once added they appear in blue and can be clicked by your visitors to further explore the topic.
However, keep in mind not to overuse these hashtags as they can redirect users from your videos to somewhere else. Hence, it’s always better to follow some best practices when using them.
To best way to add hashtags to your YouTube title is by picking a relevant topic as your hashtag.
You can pick a topic that broadly covers the subject you’re talking about in your video. Try to keep a maximum count of two and not overuse the hashtag.
For example, StylEnrich uses #BestOutofWaste and #DIY as its title hashtags of choice to enhance the discoverability of their topic: Making a DIY Jewelry Organizer using a waste cold drink bottle.
Description Hashtags are those that appear in the bottom section of your YouTube video. To effectively add hashtags in your YouTube description, select the ones with the highest reach.
Keep in mind the first three hashtags you’ll use will be displayed above your YouTube title so make sure you pick some of the highly relevant ones to add in your description.
Also, if your title already contains a hashtag in it then the description hashtags won’t show up above the title.
In the above example, Sweetwater does a great job with its hashtags, the channel uses pretty self-explanatory but highly broad hashtags like #PianoLessons and #PianoStylings for its video tutorials.
Branded hashtags are custom hashtags created by YouTubers for subscribers where the main intention is to drive more brand awareness for the channel.
These types of hashtags work best if you’re running a campaign (for example a contest giveaway) or live video stream for your fans (Q&A.)
To create your own branded hashtag think of a good slogan or tagline that goes with the topic of the video.
For example, the YouTube channel PropertyLimBrothers use branded hashtags called #AskPropertyLimBrothers and #MelvinLim for Q&A sessions with their subscribers.
Location hashtags on YouTube can only be used if you’re uploading a video from your smartphone.
When uploading your video, click on the location tab in your YouTube uploader, search the area you want to highlight, pick the ideal location and you’re good to go.
Like title hashtags, location hashtags also cover the description hashtags so they won’t show up if you add a location to your title.
It’s not mandatory that you need to include hashtags in your YouTube video. However, adding hashtags in your videos can improve the discoverability of your channel and increase the reach of your videos. They can be used as a good brand awareness tool.
Yes, Tagging definitely helps rank your video on YouTube. They make it easier for users to filter content and streamline their search. If you have tagged your video, there is a great chance of it getting noticed by viewers in the recommendations.
There is no limit to how many hashtags you can have on YouTube. However, it’s best to keep the count to 3-5 hashtags per video. Overstuffing hashtags in videos can result in YouTube blocking your videos so make sure you don’t overdo them.
Well, now that you know how to take advantage of hashtags on YouTube it’s time to start leveraging your video content strategy.
Use all the key tips and tricks and drive your YouTube marketing for higher reach and more subscribers.
If you’re not sure how we can always give you a hand.
We are a digital marketing agency that has helped plenty of businesses drive sales and growth using result-driven content marketing strategies and can help you too.
Get in touch with us and we’ll help you out.
