27 Apr TOP HASHTAG FACTS AND STATISTICS IN 2023
Hashtags were first popularized on Twitter and since then have been adopted by other social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. As of 2023, hashtag use has spread beyond Twitter to include more general interest and brand promotion across social media platforms.
While hashtags were initially used to categorize tweets, they have evolved into a powerful marketing tool for businesses and individuals. Here are some fascinating hashtag facts and statistics that you should know in 2023.
Hashtag Facts and Statistics – The Invention and History
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Hashtag Facts and Statistics #1: The Inventor of the Hashtag is Chris Messina
On August 23, 2007, Chris Messina proposed, in a tweet, that the pound sign (#) be used to group related tweets. He called it a “hashtag” after the pound sign’s a more common name, the octothorpe. His proposal was met with skepticism from some users, but it quickly caught on as a way to categorize tweets and make them easier to find. Today, hashtags are used by millions of people around the world to share their thoughts and experiences on a wide range of topics. While they were initially designed as a way to organize tweets, hashtags have also become a valuable tool for marketing and branding purposes. Invented by Chris Messina, hashtags have revolutionized how we communicate on social media.
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #2: The First Hashtag Used Was #Barcamp
The first hashtag used was #barcamp, used in relation to a technology event happening at which Messina was an attendee. Later that year, hashtags were used in tweets about Hurricane Ike and plotting meetups to protest the Iraq War. In 2009, people started using hashtags in tweets about Michael Jackson’s death and the Iran elections. In 2010, they were used by the astronauts on the International Space Station, and cookies were being sold with Twitter hashtags on them.
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #3: Technical Term for the Hashtag is ‘Octothorpe’
The term “octothorpe” was first coined in the 1960s by Bell Labs employee and inventor Don MacPherson, and it quickly became a standard part of teletype code. The symbol consists of the number “8” with two horizontal lines through the middle, resembling a pound sign or hash mark. It was not until 2007 that the octothorpe was popularized by Twitter and became the hashtag as we know it.
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #4: The Word “Hashtag” was Added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014
The word “hashtag” was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014. Before that, the hashtag was primarily used by programmers and computer scientists to label information for easy retrieval. However, the advent of social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram gave the hashtag a new lease on life. Hashtags quickly became a way for users to categorize and find content relevant to their interests. Today, hashtags are used billions of times every day and show no signs of slowing down. While some might view the hashtag as a simple piece of punctuation, it is clear that it has had a profound impact on the way we communicate online.
Twitter Hashtag Statistics
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #5: Twitter’s Most Popular Hashtag is #COVID19 with 50 Million Plus Uses
Twitter has become one of the most popular social networking platforms on the internet, with millions of users sharing their thoughts and experiences with the world every day. Hashtags are a vital part of Twitter, allowing users to categorize their tweets and make them easier to find.
However, some hashtags are more popular than others. As of December 2021, the most popular hashtag on Twitter is #COVID19, with over 50 million uses. The second most popular hashtag is #BlackLivesMatter, with over 32 million uses. The third most popular hashtag is #trump, with over 27 million uses. The fourth most popular hashtag is #Brexit, with over 22 million uses. The fifth most popular hashtag is #nobannowall, with over 21 million uses. (source Twitter Top Hashtags)
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #6: Twitter’s Hashtag #WomensMarch Received 9.8 Million Engaged Users
A recent study by the social media analytics firm ListenFirst Media shows that, when it comes to Twitter hashtag engagement, the top three most popular hashtags are #WomensMarch (9.8 million engagements), #TrumpInauguration (6.4 million engagements), and #Brexit (5.9 million engagements). The study also found that the top three most engaged-with Twitter accounts are @realDonaldTrump (35.3 million engagements), @POTUS (20.8 million engagements), and @HillaryClinton (10.6 million engagements). These findings suggest that topics related to politics are far more popular than any other type of topic regarding Twitter hashtag engagement. Twitter is often a platform where the most significant political discussions and debates occur.
A recent study from Buffer found that tweets with hashtags are more likely to be retweeted than those without. In fact, tweets with one or two hashtags had a 21% higher retweet rate than those without any hashtags. The study also found that tweets with three or more hashtags had a 17% lower retweet rate than those with one or two hashtags. This suggests that there is a sweet spot when it comes to hashtag usage on Twitter. Too few hashtags and your tweet may get lost in the shuffle; too many and you risk turning off potential retweeters. When used judiciously, hashtags can be a powerful tool for boosting engagement on Twitter.
Instagram Hashtag Statistics
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #8: Instagram Most Popular Hashtag is #Love With 2 Billion Uses
As of December 2021, there are around 1.2 billion monthly active Instagram users. This makes Instagram the second most popular social media platform, behind only Facebook. Compared to Twitter, Instagram gives you more room to improvise with hashtags, and you can add up to 30 per posts. This also means that there are over 100 million hashtags in use on Instagram. Here is the list of the top 10 most used hashtags on Instagram:
1 #love 2.062 billion
2 #instagood 1.326 billion
3 #fashion 943.0 million
4 #photooftheday 908.1 milion
5 #Art 781.2 milion
6 #photography 734.5 million
7 #beautiful 732.6 million
8 #picoftheday 640.9 million
9 #happy 628.2 million
10 #cute 621.1 million
It’s no secret that hashtags can be powerful tools on social media. They can help you connect with like-minded people, discover new content, and even boost your visibility. But did you know that they can also significantly impact your engagement levels? A recent study by SproutSocial found that Instagram posts with at least one hashtag receive 29% more interactions than those without hashtags. And while posts with 11+ hashtags have the highest interactions with 79%, it’s essential to strike a balance – too many hashtags can appear spammy and turn people off. So next time you’re planning an Instagram post, take the time to include a few relevant hashtags – your engagement levels will thank you for it!
A recent study from Later.com found that profiles under 5,000 followers received an average of 36.85% more reach rate per post when they included hashtags in the caption. For profiles with 5k-10k followers, the average increase was 20.9%. For profiles with 10k-50k followers, the average increase was 21.47%. And for profiles with 50k-100k followers, the average increase was 21.43%. These findings suggest that hashtags can be particularly effective for users with smaller followings. However, even users with more significant followings can benefit from hashtags to reach a wider audience and boost engagement levels.
For example, micro influencers and even celebrity influencers can utilize hashtags that are more general and place their post ranking on top of the Instagram search results under certain categories. However, hashtag usage should always be optimized for target audience categories. According to Ronald Dsouza social media manager of FJackets, when creating posts on Instagram, you should use a combination of popular and niche hashtags to reach different audiences. While the most popular hashtags may have large numbers of users, it may also mean that your post will get lost in the sea of content.
According to a recent study from Later.com, 87.7% of Instagram accounts prefer to use hashtags in the caption compared to 12.3% who place them in comments. This suggests that hashtags are more effective when visible to all users rather than buried in the comments section. Furthermore, the study found that accounts that use hashtags in the caption tend to have more followers and generate more likes and comments than those which do not. For businesses, using hashtags in the caption is a great way to increase brand awareness and connect with potential customers.
Facebook Hashtag Statistics
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #11: Facebook is the Second Most Popular Platform for Hashtag Use
According to a recent study by Hashtags.org, Facebook is the second most popular social network for hashtags, with over 300 million posts containing hashtags. That’s an impressive number, but it’s only a fraction of the overall activity on the site. The study also found that the top five most popular Facebook hashtags are: #love, #like, #live, #photography, and #trending, while the most popular hashtag categories are: love/relationships (21%), fashion/style (9%), food (8%), DIY/crafts (6%), and travel (5%).
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #12: Facebook Posts with Only One Hashtag Received 593 on Average Engagement
A study by Social Bakers found that, on average, Facebook posts with only one hashtag received 593 engagements. This was significantly higher than posts with 3 to 5 hashtags, which averaged 416 engagements. Posts with 6 to 10 hashtags had an average of 307 engagements, and posts with more than 10 hashtags had the lowest average engagement per post, with 188. While it is tempting to overload a post with hashtags to reach a wider audience, this study shows that it can actually decrease engagement. Therefore, it is best to use only a few relevant hashtags per post to maximize engagement.
TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years, with users creating short videos on various topics. Hashtags are a key part of the TikTok experience, helping users find content that interests them. The most popular TikTok hashtags include #foryou (56 billion views), #funny (42 billion views), #music (39 billion views), and #dance (32 billion views). These hashtags reflect the diverse range of content that can be found on TikTok, from hilarious clips and dance routines to emotional stories and heartfelt messages. By using hashtags, TikTok users can easily find the content they’re looking for, whether it’s something to make them laugh or something to inspire them. With such a wide range of content available, it’s no wonder that TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms around. (source: Hootsuite)
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #14: Tiktok Hashtag Categories Statistics
TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with users spending an average of 52 minutes on the app each day. Not surprisingly, given the app’s popularity, TikTok has also become a powerful marketing tool. One of the most important aspects of marketing on TikTok is using hashtags. Hashtags are a crucial way to discover new content on TikTok, and they can also help boost the visibility of your videos. The most popular hashtag category on TikTok is entertainment, with 535 billion views. This is followed by fashion and beauty, with 466 billion views, and music, with 452 billion views. When choosing hashtags for your videos, it is important to select ones relevant to your content and that have a large number of views. This will help to ensure that your videos are seen by as many people as possible. (source: Hootsuite)
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #15: TikTok Hashtag Engagement Statistics
If you are looking to get more engagement on your TikTok videos, you should focus on using a limited number of hashtags. Although it’s tempting to use a long list of hashtags to reach a wider audience, this strategy can actually backfire. A recent study from SocialBakers has shown that if you use only one to three hashtags, you will get 27% more engagement than if you use a longer list. However, using more than three hashtags increases engagement only by 5%. This is because viewers perceive videos with a shorter hashtag list as more genuine and authentic. So if you’re serious about getting more views and likes on your TikTok videos, stick to using a small number of targeted hashtags.
As of December 2021, the most popular YouTube hashtag is #music. This hashtag has been used in over 1.6 billion videos. Next up are #fun (1.2 billion videos), gaming (600 million), movie (500 million), and food (450 million). These five hashtags are leading the way when it comes to most popular hashtags on Youtube. (source: TopHashtags)
Hashtag Facts and Statistics #17: Youtube Hashtag Engagement Statistics
YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally and the third most popular website. According to Alexa.com, YouTube receives over 30 million visitors per day. And of those visitors, 68% are from the United States. YouTube has become so popular that it’s now being used as a marketing tool by businesses large and small. In fact, a recent study by Google found that 50% of consumers say they have discovered a new product or company on YouTube.
But what about YouTube hashtags? Are they being used? And, if so, how effective are they?
YouTube hashtag statistics show that hashtags are being used, and they are effective. The study by Google found that including a hashtag in a video title or description increased the number of views by 26%. And, when looking at comments, videos with hashtags included had 14% more engagement than those without hashtags.
According to recent statistics, the LinkedIn hashtag #in is used an average of 2.1 million times per month. This popular hashtag is most often used in posts related to business and careers, making it a valuable tool for professionals looking to connect with others in their field. In addition to #in, other popular LinkedIn hashtags include #job (used 1.4 million times per month) and #career (used 1.2 million times per month). Hashtags can be a great way to connect with like-minded individuals and expand your professional network. So if you’re looking to get the most out of LinkedIn, be sure to use hashtags in your posts! (source: LinkedIn)
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that allows users to curate and save images and videos on virtual boards. According to Statista, as of December 2021, Pinterest had 459 million monthly active users worldwide. This social media platform is especially popular with female users aged 25-54. In the United States, 70 percent of women who use the internet are on Pinterest. As of December 2021, the most popular Pinterest hashtag is #love, with over 322 million pins. This is followed by #fashion, with over 166 million pins, and #beauty, with over 130 million pins. These top three hashtags are used significantly more than other popular hashtags on Pinterest, such as #food (over 61 million pins), #art (over 59 million pins), and #travel (over 50 million pins). The popularity of these hashtags reflects the interests of the Pinterest community and provides valuable insights into what users are searching for on the platform. In addition to the most popular hashtags, Pinterest also tracks the trending hashtags, which can change daily. As of March 2020, some of the top trending hashtags include #springbreak, #Easter, and #StPatricksDay. These hashtags provide a snapshot of what users are interested in at any given time and can be used by businesses to target their marketing campaigns accordingly.
Conclusion or without a headline, just a separator?
We have gone through some of the most relevant facts and statistics around hashtags and how they are used in relation to some of the most popular social media networks today. Hashtags have evolved into a powerful marketing tool used to increase engagement and reach on social media. If you are not using hashtags in your social media marketing strategy, you are missing out on a valuable opportunity to connect with your audience and promote your brand. Furthermore, as hashtags continue to grow and evolve, staying up-to-date on the latest hashtag trends and best practices is essential. By understanding how to use hashtags properly, you can maximize your brand’s reach and impact on social media.