Hashtag tracking is helpful for advertising agencies, public relations firms or departments, senior executives, news agencies, journalists, and marketing professionals. It is also beneficial for individuals working to build up an online following.
Real-time hashtag tracking tells what is going on moment-by-moment, while hashtag analytics analyses what happened in the past. Different types of people have specific reasons why using a hashtag tracker could be vital to them. The most crucial use of hashtag tracking is to determine popularity.
Hashtags remain among the most effective tools for expanding social media reach and engagement. Recent surveys show that 71% of Instagram users actively follow hashtags, and 60% discover new brands and products via hashtags in posts.
To maximise the impact of hashtags, social media marketers need to track performance and identify the ones driving results properly. Robust hashtag tracking provides insights on engagement, brand awareness, lead generation and more.
This guide covers everything from setting up tracking across platforms to monitoring metrics and using data to refine hashtag strategy. Follow these best practices to optimise hashtags for your broader social media efforts.
Integrate analytics platform – Connect social accounts so that hashtags can be tracked back to site analytics.
Organise hashtags with UTM tags – Label custom hashtags like #product_launch to segment data.
Add hashtags in social media analytics – Most platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, include built-in hashtag reporting.
Leverage paid tools – Services like Sprout Social and Rival IQ provide robust hashtag tracking and competitive benchmarking.
Create branded hashtags – Develop recognisable hashtags that fans can rally behind and monitor usage.
Online Influencers
Part of this group is people who have found fame using the Internet. One might consider them to be online stars. They gain attention from being bloggers or vloggers (video bloggers). Others in this group include politicians and those leading political movements—at least, they hope to be. This group also has some movie and television stars, especially reality television stars. Finally, there are business and intellectual “thought leaders” who develop a following because what they say is interesting and important.
The influencers use hashtag tracking and analytics to see how far their influence goes—those in other groups described below use hashtag tracking to follow the influencers’ actions.
Business2Community notes that social influencer marketing has grown dramatically over the past few years. This is because it can be highly effective in reaching a targeted audience.
After surveying over 28,000 people from 56 countries, Neilson reported that 92% of people trust online recommendations from other people more than advertisements. These people can be friends, family, or someone they do not know.
Advertising Agencies, Brand Managers, and Public Relations
Advertising agencies, brand managers, public relations firms, and public relations departments must use hashtag tracking.
Advertising Agencies and Brand Managers
Advertising agencies and brand managers use hashtag tracking and analytics to monitor and manage advertising campaigns. This helps to see what is working and what is not. Hashtag tracking helps find and connect with the social influencers described above. Analytics show the results of the efforts. The clients of the advertising agencies want to see this, and brand managers need to know.
Using a good hashtag tracking tool makes the process highly automated. In real time, advertising agencies can modify their campaigns based on popular hashtags, changing their tactics in response to audience reaction or lack thereof.
By tracking influencers, they get an abundance of information, which includes:
Information about the number of followers the influencers have
Most importantly, they get the contact information to connect with influencers. This creates an opportunity to engage them enthusiastically or by paying them, and then benefit from the help of influencers to increase their online perception favourably.
Hashtag tracking and analytics allow advertising agencies and brand managers to follow what the competition is doing.
Hashtag analytical reports show the impact of these efforts using real data in ways that make for impressive campaign results. This makes clients happy and helps brand managers keep their jobs.
Monitor conversation sentiment – Adjust messaging and use if hashtags have negative connotations.
Audit competitors – Analyse their top hashtags for inspiration.
Public Relations
Public relations aims to stay on top of what the public thinks about something. There are both proactive and reactive methods. Proactive methods include press releases and announcements. Reactive methods are about managing crises and reacting quickly to mitigate any damage.
Hashtag tracking allows public relations to monitor the good and bad aspects of what they protect and promote. Using these methods, it is possible to build an online following, inform them, and potentially better manage their opinions.
Marketing
Using hashtag tracking and hashtag analytics, existing clients’ or customers’ social media behaviours can be tracked, and new ones can also be found.
Analysing social media behaviours around topics important to an organisation is a terrific way to find potential new clients or customers. The key is to engage the consumers in a meaningful way that is synergistic with other marketing efforts.
Marketing efforts need the exact tracking requirements as advertising agencies, brand managers, and public relations professionals to determine the effectiveness of any marketing campaign. The same goes for reaching out to influencers and building a positive online community.
Popular hashtags on social media may be somewhat ephemeral. They come and go with changes in interests. This is why tracking them in real time is essential to capture any opportunities that may exist for only a short period.
Tracking what the competition is doing is critical to any marketing efforts. Hashtag tracking allows an organisation to compare its marketing efforts directly against its competitors’ effectiveness. This provides benchmarks used for goal setting and campaign results analysis. Additionally, it gives a complete understanding of the targeted demographic.
Senior Executives
Senior executives use hashtag tracking to learn what social media users think about their organisation. They can also use these methods to gauge the effectiveness of those working to promote the company through advertising campaigns, brand management, public relations, and marketing efforts. This double-checks those efforts and allows executives to make better real-time management decisions.
Analysis of hashtags is helpful for strategic planning and setting performance goals. This helps discover what worked or failed, who did a good job or did not, and where improvements are possible in future efforts.
An in-depth understanding of the social media behaviours of the target market demographic allows executives to monitor the positive and negative aspects of public opinion that are most important to an organisation. Sharing this information with key employees improves collaborative efforts.
Proactively using hashtags allows an organisation to be distinctive and stay ahead of any competition. This opportunity is valuable if the target market includes a significant component of social media users. Social media users are quick to give opinions, and tracking this helps learn what consumers like and what they do not like.
This significant resource for monitoring hashtags helps launch new products or services. Asking social media users about their opinions before releasing new products or services allows for definitive audience opinion analysis.
News Agencies and Journalists
The Internet is nonstop. Some bloggers have scooped major news agencies by using the Internet more effectively. Stale news is not good. With hashtag tracking, it is possible to identify new trends in real time and respond accordingly immediately. There are ways to set up automatic alerts for hashtags and scan for newly created hashtags that suddenly become popular.
Journalists can use hashtag tracking and analytics to develop good ideas for assignments to cover. Insights that come from hashtag analysis can spark creative ideas about interesting stories. Keeping an eye on the popularity of hashtags tells a journalist about the potential audience for any topic. This is especially useful if a journalist needs to pitch a story to an editor before being able to write about it.
Journalists themselves can become influencers by consistently writing quality content that is of interest to a particular audience. In this way, they become experts in that field or on that topic.
The Significance of Hashtag Tracking
Hashtag tracking holds immense value for businesses and individuals seeking to leverage social media effectively:
Unveiling Trending Topics: Track hashtags to identify emerging trends, popular discussions, and zeitgeist moments, allowing you to align your content and strategies accordingly.
Understanding Audience Behaviour: Study how your target audience interacts with hashtags to gain insights into their preferences, interests, and online behaviour.
Measuring Campaign Performance: Assess the effectiveness of your social media campaigns by tracking hashtag usage and engagement, quantifying your reach and impact.
Identifying Influencers: Analyse hashtag usage and engagement to discover key influencers in your industry or niche. This will enable you to collaborate with them for strategic partnerships.
Optimising Content Strategy: Identify high-performing hashtags and incorporate them into your content strategy to increase visibility and engagement.
Business Growth Through Hashtag Intelligence
Hashtag tracking isn’t just about monitoring—it’s about driving measurable business growth through strategic insights and actions.
Monitoring industry-specific hashtags for potential customers
Identifying purchase intent through hashtag behaviour
Tracking competitor hashtag engagement for prospecting
Nurturing leads through strategic hashtag engagement
Customer Journey Mapping:
Understanding how hashtags influence customer decisions
Measuring hashtag impact on conversion rates
Optimising hashtag strategies for different buyer stages
Tracking customer lifetime value from hashtag discovery
ROI Measurement and Optimisation
Effective hashtag tracking provides precise ROI measurement through:
Direct attribution of sales to hashtag campaigns
Cost-per-acquisition analysis for hashtag strategies
Customer lifetime value calculation from hashtag-acquired customers
Budget optimisation based on hashtag performance data
As Ciaran Connolly, Director of ProfileTree, explains: “We’ve seen businesses completely transform their social media ROI through strategic hashtag tracking. One client increased their lead generation by 340% simply by identifying and engaging with the right hashtag conversations. It’s not about vanity metrics—finding where your customers are having conversations and positioning your brand as the solution they need.”
Digital Agency Integration
Digital agencies can significantly enhance their service offerings by incorporating hashtag tracking into their client strategies.
Service Enhancement Through Hashtag Intelligence
Digital agencies can enhance their service offerings by incorporating hashtag tracking into:
Integrating social media hashtag feeds into website design
Optimising landing pages for hashtag-driven traffic
Creating user experiences that encourage hashtag engagement
Measuring website performance from hashtag referrals
AI Implementation for Hashtag Analysis
Modern digital agencies leverage AI for advanced hashtag tracking:
Automated hashtag performance analysis
Predictive hashtag trend identification
Sentiment analysis automation
Real-time campaign optimisation based on hashtag performance
Hashtag Tracking and Analytical Tools
Here is a list of tools for those new to hashtag tracking. Some are free with paid premium accounts; others are paid services with a free demo or free trial:
Free/Paid Premium Tools
Hashtagify – The free service shows relationships between hashtags.
Hashtags.org – Has free accounts and paid premium accounts.
Ritetag – Has free accounts and paid premium accounts.
Tagboard – Offers a free search for a single hashtag to create a pinboard that visually shows hashtag use across social media and offers paid premium accounts.
Trendsmap is a free tool for basic use and a paid premium account showing real-time Twitter trends on a world map.
Twubs – A Free tool or paid premium accounts used to create communities and track Twitter activity.
Paid Services
Bundle Post – Organise hashtag posts, schedule them for automatic posting, and offer a free trial.
Hashtracking – Hashtag tracker and hashtag analytics offer a free trial.
Keyhole– Hashtag tracker and hashtag analytics offer a free trial.
Quintly – Tracking and Analytics offers a free trial.
Rebelmouse – Tracking and analytics offers a free demo.
Talkwalker – Tracking and Analytics offers a free demo.
Tweet Binder – Tracking and analytics for Twitter only, offers a free demo.
Numerous hashtag tracking tools are available, each offering unique features and capabilities. Popular options include:
Brand24: A comprehensive platform for social media monitoring and analysis, including hashtag tracking, sentiment analysis, and influencer identification.
Keyhole: A versatile tool for tracking hashtags across multiple social media platforms, providing detailed analytics and insights.
RiteTag: A hashtag suggestion tool that analyses your content and recommends relevant hashtags to enhance your reach.
Sprout Social: A comprehensive social media management platform with hashtag tracking, scheduling, and reporting features.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Hashtag Tracking
Embark on a journey of hashtag tracking mastery with this step-by-step guide:
Define Your Goals: Establish your hashtag tracking objectives, whether it’s identifying trends, measuring campaign performance, or understanding audience behaviour.
Identify Relevant Hashtags: Brainstorm a list of hashtags related to your industry, products, or services. Utilise hashtag suggestion tools and explore relevant searches.
Select a Hashtag Tracking Tool: Choose a hashtag tracking tool that aligns with your goals and budget. Consider features, ease of use, and reporting capabilities.
Start Tracking: Set up your chosen tool and track your selected hashtags. Monitor hashtag usage, engagement, and sentiment over time.
Analyse and Action: Regularly analyse your hashtag tracking data, identifying trends, insights, and areas for improvement. Adapt your content strategy and social media efforts accordingly.
Case Studies of Successful Hashtag Tracking
To illustrate the power of hashtag tracking, let’s examine a few real-world examples:
Case Study 1: A fashion brand utilised hashtag tracking to identify trending fashion topics and incorporate them into its social media content. As a result, they experienced a significant increase in engagement and brand awareness.
Case Study 2: A non-profit organisation used hashtag tracking to monitor conversations surrounding its latest campaign. Understanding public sentiment and identifying key influencers amplified its campaign’s reach and impact.
Case Study 3: A travel blogger leveraged hashtag tracking to discover and incorporate popular travel destinations into their blog posts. By aligning their content with trending topics, they attracted a wider audience and boosted their blog’s traffic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Steer clear of common mistakes to maximise the effectiveness of your hashtag tracking efforts:
Over-reliance on Branded Hashtags: While branded hashtags can be helpful, don’t overlook the potential of non-branded hashtags to reach a wider audience.
Ignoring Long-Tail Hashtags: Long-tail hashtags, though less frequently searched, often attract highly motivated searchers, leading to higher conversion rates.
Failing to Track Competitor Hashtags: Monitor competitor hashtags to identify their strategies, understand their audience, and uncover potential opportunities.
Neglecting Sentiment Analysis: Analyse the sentiment associated with your hashtags to understand public perception and identify potential issues or concerns.
Conclusion
Implementing effective hashtag tracking provides data-driven insights into your top-performing hashtags, campaigns, influencers, and content. Dedicate time to analysing hashtag analytics across platforms rather than guessing which hashtags work best. Use key metrics like engagement rate, clicks, and sentiment to refine your social media approach for maximum reach and impact. Consistent hashtag tracking ensures your efforts continue evolving based on real data.
Hashtag tracking and hashtag analytics are becoming increasingly important for advertising agencies, public relations firms or departments, senior executives, news agencies, and journalists who consider them essential tools.
This modern form of audience research happens in real time. It is highly effective in following public opinion trends and, when used effectively, can also predict new trends as they emerge.
FAQs
How do you handle negative hashtag sentiment?
Respond promptly and professionally, address legitimate concerns, and consider adjusting strategy if negative sentiment indicates broader issues.
What’s the difference between hashtag tracking and social listening?
Hashtag tracking focuses on tagged content, while social listening encompasses all brand mentions and conversations.
How many hashtags should you track simultaneously?
Start with 10-15 core hashtags across branded, industry, and campaign categories. Expand based on capacity and strategic needs.
Ready to Transform Your Social Media Results?
Stop guessing what works on social media. Our digital marketing experts at ProfileTree have helped businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK turn hashtag strategies into measurable growth, with some clients seeing lead increases of over 300%.
Whether you need a comprehensive social media strategy, AI-powered analytics implementation, or complete digital transformation, we’ll show you how to track, measure, and optimise your hashtag performance for tangible business results.
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