Hashtags can feel like a lottery. You sprinkle a few onto your post, hope for the best, and wonder why nothing happens. Sound familiar?
The good news is that hashtags work brilliantly when you use them with a clear plan. This guide gives you a practical, step-by-step hashtag strategy built for SME owners in hospitality, fitness, and retail. No guesswork. No fluff. Just actions you can take today.
Hashtags are a discovery tool. They help people who don't follow you find your content.
On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, hashtags connect your posts to specific topics and communities. Used well, they put your business in front of exactly the right people. Used badly, they waste your time and damage your credibility.
The difference comes down to strategy.
Before you search for hashtags, get clear on what you want to achieve. Are you trying to reach new local customers? Build a community around your brand? Drive traffic to a seasonal promotion?
Your goal shapes everything. A gym in Manchester trying to attract new members needs different hashtags from a boutique hotel in the Cotswolds promoting midweek breaks.
Write your goal down in one sentence. Keep it specific.
Not all hashtags are equal. Think of them in three categories.
Broad hashtags have millions of posts behind them. Examples include #fitness, #food, or #fashion. Your post will disappear in seconds here. Use these sparingly.
Niche hashtags are more focused. Think #londonboutiquegym or #cotswoldsbedandbreakfast. Fewer posts mean less competition and a more engaged audience.
Branded hashtags are unique to your business. They could be your business name, a campaign slogan, or a community tag. Examples might be #BrytersStyle or #TrainWithUs. These help you build a content community over time.
A strong strategy mixes all three types.
You need to find the hashtags your ideal customers search and follow. Here is how to do it.
Start by searching your main keywords on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Look at the related suggestions that appear. Note which ones have between 10,000 and 500,000 posts — this sweet spot usually offers good reach without too much competition.
Next, look at your top competitors and complementary brands. Which hashtags do they use consistently? Which posts are performing well for them?
Also search from your customer's perspective. A person looking for a personal trainer in Leeds might search #leedspersonaltrainer or #leedsfitness. Think like them.
Keep a simple spreadsheet with your research. List each hashtag, its post count, and the platform it works best on.
One set of hashtags does not work across every platform. Each channel has different norms.
Instagram still supports up to 30 hashtags, but quality beats quantity. Use 10 to 15 well-chosen tags. Mix niche and broad hashtags, and always include a location tag if you serve a local audience.
TikTok works differently. Three to five focused hashtags tend to perform better here. TikTok's algorithm relies less on hashtags and more on content quality, but the right tags still signal relevance to the platform.
LinkedIn works best with three to five professional, industry-specific hashtags. Keep them clean and relevant. Overly trendy or casual hashtags look out of place here.
Facebook hashtags have limited impact. One or two are fine, but don't over-invest your time here.
Build two or three saved hashtag sets for each platform. You can rotate them to avoid appearing repetitive.
A hashtag bank is simply a saved library of hashtags organised by theme. It saves you time and keeps your strategy consistent.
For a fitness business, you might organise tags under categories like: general fitness, location-based, class types, and motivational. For a restaurant, you could group by cuisine type, location, dining occasion, and seasonal promotions.
Aim for 30 to 50 hashtags per platform in your bank. Review and refresh them every two to three months. Trends shift, and some tags become oversaturated or fall out of use.
A hashtag strategy is never finished. You need to measure what works.
On Instagram, check your post insights to see how much reach came from hashtags. On TikTok, monitor which posts reach non-followers most effectively. On LinkedIn, track engagement rates across posts with different tag sets.
Look for patterns over four to six weeks. Which hashtag combinations drive the most profile visits? Which bring in the right audience rather than just inflated numbers?
Drop the tags that underperform. Double down on the ones that work. Adjust your strategy every month based on real data.
Even experienced marketers make these errors.
Using banned hashtags. Instagram bans some hashtags that have been misused. Always check a hashtag before using it. If the top posts look unrelated or inappropriate, avoid it.
Copying the same hashtags every single post. Instagram in particular can flag repetitive hashtag use as spammy behaviour. Rotate your sets regularly.
Chasing volume over relevance. A hashtag with 50 million posts will not help a small yoga studio in Bristol reach local clients. Relevance always beats raw numbers.
Ignoring location tags. For hospitality, fitness, and retail businesses with a physical location, local hashtags are essential. Always include your city or region.
A strong hashtag strategy does not need to be complicated. Set a clear goal. Research the right hashtags. Build organised sets for each platform. Test them consistently and refine based on data.
Start this week by spending 30 minutes building your first hashtag bank. Pick one platform, choose your best-performing content type, and apply a fresh, researched set of hashtags to your next three posts.
Small, consistent steps will always beat occasional bursts of effort. Stick with it, and your content will start reaching the people who genuinely want what you offer.
Need help building a hashtag strategy that fits your business? Get in touch with Byter Digital and let's make your social media work harder for you.
Lewis Banks
Founder & Director, Byter Digital · 7+ years experience
Lewis is the Founder and Director of Byter Digital. He launched the agency in 2018 and has spent the years since building marketing programmes for London restaurants, members clubs, hotels, dental practices, and consumer brands. He writes about agency operations, hospitality marketing, and how SMEs should think about modern channels.
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