Ecommerce Hashtags to Use in 2024 (& tips on finding the best Hashtags)

Ecommerce hashtags are one of the most valuable tools store owners can use to boost their online research, brand awareness, and potential for growth. Yet many business leaders still aren’t taking full advantage of the benefits hashtags can offer.

On Twitter alone, adding a hashtag to your post can earn you double the average amount of engagement, and improve your chances of being “retweeted”. However, ecommerce hashtags aren’t just for Twitter. Virtually every social media platform uses hashtags to help customers find content relevant to their interests.

The question is, how do you find the hashtags most likely to generate online growth? Read on for tips on how to find the best hashtags for your company, and our list of the most popular tags worth using in your social media marketing campaigns.

What are Ecommerce Hashtags?

Hashtags, such as #Ecommerce, are a common feature of every social media channel. They’re used on Instagram, Twitter (X), Facebook, TikTok, and countless other platforms for a range of purposes. Not only do hashtags help social media platforms organize content, but they also make it easier for companies to reach specific audiences searching for relevant terms.

Hashtags on social media work similarly to keywords in search engine optimization. The right tags increase the odds of your content being seen by the right, relevant customers.

Ecommerce hashtags, as the name would suggest, are tags specifically designed to help promote online businesses. They can include everything from branded hashtags which feature the name of a store, such as #ShopifyExperts, to trending tags like #EcommerceTips. Some companies even use niche-specific tags, like #PrintonDemand or #DropshippingCourse.

The Benefits of Ecommerce Hashtags

No matter how you feel about them, hashtags are essential to boosting the ROI of your social media campaigns, and unlocking new opportunities online. They have a place on every social platform, and they’re extremely popular among younger consumers. Used correctly, hashtags can:

Increase your reach: Tags make it easier for potential customers to find your social media posts, improving your visibility online. They also help social media platform algorithms determine where to position your posts on environments like the Instagram “Explore” page.
Encourage engagement: Certain types of hashtags can encourage customers to engage with your brand. For instance, customers can use branded hashtags alongside user-generated content, to help draw attention to your business and its products.
Help you target the right audience: Hashtags give customers an insight into what your content is about, and who it's intended for. Certain tags can ensure your posts capture the attention of the ideal audience for your business.
Boost brand reputation: Some ecommerce hashtags can help to improve your company’s reputation. They show your business is up to date with the latest trends, and can even connect you with specific local communities.
Increase sales: On certain platforms, hashtags can help drive customers to your online store, increasing your chances of sales.

Which Hashtags Should Ecommerce Vendors Use?

Here’s where things get tricky, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for choosing the perfect ecommerce hashtags. Just as the social media channels and keywords you use to promote your business can vary depending on your products, niche, and target audience, your ideal hashtags can vary too.

For most companies, the ideal hashtag strategy will involve using a number of different types of tags in various posts. These include:

Popular or trending tags: Well-known hashtags that attract a lot of connected posts, such as #Ecommerce, #OnlineShop, or #InstaLove.
Niche hashtags: Tags connected to the specific niche you serve, such as #EcoFriendly #FashionAddict, or #VintageStore.
Location tags: Hashtags connected to a specific place or location, such as #UnitedStates, #NewYork, or #London.
Branded hashtags: Tags which feature the name of your brand or business, or a slogan, such as Nike’s #JustDoIt or #ASOSFashion.

Notably, each type of hashtag has its own pros and cons to consider. Popular hashtags have fantastic reach, but it can be hard for new businesses to stand out with these, as they come with a lot of competition. Branded tags are great for encouraging user-generated content and boosting brand awareness, but they may have less visibility to begin with.

How to Use Ecommerce Hashtags on Instagram

The exact ecommerce hashtag strategy you use will depend on a few factors: your audience, your business, and your chosen social media platform. For instance, on TikTok, you can use hashtag challenges to engage your audience and improve your chances of going viral.

On Twitter (X), using fewer hashtags, and connecting them to specific customer values and social movements will often get you the most attention. For instance, the most re-tweeted tweet in 2021 was from BTS, using the “#StopAsianHate” and #StopAAPIHate” tags.

For many ecommerce companies, Instagram is the go-to social media platform for boosting brand awareness and unlocking audience engagement. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your hashtags on Instagram.

Know How Many Hashtags to Use

Figuring out how many hashtags to use in each post can be challenging for ecommerce beginners. Instagram allows you to use up to 30 tags on every post. While you can use all 30 tags to help make your content more discoverable, this can lead to a relatively cluttered caption or comments section.

Most experts, including Instagram itself, recommends using around 3-5 hashtags on every post. However, it’s important to ensure these tags are relevant to your content, and varied. Don’t use the same tags every time, or you could be penalized for “spammy” posts.

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If you’re wondering how many hashtags to use on other channels, here are the latest recommendations:

Twitter: 1-2 tags
Facebook: 2-3 tags
YouTube: 3-5 tags
LinkedIn: 1-5 tags
Pinterest: 2-5 tags
TikTok: 3-5 tags

Decide Where to Place your Hashtags

Just as it’s important to know how many hashtags you can use without annoying your audience, it’s also crucial to figure out where you should be positioning your tags. Inserting a huge number of tags at the beginning of your caption on an Instagram feed post can make your content less appealing.

Usually, it’s a better idea to include your hashtags beneath your caption, or use a series of dots to place the tags under the “more” button. The same rule applies to Reels and IGTV posts. You can also place your hashtags in the first comment on your post.

For Instagram Stories: Place your hashtags throughout your Instagram Story. These tags won’t always be recognized by the hashtag algorithm, but they can help to build brand and campaign awareness. You can use up to 10 hashtags on Instagram Stories.
For your Instagram Bio: Include a couple of hashtags in your bio to give your customers an instant insight into your business. Your bio is a great place to showcase niche hashtags, as well as branded hashtags you want your customers to use.
For other channels: Follow the best practices of other influencers and content creators on different social media channels. Remember not to overwhelm your customers on any channel with too many tags at once.

Boost your Reach with Post Engagement

Before or after you upload a new post on a channel like Instagram, featuring your chosen ecommerce hashtags, it’s worth taking some time to interact with other accounts using similar tags. The more you engage with similar accounts, the easier it will be for the Instagram algorithm to connect your business with specific industries and niches.

Additionally, engaging with other accounts (particularly those of complementary brands and influencers) will encourage them to check out your profile and like your posts in return. As an added bonus, if you research the top trending content connected with your tag before you create your posts, you can access plenty of useful inspiration for your own content.

How to Find Ecommerce Hashtags

The best hashtags will always be specific to your company, target audience, and your brand. Unfortunately, finding plenty of varied tags you can add to your posts isn’t always easy. There are plenty of lists out there that can show you which tags have the best reach.

For instance #InstaGood appears on more than 1.729 million posts. However, just because a hashtag is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right option for you. To find ecommerce hashtags:

Monitor competitors and influencers

One of the easiest ways to find tags relevant to your niche and industry, is with a competitor analysis. Gather as much information as you can about direct and indirect competitors in your space, as well as influencers connected to your industry.

Check out their social media profiles and make a note of which hashtags they use most often, which posts get the most engagement, and which tags they use, and how many hashtags your competitors use in each post.

There are plenty of handy tools in the social media marketing world that can give you an insight into trending tags for your industry. Tools like “RiteTag” allow users to enter a caption into a text bar, and even upload a photo for their post, to receive recommended hashtag suggestions. You can see which tags are getting the most attention on different channels, as well as “similar hashtag” options.

You can also access tools like Seekmetrics, for access to up to 1,000 instant hashtag recommendations, and Sked Social, which offers a built-in hashtag manager for hashtag suggestions. Alternatively, you can use social media listening tools like HootSuite to find out which tags are getting the most use in your industry.

If you already have an idea of some basic hashtags that might be relevant to your brand, such as #Ecommerce, you can search for related hashtags by typing your keywords into the search bar on your social media platform. This will generate a list of hashtags which use the same words, as well as telling you how many posts are already connected to that tag.

You can also click on posts that used the same tags as you in the past, for insights into the other tags they might have included in their captions. For the best results, keep track of the most valuable hashtags you’ve used on previous posts to guide your research.

Use a Hashtag Generator

If you’re really struggling to come up with unique hashtags, a hashtag generator can be a fantastic tool. There are plenty of options out there, such as HootSuite’s AI hashtag generator, which analyzes your caption and the images included to suggest hashtags for you.

This tool even allows you to rapidly create lists of hashtags to use in future campaigns, or add hashtags to your posts, then schedule them for promotion later.

Top Ecommerce Hashtags to Use in 2024

As mentioned above, the ideal hashtags for your business will vary depending on a host of factors, but there are some tags you should always consider using as a growing ecommerce company. Here are some of the top hashtags worth using as an ecommerce business owner:

#Ecommerce: Probably the most obvious hashtag on this list, the #Ecommerce hashtag has been used in more than 15 million posts on Instagram. If you want to go for something a little less competitive, consider #EcommerceBusiness, or #EcommerceStore.
#[Niche]: Using a hashtag connected to your specific ecommerce niche is an excellent way to ensure your posts reach the right audience. Options range from #Fashion to #PrintOnDemand, to more specific tags like #SustainableFashion.
#[YourBusiness]: As mentioned above, created a branded hashtag that features your business name is a great way to boost brand awareness. It can also be a fantastic way to encourage customers to create user-generated content you can share on your store and social media.
#[BusinessType]: Promoting the type of business you run can be an excellent way to capture the attention of your audience. For instance, you could use #SmallBusiness, #FamilyBusiness, or #LocalBusiness to connect with customers who want to support smaller brands.
#[Slogan]: Similar to a branded hashtag featuring your name, a tag featuring your company’s slogan can help to get customers talking about your organization. For instance, Nike uses the #JustDoIt hashtag in many of their posts.
#[SeasonalEvents]: Hashtags connected to seasonal events are great for making your business look relevant and up to date. They can also generate excitement about upcoming promotions or sales. Try options like #BlackFridaySale or #HolidayGifts
#[Cause]: Increasingly, online shoppers are looking to buy from businesses that share their values. Promoting a cause you’re passionate about can help you connect with customers. Just make sure the content is relevant. Options include #LGBTQ, #BlackLivesMatter and #ShopLocal.

Master your Ecommerce Hashtag Strategy

Using ecommerce hashtags in your social media posts is an excellent way to boost your chances of reaching a wider audience, and increasing your sales. However, finding the right hashtags to use in every post can often be easier said than done.

Use the tips above to find relevant, engaging hashtags that are specific to your business and niche, and remember to change things up regularly. Don’t forget to monitor the results of your social media campaigns too. Tools like Instagram Insights will help you to determine which hashtags earn you the most engagement, or improve your visibility.