Hashtag Research

Hashtag Research Skill

Overview

This skill provides systematic hashtag research and selection for social media content: trend analysis, volume estimation, relevance scoring, and platform-specific hashtag set generation.

Tools to Use

• Perplexity: Research trending hashtags, volume data, niche communities
• Jina: Analyze top posts for a hashtag (via Instagram/LinkedIn public search results)
• RAG (platform_specs): Platform-specific hashtag rules and limits

Platform Rules Reference

Hashtag Tier Classification

Tier 1 — Micro Niche (Under 10K posts)

• Highest relevance, lowest competition
• Ideal for community building and super-targeted reach
• Examples: #SlowFoodItalia, #ArtigianatoSostenibile, #FoodStorytelling

Tier 2 — Niche (10K–100K posts)

• Best engagement-to-reach ratio
• Still discoverable, less competitive
• Examples: #FoodPhotography, #SostenibileOggi, #BrandStorytelling

Tier 3 — Mid-Tier (100K–500K posts)

• Good for broader discovery
• Use 2–3 per post maximum
• Examples: #Sostenibilità, #ContentMarketing, #FoodBlogger

Tier 4 — Broad (500K–1M posts)

• Low ROI for most accounts under 10K followers
• Use sparingly (0–1 per post) — mainly for categorization
• Examples: #Food, #Marketing, #Photography

Tier 5 — Mega (1M+ posts)

• Virtually no discoverability value unless trending
• Avoid for organic posts
• Acceptable only if part of a branded campaign

Workflow

Step 1 — Topic & Platform Identification

1. Identify the content topic (from the post or content brief)
2. Confirm target platform(s)
3. Identify audience language (Italian / English / bilingual)

Step 2 — Seed Hashtag Research

Use Perplexity to find initial hashtag candidates:

"What are the most relevant and currently active hashtags for [topic]
on [platform] in [language/region]? Include both niche and mid-tier options."

Generate 15–20 candidates initially.

Step 3 — Tier Classification

For each candidate, estimate tier based on Perplexity data or publicly available information. Classify into tiers 1–5.

Step 4 — Relevance Scoring

Score each candidate 1–5 on:

• Topic relevance: How directly related to the content?
• Audience fit: Used by the target audience (not just any user)?
• Community activity: Is there an active community using this tag?

Drop any hashtag scoring below 3 on relevance.

Step 5 — Set Construction

Build the final hashtag set using this mix:

For Instagram (8–10 hashtags):

• 2–3 Tier 1 (micro niche)
• 3–4 Tier 2 (niche)
• 2–3 Tier 3 (mid-tier)
• 0–1 Tier 4 (broad)

For LinkedIn (3–5 hashtags):

• 1–2 Tier 2 (niche professional)
• 2–3 Tier 3 (industry-relevant)

For TikTok (5–8 hashtags):

• 2–3 Tier 1–2 (niche)
• 1–2 Tier 3 (trending if relevant)
• 1–2 viral trending tags (from Perplexity research)

Step 6 — Trend Check

Use Perplexity to confirm:

• Any of these hashtags currently associated with negative trends/events?
• Any new trending hashtags relevant to the content topic?

Replace flagged hashtags.

Step 7 — Generate Branded Hashtag (if applicable)

For brand-owned content, include 1 branded hashtag if the brand has one. If not, propose a branded hashtag following these rules:

• Short (1–2 words max)
• Memorable and unique
• Consistent across all platforms
• Format: #[BrandName][Concept] or #[Campaign][Year]

Output Format

## Hashtag Research Report

**Topic**: [content topic]
**Platform**: [platform]
**Language**: [Italian / English / Bilingual]
**Date**: [date — hashtag trends expire]

### Recommended Hashtag Set
[Ready to paste set for platform]

Example (Instagram):
#SlowFoodItalia #FoodStorytelling #CucineItaliane #ArtigianatoAlimentare
#FoodPhotography #SostenibileOggi #FoodBloggerItalia #Gastronomia
#Sostenibilità #ItaliaSostenibile

### Hashtag Detail

| Hashtag | Tier | Relevance | Notes |
|---------|------|-----------|-------|
| #SlowFoodItalia | 1 | 5/5 | Core community tag |
| #FoodStorytelling | 2 | 5/5 | Niche but active |
| #Gastronomia | 3 | 4/5 | Broad category |

### Trend Alerts
- [Any hashtags with current negative associations: none / list]
- [New trending tags to consider: none / list]

### Branded Hashtag
- [Existing: #BrandTag] OR [Proposed: #NewTag — rationale]

Notes

• Hashtag data expires quickly — flag sets older than 60 days for refresh
• Never copy a competitor's entire hashtag set — differentiate at least 50%
• Italian content: mix Italian and English hashtags for maximum bilingual reach
• Platform algorithm updates may change hashtag ROI — reassess quarterly
• Avoid hashtags that are shadowbanned (can suppress reach without warning)