Explore 20 Irish creators who drive results, along with strategies to help you find influencers who’ll supercharge your brand.

The rise of influencer marketing in Ireland

More people in Ireland are using social media than ever. In fact, DataReportal’s Digital 2025: Ireland report shows that 77.8% of Ireland’s population uses social media, with 100,000 new users joining in the last year. The number of networks Irish users engage with jumped 5.9% since 2024, highlighting social media’s growing role in daily life.

But what are Irish people doing on social? DataReportal found that 29.2% use social media for inspiration on what to do, while 27.6% follow influencers or other experts directly. Whether users intentionally follow creators they trust or discover their content while searching for ideas, influencers are shaping tastes, trends and ideas.

This mix of conscious trust and accidental discovery means influencers don’t just inspire. They also affect purchasing decisions, and brands are taking notice. DataReportal notes that year-on-year influencer ad spending in Ireland rose 11.6% as companies strengthen these relationships and drive ROI.

Sprout Social’s 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report echoes this trend globally, showing 86% of social users make at least one influencer-inspired purchase per year.

In short, Irish audiences aren’t just spending more time online. They’re using social media to explore, connect and buy, and influencers are at the heart of that shift.

Where Irish audiences engage most with influencers

Irish audiences are highly active on social media platforms, but where they spend time varies by generation and intent. Knowing where your Irish target audience scrolls makes it easier to pick the right networks and tailor content to them without spreading your budget too thin.

Here’s where different Irish user groups congregate online:

Platform preferences in Ireland

TikTok leads in discovery, especially among younger audiences. DataReportal’s Ireland report shows that 18–24-year-olds make up the largest slice of TikTok’s targeted ad audience in Ireland. TikTok‘s targeted ad reach is also growing among 25–34-year-olds, showing the network isn’t just for the youngest groups anymore.

For Gen Z in particular, TikTok is now a place to connect with influencers. Sprout’s 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report shows 27% of Gen Z interact with creators on the app, making it ideal for targeting this age group.

Despite TikTok’s growth for discovery, Instagram remains the dominant social network for lifestyle content. DataReportal shows Instagram has a slightly older Irish audience than TikTok, with a female-led base. Women aged 25–34 form the single largest ad audience at 14.5%, followed by men of the same age at 12.9%.

Meanwhile, Facebook and YouTube still attract midlife audiences. According to DataReportal, Facebook’s largest group is 35–44-year-olds, while YouTube draws strong engagement from those aged 35–54. This makes the two networks ideal for family-focused, financial or community campaigns.

For practitioners, the takeaway is clear:

• TikTok dominates discovery among Gen Z
• Instagram builds lifestyle credibility with Millennials
• Facebook and YouTube sustain longer-form engagement for midlife audiences

But network is only half the battle. The content format you use is what truly drives conversion.

Content formats that drive engagement in Ireland

When it comes to staying on top of social trends, the 2025 Sprout Social Index™ reveals people favor video-forward networks. More than half (54%) turn to Instagram, 45% to Facebook and 38% to TikTok. TikTok’s short-form video format, combined with Meta’s confirmation that Reels deliver the highest engagement, proves video isn’t just popular. It’s what drives results.

Creators follow the same trend. Knowing short clips perform best, influencers now focus on 15–30 second videos, according to Sprout’s 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report.

And it’s working. According to the Index, 35% of social users say they make impulse purchases from social posts several times a year. Additionally, the 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report shows that nearly half of social users buy on social networks monthly because an influencer inspired them. With networks and creators both confirming that video drives engagement, short videos should take priority.

But don’t write off longer videos entirely, as they still have an impact on the right networks. In fact, Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report shows more than half of YouTube users engage most with content over 60 seconds long.

Static content also holds value. The 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report found that 48% of influencers still create static posts, with originality driving their effectiveness. The Index confirms originality remains a top factor in brand appeal.

Irish fashion influencers

Ireland’s fashion influencer scene is thriving, and local creators who mix style, personality and relatability drive that community.

From TikTok fashion influencers to Instagram style bloggers, these Irish content creators turn everyday Galway strolls and Dublin coffee runs into Paris Fashion Week-esque trendsetting moments:

1. Sophie Murray (@sophie_murraayy)

• Instagram: 417k followers
• TikTok: 411.7k followers
• YouTube: 88.1k subscribers

(Source: Instagram)

Sophie Murray shares a vibrant mix of outfit inspiration, family life and beauty routines, all styled with her signature playful tone. Her content spans seasonal staples, wardrobe roundups and Get Ready With Me (GRWM) videos, and she often tags the brands behind her looks so you can shop the products.

2. Terrie McEvoy Fitzpatrick (@terriemcevoy)

• Instagram: 385k followers
• TikTok: 67k followers
• YouTube: 5.03k subscribers

(Source: Instagram)

Terrie McEvoy blends fashion, motherhood and lifestyle content so her feed moves seamlessly between GRWM clips, hair-care tutorials, event outfits and behind-the-scenes family life. Polished yet endearing, her content resonates with followers drawn to sophistication and authenticity.

3. Charleen Murphy (@charleenmurphy)

• Instagram: 337k followers
• TikTok: 321.1k followers
• YouTube: 25.8k subscribers

(Source: Instagram)

Charleen Murphy is a top Irish fashion and beauty creator who effortlessly blends holiday looks, event outfits and seasonal styling videos. Her GRWMs showcase makeup, skincare and hair tutorials, and she adds outfit tags that make her posts shoppable.

4. Naomi Clarke (@the_style_fairy)

• Instagram: 229k followers
• Facebook: 134k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Naomi Clarke, founder of @nomi.ireland, shares her life as a mum of three and fashion entrepreneur. Her content features outfit breakdowns, styling tips and event updates. Relatable, engaging and community-driven, she represents the intersection of Irish entrepreneurship and accessible style.

Irish beauty influencers

Beauty influencers in Ireland blend Irish elegance, artistic expertise and everyday relatability.

You’ll see a broad mix of makeup tutorials, skincare tips, self-care rituals and product reviews across Instagram, TikTok and beyond:

5. Pippa O’Connor Ormond (@pipsy_pie)

• Instagram: 458k followers
• Facebook: 276k followers
• TikTok: 13.5k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Pippa O’Connor Ormond is a cornerstone of the Irish beauty and lifestyle space, blending makeup tutorials and GRWM content with updates about her own brand, @pocobeautyofficial. Her posts range from holiday skincare tips to family life and self-tanning hacks.

6. Jodie Matthews (Lawson-Wood) (@jodiewood_)

• Instagram: 151k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Jodie Matthews brings an elegant, editorial-style approach to beauty and fashion. Her feed features favourite looks, makeup product reviews and skincare routines, all shared with a focus on luxury and simplicity.

7. Chelsey Harrington (@sincerely_chelsey)

• Instagram: 47.1k followers
• TikTok: 33.4k followers
• Facebook: 13k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Chelsey Harrington brings warmth and realism to the Irish beauty influencer world. A mum of two, Chelsey offers affordable makeup finds, mini beauty vlogs and tutorials on everything from laser hair removal to nail care. Her content strikes the perfect balance between family life and relatable, budget-friendly beauty.

Irish food and drink influencers

Irish food influencers bring tradition, creativity and everyday practicality to their content.

Covering everything from home-cooked recipes and family-friendly meals to local ingredients and budget-friendly food hacks, they shape how audiences cook, eat and share:

8. Donal Skehan (@donalskehan)

• YouTube: 1.04M subscribers
• Instagram: 667k followers
• TikTok: 244.5k followers

(Source: YouTube)

Donal Skehan is one of Ireland’s most recognisable food influencers, famous for his easygoing cooking style and engaging video recipes. A TV host, producer and cookbook author, Donal creates content like step-by-step recipes, cooking tutorials and food reviews. He also provides glimpses into his creative projects and personal life.

9. Lili Forberg (@liliforberg)

• Instagram: 546k followers
• TikTok: 168.8k followers
• YouTube: 2.35k subscribers

(Source: Instagram)

Lili Forberg brings Irish family vibes and creativity to the Irish food content creation scene. Her “Fakeaways” recipes, where she shows followers how to recreate takeaway favourites at home, are highly popular, and she also shares family meals, breakfast ideas and travel-inspired dishes.

10. Ciara Turley (@thetummyfairy)

• Instagram: 225k followers
• TikTok: 33.1k followers
• Facebook: 8.1k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Ciara Turley, aka The Tummy Fairy, combines healthy eating, family cooking and wellness in her content. As a self-taught cook with a passion for gluten-free and whole-food recipes, she shares herbal teas, lunchbox favourites, air fryer meals and cost-saving kitchen hacks.

Irish comedy influencers

The Irish comedy influencer scene combines sharp wit and social commentary, with creators turning everyday life into laugh-out-loud moments.

From TikTok sketches to YouTube skits and Instagram Reels, these Irish content creators use humour to capture the quirks of Irish culture and connect with audiences at home and abroad:

11. Foil Arms and Hog (@foilarmsandhog)

• YouTube: 1.19M subscribers
• TikTok: 708.1k followers
• Instagram: 680k followers

(Source: YouTube)

Foil Arms and Hog are one of Ireland’s best-known comedy acts, famous for clever sketches that turn everyday moments into brilliantly absurd humour. Their content ranges from wordplay-driven skits to relatable Irish scenarios about work, family and culture. Alongside their online sketches, they share tour updates and live-show highlights to keep fans engaged both on and offline.

12. The 2 Johnnies (@the2johnnies)

• Instagram: 563k followers
• TikTok: 483.7k followers
• YouTube: 159k subscribers

(Source: Instagram)

The 2 Johnnies are an Irish comedy duo who post high-energy sketches and podcasts that lean into rural Irish life with a playful twist. On social, they share quick-fire humour clips, behind-the-scenes banter, local-culture references, live show highlights and short sketch videos that spark laughs and community connection.

13. Kayleigh Trappe (@kayleigh_trappe)

• Instagram: 359k followers
• TikTok: 200.6k followers

(Source: TikTok)

Kayleigh Trappe is a comedian and digital creator reshaping online humour with her viral lip-synced comedy. Her social content is built entirely on digital creativity, blending pitch-perfect lip-syncing with commentary on local Irish nuances and everyday life, offering audiences a mix of sharp, original and locally authentic humour rooted in her performance.

Irish travel and lifestyle influencers

The Irish travel and lifestyle influencer community captures the heart of modern Ireland through authentic storytelling and visual creativity.

These Irish content creators share everything from hidden travel gems and weekend getaways to daily routines and personal reflections:

14. Janet Newenham (@janetnewenham)

• TikTok: 185.6k followers
• YouTube: 169k subscribers
• Instagram: 160k followers

(Source: YouTube)

Janet Newenham is a Dublin-based travel creator who showcases authentic Irish and global adventures through a local lens. Her content highlights Ireland’s coastlines, hidden villages, scenic roads and rural experiences, alongside vlogs from destinations like Bali and Vietnam.

15. Niamh Flynn (@niamhxtravels)

• Instagram: 82.6k followers

(Source: Instagram)

As the founder of Irish Travel Gang and a creator who uses outdoor-first travel storytelling, Niamh Flynn focuses on hiking in tucked-away Irish locations. She engages her audience through immersive nature trips and local food experiences.

16. Dev Skehan (@dev_skehan)

• Instagram: 64k followers
• TikTok: 44.1k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Dev Skehan is a Dublin-based travel and lifestyle influencer who posts an energetic mix of adventure, style and self-discovery content. Her socials feature Irish staycations, weekend getaways and city explorations paired with motivational storytelling.

Emerging and micro-influencers from Ireland

Ireland’s micro-influencers are building strong communities through local-first, down-to-earth content.

Here are emerging creators who share real glimpses into their lives, whether in fashion, sport or family:

17. Olivia Spuds (@olivia.spuds)

• Instagram: 21.7k followers
• TikTok: 18.5k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Olivia Spuds is a rising Irish micro-influencer who’s famous for her “mini mic” vox-pop style videos in everyday Dublin spaces. Her content captures local Irish culture, from corner shops to DART stations, through a playful lens.

18. Aisling O’Reilly (@ashoreilly_)

• Instagram: 21.4k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Aisling O’Reilly is an Irish sports broadcaster and former football and camogie player who won Silver Sports Broadcaster of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. Her social feed features behind-the-scenes media work, athletic commentary and inspiration for women in sports, rooted in Irish sporting culture and personal experience.

19. Elaine Porter (@elainecporter)

• Instagram: 21k followers
• TikTok: 16k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Elaine Porter is an Irish lifestyle influencer and mother whose social content captures the joy and juggle of modern family life. Her feed features parenting moments, home styling and everyday snapshots of Irish culture.

20. Melissa Tyndall (@melissajtyndall)

• Instagram: 17.6k followers
• TikTok: 14.4k followers

(Source: Instagram)

Melissa Tyndall is a Dublin-based lifestyle creator whose feed blends family life, fashion moments and beauty exploration. Her content features her and her daughter’s outfits, along with GRWM videos and beauty tips for trendy parents who are keen on everyday style and authenticity.

How to evaluate and choose the right Irish influencers

The best influencer marketing campaigns in Ireland come from creators whose audiences match brand goals, not just those with the biggest numbers.

Here’s how to pick Irish influencers who resonate most with your brand:

What matters more than follower count

Since not every follower is active or relevant, a high follower count doesn’t guarantee results. Many large accounts attract passive audiences who scroll past branded posts without engaging.

When vetting Irish content creators, focus on measurable quality. Look at factors like:

• Engagement rate: Likes, comments and shares per post reveal a creator’s true influence. Smaller creators often experience higher engagement because their communities are tighter-knit, which fosters greater trust and leads to better conversion rates.
• Content fit: A creator’s tone, style and posting habits show whether they naturally align with your brand. When an influencer’s usual content, values and voice already match your message, their audience is far more likely to respond positively.
• Platform strength: Every network has its own strengths. The key is matching them to your goals. For example, TikTok is ideal for discovering new creators and products, while Instagram is better for connecting with trusted voices and known brands. Aligning with these patterns ensures your campaigns reach the right people with the right mindset.

Signs of real engagement and audience alignment

True influence is about connection, not clicks. When assessing Irish influencers, consider how well they cultivate a community that actively engages with their content. Followers who connect personally with influencers are more likely to trust, share and act on recommendations.

To understand real connection, dig deeper than surface metrics such as likes and follows by focusing on high-quality engagement, including:

• Comment quality: Real conversations, not repetitive emojis or generic praise, indicate an engaged audience.
• Shares and saves: People sharing and saving posts show they’re getting genuine value from the content.
• Audience demographics: The demographic makeup of an influencer’s audience reveals whether their reach aligns with your brand goals since age, location and interests all shape how messages land. For example, a creator popular with Dublin Gen Z audiences engages differently than one followed by Cork parents or professionals.
• Growth patterns: Steady, organic follower growth usually means audiences are discovering the creator naturally through content they enjoy, not through giveaways or bots. This indicates more sustainable influence and consistent engagement over time.

These insights show that influence requires connection, relevance and alignment with your brand. Focusing on these factors helps you find Irish creators who engage their audiences and drive results.

How to use Sprout Influencer Marketing to shortlist creators

Finding the right Irish influencers shouldn’t feel taxing. Instead of manually trawling creators, Sprout Influencer Marketing (formerly Tagger) allows you to filter, evaluate and shortlist creators based on real performance data.

Filters help narrow results by location, audience demographics, engagement rate and content category, making it easy to surface Irish creators whose audiences align with your campaign goals. When you filter by the topics that influencers talk about, their content niche and the networks they post on, you’ll find those who naturally fit your brand’s identity.

With your shortlist in hand, organise potential influencers directly within your campaign planning dashboard. Then track outreach, manage deliverables and generate detailed performance and ROI reports in one place.

Ultimately, Sprout’s Influencer Marketing Platform helps you move from manual research to a scalable, data-driven influencer strategy, ensuring your next Irish campaign relies on insight, not instinct.

How to collaborate with Irish influencers

Working with Irish influencers requires cultural fluency and genuine collaboration. The most successful brand deals feel like real partnerships where both parties understand each other’s backgrounds, nuances and goals.

Here’s how to brief, empower and manage Irish creators effectively so your partnerships are mutually beneficial:

Align your brief with Irish cultural context

Irish audiences respond best to content that feels real, relatable and rooted in local life. That means using tone and humour that match the creator’s own voice, not forcing corporate phrasing or slogans.

While briefing your creators is important, remember to leave room for Irish colloquialisms, wit, regional references and local-style storytelling. Irish creators thrive when they interpret ideas through their own personality and cultural lens.

Empower creators to tell their own stories

The most engaging influencer campaigns in Ireland happen when brands hand creators the mic.

Whether they involve covering local events, creating UGC-style product demos or sharing personal stories about using a product day to day, these moments must feel genuine. The best way to do this is to allow your creators to be themselves and showcase what matters to them.

According to Sprout’s 2025 State of Influencer Marketing Report, 65% of creators “wish they could be brought into creative or product development conversations with brands sooner to help inform strategy, rather than following a rigid brief.” They’ve built their audiences by knowing what resonates, so there’s value in trusting them to do the same for your brand.

Use Sprout to streamline campaign approvals

Even the most creative partnerships need structure. Clear approval workflows provide the framework to keep campaigns on track.

Tools like Sprout Influencer Marketing let you manage every stage of collaboration, from briefing and content uploads to review, approval and reporting, all within one shared workspace. The platform lets you assign approvers, leave time-stamped feedback and monitor version history so nothing slips through the cracks.

Once you approve the content, the system stores and organises assets for easy access during and after the campaign. This keeps feedback loops short, approvals transparent and creators focused on producing great work while your team maintains full visibility and control.

Measure the impact of Irish influencer partnerships

To prove ROI, Irish influencer campaigns rely on more than just reach stats. They require measurable business results. If you need a few pointers on what to track, Sprout’s guide to influencer marketing metrics shows how to monitor impact across the funnel and strengthen your case for future investment.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Track influencer performance with UTM and pixel data

To get real value from influencer partnerships, go beyond vanity metrics. UTM parameters and pixel tracking show which creators and posts actually drive traffic, sign-ups or sales, helping connect engagement to measurable ROI.

Sprout’s Premium Analytics (a paid add-on) brings that data together in one dashboard to compare creator performance side by side. This makes it easy to spot top converters and refine future collaborations based on evidence, not assumptions.

Define KPIs your leadership will care about

Before you measure influencer success, define what you’re trying to achieve. Clear goals focus reporting and prove the real business impact of every campaign.

Here’s how to match metrics to your goals:

• Reach for awareness: Track impressions, follower growth and views to see how effectively influencers expand your brand’s visibility.
• Engagement for credibility: Measure likes, comments and shares to understand how deeply audiences connect with both the creator and your brand.
• Conversions for ROI: Use tracked links, UTMs or discount codes to tie influencer content directly to sales, sign-ups or leads.

Clear KPIs translate influencer success into business terms, showing leaders that campaigns drive growth, not just visibility.

Bring Irish influencer campaigns to life with strategy, not guesswork

The best influencer marketing strategy in Ireland uses insight, planning and high-quality influencer marketing platforms to build meaningful creator partnerships, reach the right audiences and turn engagement into results.

Sprout Influencer Marketing streamlines the process. It allows you to find creators who truly fit your brand, manage collaborations seamlessly and measure results that demonstrate real business value.

Ready to build partnerships that last? Book a demo today to see how Sprout’s Influencer Marketing Platform helps you discover Irish creators and measure the impact of their work.

The post How to work with Irish influencers and drive ROI appeared first on Sprout Social.

Instagram made a significant shift in how it measures and displays content reach, moving away from the long-standing “impressions” and “plays” metrics to a new, universal “views” metric. This update also includes renaming “plays” to “views”, and applies across all content types, making views the primary metric shown in dashboards and Instagram analytics tools. The aim is to better enable creators in particular to track and measure their success.

This change reflects Meta’s intent to provide a clearer, more unified picture of how often content is actually seen or played, regardless of format—offering brands and creators a more granular look at true audience engagement.

As brands adjust to this new measurement standard, understanding which Instagram metrics to track—and how to interpret them—has never been more important for evaluating content performance and refining social strategies. This article will walk you through what ‘views’ actually mean and 36 other Instagram metrics you can track.

What are Instagram metrics?

Instagram metrics are measurements of performance that help you gauge how your Instagram content is doing and how your audience is responding to it. Instagram metrics include how many people viewed, interacted with and liked your content.

We’ll talk about specific social metrics later on, but some of the key Instagram metrics you should be measuring include reach, views, impressions, engagement rate and connected reach (or follower growth).

Why you should track your Instagram metrics

If you manage your Instagram account without ever looking at your social media analytics, you’ll be left in the dark when it comes to understanding the results of your efforts.

These efforts likely coincide with company or department goals (or even just your own Instagram KPIs), which will naturally help inform which Instagram metrics you should be reporting on.

Therefore, when answering the “why,” you’ll also reveal your key IG metrics to report on. Here are three reasons why you should be tracking your Instagram metrics.

Instagram metrics show which content your audience prefers

If you’re testing different types of content, you need to check out your post metrics to see which types are getting the most attention. Having this knowledge helps you create an Instagram content strategy that resonates with your audience by consistently posting their preferred types of content.

Instagram metrics keep your strategy in line with company objectives

If your current goals are to increase your company’s engagement, you’ll want to make sure you’re actually making that happen. Same goes for if you’re wanting to increase views or post traffic. You need to be able to check the metrics to measure growth to see if you’re hitting your KPIs.

Instagram metrics help you measure specific campaign success

If you’re running a major campaign on Instagram (let’s say for a product launch, holiday sale or important partnership), you want to know how well the campaign is performing. Your Instagram metrics let you see this so you know if you need to adjust your messaging or not.

How to track Instagram metrics

In order to view insights and metrics on Instagram, you need to have an Instagram business or creator account. Once you have a business account you can view Instagram metrics on a social media marketing platform like Sprout Social or natively via the app.

How to track Instagram metrics using Sprout Social

Sprout Social makes it easy to track your performance with clean, visual reports.

From an overview of reach and engagement to follower growth to post-level breakdowns, all your data is laid out in a way that’s easy to understand and act on.

Below is a quick step-by-step for accessing your Instagram metrics in Sprout.

Step 1: Don’t have a Sprout Social account? No problem, start a free 30-day trial with your business email (you don’t need a credit card).

Step 2: Log into Sprout Social, click on Connect a Profile on the right and select Instagram.

Step 3: Follow the prompts to connect your Instagram account to Sprout.

Step 4: From the dashboard, click on the Reports tab in the left-hand menu bar.

Step 5: Select Instagram Business Profiles under the Profiles by Network category.

Here you can track different Instagram metrics like views, engagement and follower growth alongside other useful analytics (like demographics).

And if you want a quick overview of your overall Instagram performance, here’s what that looks like in Sprout’s report:

You can also see your top posts to understand content performance better.

Step 6: Use the filters to select specific Instagram profiles and set your desired date range.

Pro tip: You can also access cross-network reports (e.g. Post, Profile and Tag Performance Reports) in Sprout to analyze how your Instagram metrics fit into your overall social strategy.

How to track Instagram metrics using the Instagram App

There are a couple of different ways to access your insights from the Instagram app. (Keep in mind that these are only accessible on the mobile app and not on desktop.)

1. Head to your profile and tap on the Professional dashboard button. The very first option is your account insights for reach, engagement, followers and content. Tap each category to view specific metrics related to it.

2. You can also tap the hamburger menu icon in the top right corner of your profile and then tap Insights to access them directly.

You can find all of the below metrics inside your Instagram Insights—or you can take advantage of a third-party analytics tool like Sprout Social to get even more in-depth reporting.

37 key advanced Instagram metrics to track

Let’s explore 36 Instagram metrics and walk through what each means. You’ll see these metrics in Instagram’s native analytics, and we’ll share where you can find them in Sprout Social.

Awareness metrics

While several different metrics make up this category, Instagram considers “views” to be the primary metric users should look at to understand how your content is performing regardless of format. Why views? Instagram believes this is a stronger indicator of success over follower count and impressions. This makes sense given reach has a stronger correlation to discoverability, which Instagram’s algorithm and user behavior seem to favor.

1. Views (formerly plays)

The number of times a reel started to play or was replayed, and the number of times a non-reel appeared on a user’s screen. This is the primary metric used across all organic and boosted media on Instagram. The ‘plays’ metric is being phased out and relabeled ‘views’.

In Sprout, you’ll find views in the Instagram Business Profile report, displayed as a chart within the Overview tab.

2. Replays

Distinct from initial views, Replays tracks how many times users watched your video content more than once. This is a new metric if your Replay count is high relative to your Reach, it signals to the algorithm that your content is sticky or loop-worthy, often triggering a push to the Explore page.

3. Reach or content reach

The total number of unique viewers a post has. Reach and impressions are often confused because they are similar. Here’s a quick explainer: If you were to see a post three times, that’s considered three impressions, but you would only count as one person reached.

To find your reach in Sprout, head over to your Instagram Business Profiles Report. Your reach is located in the exact same section as your views. You can see total and percent change right below your impressions metric, making it easy to see both at once.

4. Reach by region

The number of unique users who have seen your content, segmented by geographical location. So you know which areas are more engaged with your content.

5. Impressions

The number of times an individual piece of content was displayed to users. Instagram recommends looking at “views” instead of impressions, and impressions will no longer appear within Instagram Insights. It will continue to be available in other tools, such as Meta Ads Manager and Sprout’s cross-network reports.

In Sprout, you’ll find impressions in the Cross-Network Reporting, where views are included in the Impressions metric. Below is an example of the Profile Performance Report, which includes impressions for all your connected profiles.

6. Profile visits

The total number of times users have visited your social media profile over a specific period. This metric is useful for gauging interest in your brand.

7. Brand mentions

The number representing how often your brand is mentioned on social media platforms. This can include social mentions like direct @-mentions in comments, captions and Stories. It helps to measure brand visibility and engagement.

8. Branded hashtags

The number of times others use the hashtags specifically created for your brand or campaign. This aids with tracking the impact of campaigns or promotions. You can view hashtag analytics in Instagram natively or using a social media management tool.

9. Share of voice

The measure of the market your brand owns compared to your competitors. Share of voice measures the amount of conversations about your brand compared to competitors. It acts as a gauge for your brand visibility and how much you dominate the conversation in your industry. The more market share you have, the greater popularity and authority you likely have among users and prospective customers.

10. Content you shared

This includes any content you’ve posted and shared across Stories, feeds and video.

12. Interactions

Any action users take when they like, share, save, comment or reply to your content. The location of this metric in Instagram Insights has shifted with the introduction of “views”.

12. Saves

The number of times a post has been bookmarked.

Alongside sends, saves is a high-value signal. The algorithm weighs a save significantly heavier than a like because it indicates the user found the content valuable enough to return to later.

To find this in Sprout, head to your Instagram Business Profiles Report. You can view the total number of saves on your posts and Reels here. You can also track the number of saves on individual, high-performing posts by locating the Post Performance section of the report.

13. Sends (formerly Shares)

Renamed from Shares, Sends tracks the number of times a post/content was sent privately to another user. In 2026, Sends per Reach is a powerful viral signal for the algorithm. A private share indicates a personal endorsement and high relevance, which Instagram prioritizes heavily over public likes.

14. Instagram Stories views

The amount of people who viewed an Instagram Story. You can also see replies, impressions and navigation for each slide in a Story.

Engagement metrics

These metrics go a layer deeper, giving you insight into how people are interacting with your content and brand. In Sprout, you’ll get a granular view in the Post Performance Report, where you’ll see a breakdown of the performance for each Instagram post.

15. Engagement rate

This metric refers to the percentage of your following that’s engaged with your content whether it’s liking, commenting, sharing or saving.

16. Engagement rate by follower

This metric calculates the engagement (likes, comments, sends) a post receives relative to the number of followers you have. It provides a percentage to assess how effectively your content resonates with your audience.

17. Engagement rate by impressions (views)

This measures the percentage of viewers who interacted with your content (by liking, commenting, saving and, where available, sending it) after coming across it. With the deprecation of impressions, this is often calculated using “Views” or “Reach” as the baseline for total audience. Unlike engagements per follower, this metric focuses on everyone who actually saw your content, rather than just your follower base.

In Sprout Social, look for the engagement rate metric in the Overview section of the Instagram report. You’ll see the engagement rate (per impression) in a chart, which you can customize to show organic, paid or both.

18. Saved posts

The number of times users save your posts. This metric indicates the value or interest users find in your content because they want to refer to it later.

19. Comments per post

The average number of comments each post receives. This metric shows how much your content prompts conversations.

20. Click-through-rate

The percentage of people who see an Instagram ad and click on it. It helps measure how effective your paid content is at driving action.

21. Average watch time or retention (formerly video completion rate)

Replacing the binary video completion Rate, this metric tracks the average time users spent watching your Reel. With Reels now supporting durations up to 20 minutes, completion is less relevant than retention. A user watching 3 minutes of a 10-minute video is a strong signal, even if they didn’t “complete” it.

22. Accounts engaged

This refers to the number of unique accounts that interacted with your content. This includes demographics information from the profiles you reached, such as top cities and countries. The location of this metric in Instagram Insights has shifted with the introduction of “views”.

23. Accounts reached

The number of unique accounts that have seen your content at least once. This includes the demographic information on the accounts you reached, such as top cities and countries. It also includes your followers and non-followers. The location of this metric in Instagram Insights has shifted with the introduction of “views”.

24. Live interactions

The number of comments and shares for a stream on Instagram Live.

25. Profile interactions

This metric tells you how well your Instagram profile drives action or generates leads by measuring profile clicks. For example, how many people are clicking on your contact button? How many are visiting your website? How many are getting directions to your business location?

In your Sprout Social Instagram Business Profiles Report, you can find this metric in Profile Actions within the Performance Summary or under the Engagement section of the report.

26. Peak concurrent viewers

This refers to the busiest point of the livestream when there were the most viewers.

27. Accounts reached during broadcast

The number of profiles that came across the livestream.

28. Most engaged hashtags

Your top-performing hashtags with the highest engagement. Instagram hashtags encourage engagement and provide another lens on your audience and what they are searching for on the platform.

Other metrics to track

The following metrics provide specific insights in your content and audience that can help you determine the health of your strategy and specific tactics.

29. Total followers

The sum of every profile that follows your account. View your follower growth, top locations, age ranges and times they’re most active on Instagram.

30. Follower growth rate

The percentage rate your followers are increasing over a specific period to the number of followers at the start of that period.

Sprout enables you to analyze various aspects of your follower growth, from a comprehensive growth chart to percentage growth. Select the time period to see the differences in followers gained and lost for that reporting period with the Instagram Business Profiles overview. You can then dive into the Post Performance Report to see what content resonated most (and least).

31. Engagement rate by reach

This metric measures the engagement a post receives relative to the number of unique users who saw the post. It provides insight into how engaging your content is to those who see it, not just your followers.

32. Click-through rate from bio

The number of clicks generated from the links included in your bio relative to the number of profile visits.

33. Story completion rate

The percentage of viewers who watch your entire Instagram Story from start to finish without skipping. This metric is useful for evaluating how compelling your Stories are.

34. Audience growth over time

The amount of followers you lost or gained over time.

35. Audience demographics

The age, gender, location or other characteristics of your followers. Instagram’s native analytics data include audience demographics (age, gender, location). These data points can highlight whether you’re getting in front of your target audience via Instagram or not.

36. Traffic

The number of visitors Instagram drives to your website.

37. Instagram ad analytics

This refers to the performance data available for Instagram advertising. You can check Instagram ad analytics in a few ways, including Ads Manager. It shows your campaign performance overview, demographics, delivery data, campaign spend and cost per result.

Start tracking your Instagram metrics today

With so many different metrics and ways to cut your Instagram performance data, the real success comes from narrowing your focus to the metrics that truly align with your business goals—whether that’s boosting engagement or increasing conversions. Honing in on the most meaningful data points will help you prove the value of your Instagram efforts, optimize your campaigns and ultimately achieve stronger business outcomes.

With Sprout’s Instagram analytics, you’ll be able to customize reports to highlight the specific data that’s translating to ROI, as well as go deeper with competitive comparisons, social listening and more. Our AI-powered analytics will free up valuable time for you to make smarter, more strategic decisions without getting bogged down by tedious data mining. See for yourself by taking advantage of our free 30-day trial.

The post 37 essential Instagram metrics to measure performance in 2026 appeared first on Sprout Social.

For UK universities, this means turning social from a broadcast channel into a community hub where two-way conversations thrive. A strong social media strategy enables alumni engagement teams to build active, personal and measurable alumni relationships.

Here’s how UK institutions can strengthen their alumni ties through social.

Why alumni engagement matters more than ever

Strong alumni engagement fuels every part of an institution’s success, from fundraising and mentorship to reputation and recruitment. But the way alumni keep in touch with universities is evolving. In today’s digital-first culture, those connections increasingly begin and grow on social media.

Here’s how alumni engagement is evolving across the UK.

The state of alumni engagement in the UK

Recent UK data shows that alumni want to stay connected with their past universities, but on their terms. According to the British Council’s Alumni Voices survey of international graduates of UK education, almost 80% prefer to hear from their former institution on social media.

Past students also value the real-world impact of these connections. In fact, as Universities UK found, 78% of UK graduates agree that support from their university has helped them find a job.

But a significant gap still exists between alumni enthusiasm and universities’ capacity to reach them. Access’s 2024 VAESE report found that budgets for outreach have decreased over the past decade for 30% of alumni relations professionals. That’s despite 65% saying that increasing engagement was their top priority. On top of this, 15% admit that they struggle to compete for alumni attention amid the noise of all other organisations trying to engage them.

With lower outreach budgets and too many messages vying for alumni attention, generic email updates and once-a-year mailers clearly don’t cut it anymore.

This environment provides an opportunity for social. Alumni want you to make it easy for them to see opportunities in mentoring, volunteering, fundraising and attending reunions. Social networks offer the ideal place for precisely this kind of connection.

Social provides a built-in space for genuine, two-way communication in a place where alumni already spend their time. It also lets you share relevant updates, celebrate achievements and spark meaningful conversations that strengthen your public story and bring alumni back into the fold.

What today’s alumni expect on social

Today’s alumni want quick replies, content that speaks directly to them and stories that reflect their stage of life.

But where you reach them matters too. Alumni expect you to meet them where they already are, and that varies by generation. If you’re looking for mentors or donors, for instance, you’ll likely find more Gen X alumni on Facebook. But if you want content creators or event ambassadors, you’ll reach Millennials and Gen Z more effectively on Instagram or TikTok.

The 2025 Sprout Social Index™ UK Edition shows that Instagram remains the network people use most to keep up with what’s current, followed by Facebook and then TikTok. However, different age groups still gather in different digital “hangouts”, so where your audience spends time may vary by generation.

As Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report shows, Instagram tends to pull in Gen Z and Millennials, Facebook remains the mainstay for Gen X, and TikTok’s audience is largely Gen Z.

So your job isn’t to post everywhere. Instead, it’s to map alumni cohorts to the channels they actually use, then serve them content that feels relevant to them and build a community around it.

How to build a social-first alumni engagement strategy

Your university has thousands of alumni, all with different goals, careers and interests. Knowing who they are and what they value helps you celebrate their achievements, support their ambitions and connect them with like-minded peers.

To capture the right alumni attention, start by grouping them based on shared interests, goals and experiences. Then tailor your outreach to deliver the updates, opportunities and recognition that matter most to them.

Here’s how to use social to segment your alumni, tailor your content and create the kind of engagement that lasts:

Segment your alumni audience

Not every graduate wants the same kind of message. Segmenting alumni helps you send the right message to the right person.

To start, use your analytics tools to review patterns in your alumni data. Look at graduation year, location, degree discipline, giving history and preferred social channels. For example, you might find that graduates aged 22–30 use Instagram and TikTok for career inspiration, while donors aged 40–55 prefer LinkedIn and Facebook for corporate alumni engagement opportunities.

Once you know who your audience is and where they spend their time, tailor your content to each group in the following ways:

• Younger alumni: If your younger alumni spend more time on your university’s TikTok, focus on short-form video, Reels or Q&A Story stickers that highlight early career journeys or social impact projects. These formats feel personal and immediate, helping newer grads see your institution as a continued part of their story.
• Mid-career professionals: If this group leans toward LinkedIn, try posting mentorship opportunities, alumni spotlights or career milestones. For audiences that value professional growth and recognition, content that connects their success back to the university strengthens loyalty and pride.
• Older graduates and long-time supporters: If older alumni are more active on Facebook, offer nostalgic throwbacks, event recaps and community recognition posts. These types of content evoke emotion and shared history, which reinforces their long-term bond with the institution.

Remember, you’re aiming to create mini-communities that reflect different stages of life.

Choose the right channels and content

Each social network serves a distinct purpose in your alumni engagement strategy. Understanding the role of each network helps you match your message to the audience and their mindset.

Here’s how to use each social network to strengthen alumni connections across every stage of their journey:

LinkedIn for professional storytelling

LinkedIn is where alumni showcase their careers and build credibility, which makes it ideal for highlighting the professional impact of your institution. Use this network to post success stories and mentoring opportunities. You could also share alumni-led initiatives that highlight alumni achievements and encourage others to take part in the community. Try short videos on how university experiences shaped careers or carousels highlighting alumni businesses to strengthen professional pride and connection.

Here’s an example post of how the University of Cambridge uses LinkedIn to showcase its alumni initiatives:

(Source: LinkedIn)

Instagram for visual connection

Instagram thrives on authentic, emotional storytelling. Post Reels that reflect this authenticity, like alumni life updates, throwback photos or quick polls about favourite campus memories. For example, a #WhereAreTheyNow series will bring faces and stories back to life in a format that alumni will love to share.

Facebook for community and nostalgia

Facebook connects multi-generational alumni through shared memories. Facebook Groups offer the perfect place to reminisce, share updates and keep long-running traditions alive. Try posting reunion albums, “On This Day” throwbacks or old campus photos asking, “Who remembers this spot?” These nostalgic posts invite conversation and reignite lasting bonds.

TikTok for creative engagement

TikTok helps you reach younger alumni through humour and trends, so lean into playful, nostalgic content. Share quick “Then vs Now” videos, post-uni life hacks or glow-up clips. Another option is to run challenges like #UniThrowback, inviting grads to post old campus clips or first-day photos, tagging friends and the university to keep the community conversation going.

Celebrate and recognise your alumni

Alumni engagement grows when you recognise and value your graduates’ achievements. You can celebrate these milestones with posts that spotlight promotions, new ventures, awards and family announcements.

Here’s a great example post by the University of Leeds that shines a spotlight on its Forbes 30 Under 30 graduates:

(Source: Facebook)

To further widen your reach, tag the alumni in the post and encourage them to share it with their networks.

But how do you uncover these stories? Encourage your alumni to share content about their new ventures and use social listening tools to track mentions and related keywords to surface stories that are worth celebrating. Then share that user-generated content (UGC) on your channels with captions that recognise their contribution.

5 alumni engagement ideas for UK institutions

Once you know your audience and platforms, it’s time to bring your alumni engagement strategy to life.

Try these five alumni engagement ideas to turn posts into opportunities to strengthen mentoring, international student recruitment and fundraising year after year:

1. Involve alumni as creators, not just an audience

The best alumni engagement strategies treat graduates as collaborators rather than merely content targets.

Today’s alumni want involvement, not just one-way communication. To meet that expectation, bring them into the narrative by inviting them to co-create stories that show life after graduation. Ask them to contribute Instagram Stories takeovers, short video clips about career milestones or quote graphics reflecting on their experiences during and after university.

For instance, the University of Manchester encourages past students to offer advice to future graduates in Instagram Reels:

(Source: Instagram)

To garner the most attention, encourage alumni to tag your institution or use a branded hashtag. This process helps you build an alumni community that celebrates and recognises graduates, while generating authentic UGC that builds trust.

And remember, alumni are already a trusted voice in their own circles. By tapping into those influential people, you’ll multiply your reach across their networks. For example, if you’re running mentorship programs and need advocates to promote them, reach out to UK student influencers and alumni ambassadors who represent your uni’s values.

Rather than searching for these creators manually, use Sprout’s Influencer Marketing platform (a paid add-on) to find and vet relevant influencers who align with your goals and already engage with the audiences you want to reach. It uses AI-powered data to evaluate creators for brand fit based on the topics they talk about.

The platform also lets you review their performance metrics and build authentic partnerships that expand your alumni network—all while keeping every collaboration on brand.

Book a personalized Influencer Marketing demo to learn how Sprout will help you connect with like-minded creators.

2. Incorporate event-driven campaigns

Alumni engagement thrives when you link your community through meaningful milestones. Achieve this task by anchoring your campaigns around key moments, like Giving Days, reunion weekends, graduation anniversaries or alumni awards. These events already hold emotional weight, but social media amplifies them to help you spread that enthusiasm.

Here are a few ways to build out your content calendar around these peak moments and build a strategy that rallies your alumni:

• Before: Try building anticipation with countdown posts, teaser clips and throwback photos from past reunions. Encourage alumni to share memories or tag old classmates to spark early conversations.
• During: Capture the real-time buzz of events with Instagram Stories and TikTok videos. Post your own content while also encouraging attendees to share on their Feeds and tag their friends and your establishment so their networks see the energy firsthand.
• After: Keep the momentum going with highlight Reels, photo carousels and “wish you were here” moments that create a fear of missing out (FOMO). To nudge people to join the next event, try posting social media contests for free tickets.

Take a look at how the University of Southampton creates FOMO with its Facebook post about a recent networking event:

(Source: Facebook)

This kind of timely, event-based storytelling reminds graduates that their alma mater still values their place in the community and welcomes their involvement.

3. Lean into nostalgia with archival content

Few tactics resonate more than nostalgia. It’s emotional, inclusive and instantly bridges generations.

To nurture that nostalgic feeling, dig through your university archives to create throwback series like “On This Day”, “Then and Now” campus comparisons or weekly trivia posts about past events. Encourage your followers to engage by prompting them to tell stories in the comments. For example, ask questions like “What’s your favourite memory from Freshers’ Week?” or “Who was your most inspiring lecturer?”

These prompts turn wistfulness into conversation and help alumni reconnect with each other naturally.

But to keep this nostalgia flowing, you’ll need a steady supply of past photos, yearbook scans and campus moments—and they need to be easy to find. Sprout’s Asset Library will help by giving you one searchable home for those visuals. So you’re not digging through old folders every time you plan a post.

4. Create peer-to-peer connection opportunities

Your institution isn’t the only voice in the alumni conversation. Alumni engagement should also incorporate other people’s stories as you help graduates connect with one another.

Social channels offer the perfect meeting point to bring these ex-students together. For example, LinkedIn or Facebook Groups offer the ideal hubs to encourage peer-to-peer interaction. There, alumni can network by degree, location or profession.

Here are some of the best ways to create networking opportunities in these groups:

• Run a monthly spotlight series that introduces alumni mentors to current students or peers who are looking for guidance.
• Host virtual coffee chats or Q&A sessions where graduates share industry insights or career lessons.
• Promote volunteer and career support opportunities that encourage collaboration and build long-term trust.
• Feature alumni-led projects or businesses to inspire others and strengthen professional networks within your community.

This kind of network building fuels long-term engagement because once alumni start supporting each other, the sense of belonging grows naturally.

5. Use storytelling frameworks

Behind every engaged alum is a story worth telling. But to truly capture your graduates’ journeys, you need to move beyond simple shoutouts and instead share narratives that motivate action.

Using a strong storytelling framework will help you tell these stories in an engaging and inspiring way. When relaying a graduate’s experience, for instance, start with the challenges they faced, highlight the turning point, detail the outcome and finish with a call to action. This approach will encourage others to join mentoring programmes, contribute to fundraising efforts or reconnect through the alumni network.

Stories like these show alumni what connection looks like in action and why it’s worth staying part of the community.

Prove the value of your alumni engagement strategy

To get more value from your alumni engagement strategy, you’ll need to measure impact and use those insights to refine what you do next. When you track impact in this way, you see what drives action and what needs adjusting so your social media truly supports your wider goals.

Here’s how to measure alumni engagement and put those insights to work:

Define what engagement actually means

To truly define impactful engagement, you’ll need to measure real, meaningful connections, not just vanity metrics. To see where people truly connect, track a mix of:

• Actions (such as likes, comments and shares)
• Behaviours (like career fair signups, event attendance or replies to DMs)
• Sentiment (positive mentions or testimonials)

These signals reveal whether your communications strategy builds genuine, lasting relationships that encourage graduate involvement in real life.

Track the right metrics

Once you know what engagement looks like, you’ll need to know how to measure alumni engagement to reveal both reach and real-world impact.

This simple KPI model links social activity to tangible outcomes, allowing you to measure that engagement at each level of the funnel to see what drives impact:

• Top-of-funnel: Track reach and impressions to understand how many alumni your content actually reaches and which channels drive awareness.
• Mid-funnel: Monitor clicks, shares and sentiment to see how well your content resonates and whether it’s sparking meaningful conversations.
• Bottom-of-funnel: Measure actions like event attendance, donations from social or mentoring sign-ups. These metrics give the clearest indicators that your efforts inspire real participation and support.

Set up a recurring reporting workflow

Consistent reporting keeps your strategy accountable and actionable. By conducting regular content reviews, you’ll see which campaigns drive the most engagement, which audiences respond best and where to focus future outreach.

For a clear view of your performance, you need analytics tools that help you track how different posts, themes and campaigns land across channels. Tools like Sprout’s Premium Analytics (a paid add-on) and Tagging features make it easier to organise that data and pull meaningful insights without manual spreadsheets.

The platform allows you to tag posts by campaign, region or alumni cohort, then build custom reports that highlight post performance trends over time. These insights show you how to refine your approach, communicate results clearly to leadership, and keep your alumni relations strategy data-driven and forward-looking.

Bring your alumni community closer

Your alumni already live and connect on social media, so that’s where your community should grow. This space is where you celebrate their achievements, spark conversation and inspire participation both on and offline.

But to do this well, you need to streamline your outreach, understand who’s active where and measure what works.

Sprout helps you do exactly that by unifying your social data, tracking audience behaviour and revealing which content drives the strongest alumni engagement. Try a free demo today to see how Sprout can help you turn every interaction into a more connected, active community.

The post How to improve alumni engagement with social media: A guide for UK institutions appeared first on Sprout Social.

With over 1.6 billion monthly active users, standing out requires a strategy that blends trending topics with specific keywords.

This guide covers the top hashtags for 2026, the new “3-5 Rule,” and how to use hashtags to rank in search.

What are TikTok hashtags?

TikTok hashtags are clickable keywords used to categorize video content. They begin with the hash symbol (#) and help the platform’s algorithm understand the context of a video to serve it to relevant audiences on the For You Page (FYP) and in search results.

For example, adding #SmallBusiness tells TikTok to show your video to users interested in entrepreneurship. If you also add #packaging, it narrows that audience further to people interested in order fulfillment content.

Looking to enhance your content’s discoverability on TikTok? See how Sprout Social can help you master your hashtag strategy.

Try Sprout for 30-days free

Do TikTok hashtags still work?

Yes, TikTok hashtags still work, but their purpose has changed. In the early days of the platform, hashtags were primarily “growth hacks” used to force content onto the For You Page (FYP). Creators would pile on generic tags like #fyp and #viral hoping to catch a lucky break with the algorithm.

According to Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, 41% of Gen Z consumers now treat social apps as their primary search engine, prioritizing them over traditional tools like Google.

This evolution has birthed the era of TikTok SEO. Hashtags are no longer just about casting a wide net; they are about indexing.

When you post a video, the TikTok algorithm scans your visuals, listens to your audio, reads your captions, and checks your hashtags to determine exactly what your video is about.

The bottom line: A strong TikTok SEO strategy requires you to treat hashtags as keywords. By aligning your tags with the specific queries your audience is searching for, such as #BestBudgetLaptop instead of just #Tech, you transition from chasing fleeting views to capturing high-intent traffic.

8 Benefits of using hashtags in your TikTok strategy

Incorporating hashtags into your TikTok marketing strategy isn’t just about following trends; it’s about building a sustainable content library. Here a re eight benefits your account gets from a smart hashtag strategy.

1. Increase visibility and discovery (SEO)

On a basic level, adding hashtags in your TikTok captions help the TikTok algorithm index your content. When you use a hashtag relevant to your video, you signal to TikTok exactly who should see it, whether or not they are already following your brand. A well-placed hashtag can land your video on the For You Page of a highly relevant audience that is searching for exactly what you offer.

For example, adding #DIYProject could help your video show up in the search results of people who are searching for the hashtag.

2. Boost engagement

Better visibility translates to higher engagement rates. When your content reaches the right people, they are more likely to like, comment and share because the topic actually interests them.

3. Build community

Branded TikTok hashtags are a great way to create a community around your business and for your audience. Encouraging your followers to use a specific tag (e.g., #SproutSocial) builds a dedicated space for user-generated content (UGC).

For example, #jellycat has generated billions of views by giving fans a place to show off their collections. The hashtag has generated 1 billion views, proving just how popular these videos are.

4. Identify competitors

Just as you use hashtags to get discovered, so do your competitors. You can click on industry tags (like #SaasMarketing) to conduct a competitive analysis, see what offers they are running and identify gaps in their content that you can fill.

5. Get TikTok content ideas

Feeling stuck? Click on a niche hashtag in your industry. You will instantly see the top-performing videos in that category. This is the fastest way to see what TikTok content formats (tutorials, skits, lists) are resonating with your audience right now.

6. Find relevant influencers

Hashtag searches are the best way to discover TikTok influencers you can partner with. If you are looking for a beauty influencer, don’t just search “influencer.” Search #CleanBeauty or #SkincareRoutine to find creators who are already making high-quality content in your specific niche.

7. Surfacing trending topics

Hashtags are the pulse of the platform. By monitoring rising tags in the TikTok Creative Center or Sprout Social, you can spot TikTok trends before they peak, giving you a chance to create content while the wave is still rising.

Discover trends natively in the TikTok app by tapping the search icon in the top right corner of your home feed. You’ll see popular trends as well as topics the app thinks you’ll like based on your activity. Browse TikTok like someone in your target audience might to see what types of content ideas pop up.

8. TikTok monitoring

Hashtags—especially branded ones—are essential for social listening. Using a tool like Sprout Social to monitor your branded hashtags helps you catch customer complaints, praise or questions that might not have tagged your official account directly.

Use a TikTok monitoring tool to gain insights about your target audiences, competitors and brand sentiment.

Top TikTok hashtags in 2026

Curious on how to find the trending hashtags on TikTok? We’ve got some of the most popular TikTok hashtags in several industries for inspiration.

50 Popular hashtags on TikTok

1. #fyp
2. #foryou
3. #foryoupage
4. #viral
5. #tiktok
6. #trending
7. #duet
8. #funny
9. #comedy
10. #love
11. #explore
12. #meme
13. #video
14. #new
15. #dance
16. #music
17. #like
18. #follow
19. #tiktokviral
20. #prank
21. #fashion
22. #fitness
23. #beauty
24. #food
25. #gaming
26. #cute
27. #education
28. #art
29. #travel
30. #pets
31. #humor
32. #challenge
33. #health
34. #lifestyle
35. #tutorial
36. #tips
37. #motivation
38. #smallbusiness
39. #anime
40. #lol
41. #fun
42. #happy
43. #artist
44. #girl
45. #friends
46. #repost
47. #viralvideo
48. #explorepage
49. #life
50. #xyzbca

Top 10 Trending TikTok hashtags

Keep in mind that this changes week to week, so you’ll need to check out what TikTok is saying their trending hashtags are right now.

1. #UFC324
2. #PaddyPimblett
3. #Dallaska
4. #JustinGaethje
5. #DragonBallSuper
6. #AlexHonnold
7. #DeshaeFrost
8. #SkyscraperLive
9. #DBS
10. #PaddyTheBaddy

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for B2B

1. #business
2. #entrepreneur
3. #marketing
4. #smallbusiness
5. #b2b
6. #businesstips
7. #sales
8. #leadership
9. #motivation
10. #productivity

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for fashion and beauty

1. #fashion
2. #beauty
3. #ootd (Outfit of the Day)
4. #makeup
5. #skincare
6. #grwm (Get Ready With Me)
7. #style
8. #fashionhacks
9. #beautytips
11. #model

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for fitness

1. #fitness
2. #gym
3. #workout
4. #fit
5. #health
6. #gymlife
7. #motivation
8. #bodybuilding
9. #personaltrainer
10. #fitfam

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for food and beverage businesses

1. #food
2. #foodie
3. #yummy
4. #delicious
5. #foodtiktok
6. #cooking
7. #recipe
8. #foodlover
9. #chef
10. #dinner

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for technology and software

1. #tech
2. #technology
3. #innovation
4. #engineering
5. #coding
6. #software
7. #gadgets
8. #programming
9. #developer
10. #techtok

Top 10 TikTok hashtags for travel

1. #travel
2. #wanderlust
3. #adventure
4. #vacation
5. #explore
6. #travelgram
7. #nature
8. #traveltiktok
9. #holiday
10. #tourist

TikTok hashtag best practices

Maximizing your reach on TikTok starts with a smart hashtag strategy. Here is how to build a hashtag framework that actually works.

1. Focus on hashtag quality over quantity

Gone are the days of stuffing 30 hashtags into a caption. Current data supports a “less is more” approach focused on precision indexing.

Data from CapCut (ByteDance’s official editor) explicitly states that using 3 to 5 hashtags gives the best results, as fewer tags prevent the algorithm from receiving mixed signals.

2. Use a search-first strategy

Why does “less is more” work? Because user behavior has shifted from passive scrolling to active searching.

According to Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, 41% of Gen Z now treat social apps as their primary search engine, surpassing traditional tools like Google.

Because users are searching for specific answers, using 30 random tags hurts your SEO. Using 3-5 accurate tags helps you rank for those specific high-intent searches.

3. The “3-3-3” strategy

If you want to use a few more hashtags, use this 3-3-3 balanced formula to target different layers of the algorithm. This means you’ll be using up to 9 hashtags:

• 3 Broad or high-volume hashtags: Think #marketing or #fyp to cast a wide net.
• 3 niche or community-focused hashtags: Such as #SocialMediaManager or #DigitalMarketing to find your specific peers.
• 3 Content-specific hashtags: Such as #HowToWriteCopy or #ContentIdeas to target users searching for exactly what you are teaching.

4. Mix popular and niche hashtags

Don’t only use #fyp. Everyone is competing for that feed. When you use niche hashtags like #B2BSales, you are competing in a smaller pool where you are more likely to be the “big fish” and rank at the top of search results.

How to find the best TikTok hashtags for your brand

Finding the right hashtags is both an art and a science.

You can manually search for hashtags on the app: identifying which hashtags are influencers in your niche or your competitors are using. While these methods can be effective, they’re often time-consuming and lack the data you need to make valuable decisions.

To build an effective TikTok hashtag strategy, you need a more efficient method.

How to find TikTok hashtags with Sprout Social

Sprout Social takes hashtag research from a manual chore into a streamlined advantage. Instead of guessing which hashtags will work, our AI-driven insights will help you find, analyze and add hashtags for every post.

Step 1. Log into Sprout Social.

Don’t have a Sprout Social account yet? Start your free 30-day trial with your business email and test managing your entire social strategy from a single platform.

Step 2. Link your TikTok Business Account to Sprout Social by navigating to Settings > Profiles and click Add Profile. Follow the prompts to authenticate your account and grant Sprout the necessary permissions.

Step 3. Compose your TikTok video post. Select the camera icon and click +Upload a video. Videos must be at least 3 seconds and no more than 10 minutes.

Step 4. Begin typing your caption and add a # to begin searching for relevant TikTok hashtags. Sprout provides suggested hashtags by volume.

Step 5. Schedule your TikTok videos to publish when your audience is most active using our Optimal Send Times feature. This AI-powered capability analyzes past content performance and suggests a time when your audience is most active and likely to engage with your content.

How to add and manage hashtags with Tag Collections

Once you’ve identified the perfect hashtags for your campaigns, you can create and save groups of related hashtags for specific campaigns, products or content pillars using Sprout’s Tag Collections.

Instead of manually typing hashtags for every post or storing them in a spreadsheet, you can save those in Sprout’s Tag Manager as an efficient way to incorporate them into future posts.

For example, you can create a “Q2 Product Launch” Tag collection and a “Behind The Scenes” collection, with relevant hashtags saved within that Tag Collection.

To create a Tag Collection in Sprout:

1. Navigate to Account and settings > Settings.
2. Click Tag Management under Global Features.
3. Click Add Collection.
4. Then, enter a name for the Tag Collection, such as “Summer Launch”.
5. Click Create collection.
6. Once you’ve created a Collection, you can add tags. Click the Tag Collection you just created and want to add tags to.
7. Click Add Tag in the right-hand panel.
8. Enter the tag name and click Create tag.
9. 
10. Now, when you use Compose, you can apply tags to outbound messages on TikTok.

Using Sprout’s Tag Collections:

• Improves efficiency: When creating a post, simply apply the relevant collection to add all its associated hashtags in a single click.
• Ensures brand consistency: Your entire team can use a consistent hashtag strategy, reinforcing your branding and campaign goals across all posts.

How to measure hashtag performance with Sprout Social

Without data, your hashtag strategy is incomplete. To tie your hashtag use directly to performance, use Sprout’s Tag Performance Report.

When you use Tags to your scheduled TikTok videos in Compose, Sprout aggregates the performance data into the Tag Performance Report for every post with that tag, allowing you to see which hashtag strategies are driving the best results.

By analyzing TikTok metrics like impressions, engagement and video views at the campaign level, you move beyond individual post performance. This provides a clear overview of which campaigns and specific hashtags are resonating with your audience so you can alter and adjust your hashtag strategy.

TikTok hashtag generators and discovery tools

Looking for even more inspiration for TikTok hashtags? There are many tools available to help you find the perfect hashtags for every video you publish. These four are the perfect starting points.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management platform that can help you through dozens of tasks—from monitoring online conversations to discovering trends and so much more. Find relevant hashtags as you write content in the Compost box, which automatically suggests hashtags as you begin adding them to your post. Alternatively, use Suggestions by AI Assist to generate copy and hashtags as you compose posts. These AI automation features can help eliminate the guesswork from manually researching relevant hashtags.

Hashtag Expert

Hashtag Expert is an easy-to-use smartphone app that can help you find hashtags based on a starter keyword, a category relevant to your industry (of which there are 35 to choose from) or a group of hashtags you’ve used before. Download Hashtag Expert and start compiling hashtags for your video content.

You can easily get a group of relevant hashtags for your video and save them for later, or copy them right inside the app to then paste into your TikTok caption. Plus, you can get access to daily trending hashtags to help you discover even more content ideas.

TikTok Hashtags

TikTok Hashtags is a basic hashtag generator that can help you find related hashtags.

Start by typing in a hashtag like #style and generate a handful of relevant and popular hashtags that can help increase visibility on your content. This is a completely free tool that’s easy to use for each of your new videos.

For the record, TikTok has no association with this website.

Ahrefs TikTok Hashtag Generator

Ahrefs has a free AI TikTok Hashtag Generator tool as a part of its free digital marketing and SEO tools arsenal. But this hashtag generator works a bit differently than the others.

With Ahrefs’ AI hashtag generator, you can type your video caption or a brief synopsis of your video into the text box and wait while the tool generates a list of hashtags for you to include. Specify the number of hashtags you want, the formatting you prefer, as well as the writing tone you’re going for. Then copy and paste the hashtags right into TikTok.

Make TikTok hashtags work for you

With more businesses using TikTok in their marketing strategies, incorporating the use of hashtags can be a great way to stand out. But just using the right hashtags isn’t enough. You also need to keep an eye on your TikTok analytics to look for opportunities to keep improving.

The post TikTok hashtags: How to use the best hashtags for more views in 2025 appeared first on Sprout Social.

For social media marketers, this shift represents a prime opportunity. As social search continues to accelerate, establishing a strong, measurable presence on Bluesky allows you to connect with early adopters and secure a foundational advantage. These evolving user behaviors make optimizing for Bluesky SEO a critical strategy to boost your brand’s in-network visibility, reach and authority.

What is Bluesky SEO? And why does it matter?

Bluesky SEO is the strategic optimization of your profile and content to maximize in-network discoverability and authority. This effort is crucial because establishing an early, visible presence on a rapidly growing network like Bluesky offers significant first-mover benefits.

Fundamentally, Bluesky is a microblogging network that’s similar to X and Threads, where users publish short posts, links, videos and images. Its core differentiator—and why marketers are now paying attention to it—is its decentralized structure that runs on the AT Protocol. This decentralization gives users the unique advantage of seamlessly porting their content and identity across other compatible networks.

The opportunity for early adopters

Bluesky’s rapid growth, which has surpassed a 372% year-over-year increase as of June 2025, makes it a prime opportunity for early adopters. Optimizing for search on this network now lets you tap directly into emerging social trends and fundamentally reshape how users discover your brand. This powerful digital marketing strategy will increase your in-network exposure precisely when users are actively searching for your brand or exploring related topics.

A critical caveat: External indexing

While the primary focus of Bluesky optimization is in-network visibility, there are also early signals that external search engines like Google are indexing Bluesky profiles (and potentially posts), which adds a layer of off-network value.

But this external indexing isn’t yet consistent or widespread. That’s why brands should file this information under “emerging trends to monitor” instead of relying on it as an active SEO tactic. Your immediate priority remains building strong in-network visibility and meaningful engagement.

The rise of social search and its impact on SEO

Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey found that one in three consumers turn to social media to research products or reviews, and 76% of buyers report that social posts influenced their purchases. Furthermore, the Sprout Social Index™ 2025 revealed that 86% of users plan to maintain or increase the time they spend on social networks in 2025.

As consumers continue to prioritize social networks, social search optimization is rapidly becoming a primary driver of discoverability. Here are a few ways that social search is changing how customers look for solutions and products:

Using social networks as primary search engines

The current shift in search habits toward social media and AI engines requires SEO to evolve and reflect new user behaviors. Marketers are increasingly referring to this phenomenon as “search everywhere” optimization, which signals the necessity for social media and SEO teams to collaborate and meet audiences where they are searching.

Social media search is when users intentionally look for answers, products and information on their preferred social networks instead of traditional search engines. A few years ago, a user who searched for “best independent sci-fi podcasts” would have relied solely on Google. But today, that user is just as likely to turn to social networks like Bluesky for real-time recommendations and authentic reviews.

Traditional SEO methods remain a core pillar for ranking on SERPs and securing AI mentions. However, by strategically leveraging social networks like Bluesky, your team actively builds real-time credibility, which helps your brand stand out where audiences are searching.

Boosting traditional SEO with social

While traditional SEO relies on long-term authority, social activity allows you to rapidly accelerate your brand’s credibility through interactive engagement. This gives you real-time control over essential social signals.

Engagement signals, such as likes, reposts and virality, are powerful social signals that boost your visibility within Bluesky’s feeds. This increased exposure can then indirectly build your authority by earning essential links or mentions on external sites, which reinforces your brand’s E-E-A-T. The more actively you engage and grow your following, the more you will amplify your overall discoverability.

Synergy with traditional SEO funnels

As search habits shift across networks, a unified social search strategy is becoming more essential for discoverability. Taking this approach helps your team meet audiences on the networks they prefer, like Bluesky, and then connect that activity back to measurable business impact.

This strategy complements creating a cross-channel ecosystem where social content builds real-time authority and engagement signals reinforce search visibility. In this new landscape, social and search remain distinct disciplines but increasingly operate in tandem to strengthen a brand’s overall discoverability and credibility online.

How to optimize for Bluesky SEO

Your social media team can seamlessly integrate Bluesky SEO into your existing overall social media and SEO strategy. Below are some actionable steps you can take to embed this strategy into your current SEO initiatives and connect them to real business impact:

Optimize your Bluesky profile for discoverability

First, you should optimize your profile. This page is what immediately communicates who you are, what you offer and, most importantly, who you serve.

Here are some quick ways you can optimize your Bluesky profile:

• Use your official brand name for your handle and display name.
• Change the generic Bluesky handle URL (“[handle name].bsky.social”) to your owned domain to strengthen brand consistency and trust.
• Upload your professional brand image for your profile and banner.

In addition to optimizing for your company name, be sure to proactively optimize your bio with strategic keywords. For instance, a podcast creator could include targeted keywords like “sci-fi” and “independent podcast” so their content surfaces when users search Bluesky for recommendations like “What are the best independent sci-fi podcasts right now?”

Here’s a profile example from Limited Run Games, a game publisher in Cary, North Carolina. The brand uses its domain name for its handle, which boosts its SEO signals and authority. Its bio also includes keywords like “physical games,” “indies” and “cult classics.”

Source: Bluesky

Your profile should also include your website link and relevant hashtags in the bio. Furthermore, when you post an image, always include descriptive alt text. This is crucial for both accessibility and keyword optimization.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that your profile is consistent with your other social accounts to simplify cross-platform discoverability. Since Bluesky allows you to pin a post, prioritize content that immediately represents your brand’s current positioning, voice and high-value offerings.

Create content that surfaces in Bluesky search

Once you’ve optimized your profile, the next step is publishing content that directly supports your Bluesky SEO strategy.

To accomplish this, begin producing descriptive content that aligns with relevant topical queries and use keywords and phrases in your posts. When appropriate, use strategic hashtags sparingly to anchor niche relevance and ensure that users who are searching for that topic discover your content.

You should also remember that users are increasingly prioritizing engaging with rich media like videos and images. According to Sprout’s 2025 Content Benchmarks Report, “video content is on the rise,” with a 3% increase on networks like Facebook and Instagram. When you do include this kind of media in your posts, be sure to write descriptive alt text for accessibility. That text can help search engines understand your content if they index the image.

Publishing and reporting tools are essential for streamlining this part of your strategy. Not only do they help you connect your efforts to real business outcomes, but they also facilitate easy cross-posting across all your social channels and help you drive consistent engagement through collaborative workflows.

Structure threads for maximum discoverability

The thread format is a highly effective posting method for microblogging networks like Bluesky, X and Threads. Essentially, a thread is a series of posts that begins with a primary, attention-grabbing post (the hook), followed by replies that expand on the main points, much like in a long-form article.

To craft a successful thread, treat your initial post like an article headline and a compelling introduction. Then, use a concise, keyword-rich hook that immediately tells users what you will cover, sets clear expectations and promises significant value.

For example, the Ship 30 for 30 course shows how effective threads work in practice. Its founders went viral on X by applying the following methods for making threads engaging:

• Add a “big bold claim” to stop users from scrolling.
• Include a “moment-in-time opener” like “in the last 3 weeks” to add specificity.
• Mention an impressive number if possible, like “over 19,000 fans,” to add credibility.
• Insert a benefit for the reader, like mentioning a resource that they can use, to hook them in.
• Embed a “big, scroll-stopping thumbnail image” to capture attention.
• “Cast a wide net” by mentioning a free resource, for example, but emphasize universality with phrasing like “easy to use anywhere.”

While these tactics helped this brand in particular reach over 2 million impressions, you can directly apply them to engage users and significantly build your own brand’s visibility on Bluesky.

Drive engagement to improve your visibility

Engagement is precisely where Bluesky SEO provides the most impact. In fact, Bluesky shared a post from Dave Earley of The Guardian, who noted that traffic from Bluesky is “significantly higher” than Threads.

As a brand, you absolutely should use these engagement signals to your advantage. To start, deliberately cultivate your following and establish consistent, predictable posting habits. Posting regularly at similar times builds user familiarity and trust, which naturally increases the likes, shares and replies you’ll see on your content.

For every post, you’ll want to prioritize meaningful engagement—especially reposts, quotes and replies—soon after publishing. While Bluesky hasn’t publicly shared how its algorithms weigh these signals, early interactions often help posts gain traction in custom feeds and communities. Responding promptly to comments and quote-posts also strengthens your in-network relationships and signals authenticity and consistency that build long-term visibility.

Partnering with creators who already show up in Bluesky search is a great way to amplify your in-network reach and authority too. Their existing momentum will provide a significant boost in your own discoverability on the network.

When a post gains traction, one way to promote further growth is by reposting or quoting it. If you quote-post the content, you can strategically add more insights based on original comments, increasing relevance and encouraging future engagement.

If you’re new to Bluesky, you should immediately take advantage of starter packs or community lists to accelerate visibility. Themed lists are an ideal way to quickly find and connect with your target audience based on their specific interests.

Optimize for Bluesky’s custom feeds

One of Bluesky’s most powerful features is its custom feeds, which allow you to join existing communities and choose a niche algorithm. Because custom feeds are laser-focused on mutual interests, they create a highly intentional environment for engagement, which is ideal for connecting with your target audience.

These curated feeds not only guarantee exposure to the right audience but also significantly increase your credibility within your niche. Active engagement with this audience signals to both Bluesky and external search engines that you are a genuine authority in that area.

To find custom feeds, simply search for existing communities. Then, follow the feed and actively engage with posts on it to accurately assess its user base and community culture. Once you’re done there, you can begin contributing your own content.

Own topical pillars in your niche

Mirroring traditional SEO best practices by focusing on key topical pillars also helps your brand build consistent authority and relevance. While Bluesky’s discovery algorithms are still evolving, centering your content on a few core themes reinforces your brand identity, makes your expertise recognizable within communities and positions your content for stronger visibility as search and social discovery continue to converge.

To do this effectively, select one or two core themes and decisively take ownership of that space. Through consistent, high-value posting, rigorous keyword optimization and targeted engagement, you’ll build and solidify your brand’s authority there.

Leverage influencers for discoverability

Influencer content marketing is growing exponentially due to its unique ability to rapidly earn trust and reach new users. By collaborating strategically with an influencer in your niche, you’ll immediately gain access to their followers and existing momentum, which is a key component of the “Authority” element in E-E-A-T.

In fact, a successful influencer partnership provides a major jumpstart for both engagement and immediate visibility. According to Sprout’s State of Influencer Marketing Report, marketers often notice the following results when they partner with influencers:

• 92% see greater reach.
• 90% experience higher engagement with their content.
• 83% find that conversions increase.

The best way to begin an influencer partnership is by identifying and engaging with key influencers who are already generating high, authentic engagement on Bluesky. Once you find a creator who consistently posts about your target keywords, contact them about a potential partnership or collaboration to maximize your reach.

How to measure your Bluesky SEO impact

Once you’ve successfully implemented your Bluesky SEO strategy, it’s critical to proactively tie your efforts to demonstrable business outcomes. This is how you’ll refine your strategy and effectively report success to stakeholders.

Since Bluesky is still developing its analytics capabilities, you can use social media management tools like Sprout to bridge the gap. This allows you to tag posts, tracking engagement trends and compare them to performance across other networks.

When you’re measuring impact, though, be sure to focus on directional insights rather than precision. This means prioritizing patterns of growth and engagement quality over raw volume.

When measuring your Bluesky SEO results, categorizing them into the following two distinct groups will provide you with clear attribution and reporting:

In-network Bluesky metrics

These metrics, as the first stage of Bluesky SEO analysis, focus on how your content performs on the network. Optimizing them is key to maximizing your in-network engagement and reach.

To get started here, use Sprout Social’s Tagging feature to measure the impact of your Bluesky SEO efforts. Then, create campaign-specific tags (like “Bluesky SEO,” for example) and apply them to posts that you’ve optimized for in-network visibility. In Sprout’s Tag Performance Report, you can also compare engagement, impressions and other performance metrics for tagged posts versus your non-optimized content, which will give you clear insight into how your Bluesky SEO strategy drives results.

Here are some key engagement metrics you can analyze and optimize for:

• Reposts: This metric indicates that your content resonated enough with your audience that they felt compelled to spread the word, which increases your content’s reach.
• Quotes: These are valuable posts that provide more insight into what audiences think of your content. You can use this content to inform future posts.
• Replies: Responses indicate that users connect with your content enough to initiate a conversation. To maximize replies, strategically ask questions in your posts and explicitly invite engagement. Then, make sure to reply to every user who responds.
• Shares: When users share your posts in DMs or via other social networks and sources, you’ll expand your reach beyond the feed.
• Likes: These engagements signal that your audience enjoyed or related to your content. To boost likes, analyze which posts resonated most effectively and quickly iterate on those successful ideas.

Cross-network metrics

The most direct way to track Bluesky’s impact on your business is by analyzing the referral traffic it drives to your brand’s website.

In order to ensure accurate attribution, even with Bluesky’s planned “go.bsky.app” redirect, you should continue to use UTM-tagged URLs. Because traffic from Bluesky can still appear as direct or ambiguous “social” or “referral” traffic, UTMs are a safe way to track direct impact.

Here are some multi-network metrics you can use to understand the impact of your Bluesky SEO strategies:

• Conversion events: If you have goal completions, sign-ups or downloads, track how many conversions came from Bluesky traffic.
• Engaged sessions and engagement rate: Google Analytics 4’s “engaged sessions” metric provides a more meaningful engagement measure than just bounce.
• Average engagement time: This metric reveals users’ time on site from Bluesky traffic vs. from other networks.
• Pages per session: This reveals whether visitors from Bluesky browse further or bounce quickly.
• Return visits: Looking at this metric shows whether Bluesky-sourced visitors are coming back.
• New users: Seeing how many users were new to your site indicates if you’re reaching a new audience.
• Sessions per user: You’ll want to track this metric to learn how many sessions or unique users came from Bluesky.
• Landing pages: This metric reveals which pages on your site Bluesky links are redirecting to. This helps you understand what content resonates with your audience.

Get ahead in the new era of social search

As social search fundamentally reshapes customer shopping behavior and Bluesky establishes itself as a significant network, there’s no better time to build a robust, data-driven presence. Brands that strategically invest in Bluesky SEO now will capitalize on the search disruption and, as a result, secure authority and results.

Ready to launch a successful social media SEO strategy for Bluesky and all your social channels? Try Sprout’s free demo today.

The post Bluesky SEO: Your guide to social search and discoverability appeared first on Sprout Social.

Connecting with your audience today means expanding your perspective beyond traditional SEO and embracing social media search as an essential strategy for discovery and brand authority.

You don’t need to choose between SEO and social search. In fact, you win when they work together.

Go beyond traditional SEO: How social search complements your strategy

Audiences are no longer limited to search engines; they use every social network to find information. This shift means that optimizing for Threads SEO is not a siloed social tactic; it is a vital part of your comprehensive discovery strategy.

On Threads, “SEO” isn’t about climbing Google’s rankings; it’s about showing up when someone searches inside the app.

• Traditional SEO is a direct path: Query > Search Results > Website.
• Social search is dynamic. Users turn to networks like Threads, Instagram and TikTok for real-time information, peer-to-peer advice and trend-spotting.

Ideally, traditional search and social search strategies work in tandem: Google builds your validity, while social builds your feasibility and trust. This integrated approach directly addresses the primary challenge of Meta Threads SEO: How do you get seen where people are actually talking?

(Source: Sprout Social)

By treating social search as a strategic channel, Threads is no longer just a place to post and becomes a “conversation engine” that influences brand awareness and authority.

Why your audience searches on social media

User behavior has shifted. While Google remains the authority for transactional queries, social media serves a different purpose: instant, authentic trend-focused discovery.

Social search presents clear opportunities for brands. According to Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, 41% of Gen Z now turn to social networks for information before search engines. They are looking for three things traditional search often can’t provide:

1. Authentic experience: Hearing from real people and brands actively participating in the conversation.
2. Real-time trends: Social networks are the first source of truth for breaking crises or cultural moments.
3. Visual and conversational cues: Users search for inspiration, reviews and educational content in a visual format.

(Source: Threads)

Position Threads as your conversation engine for discovery

Think of Threads as a conversation engine that generates high-value, relevant signals. Brands can use Threads to build sustained authority and meaningful conversations.

Human relevance is the most crucial algorithm of all. When your Threads bio is clear and your posts spark genuine engagement, the network’s algorithm naturally amplifies your reach.

How to optimize your Threads presence for discovery

Optimizing for Instagram Threads SEO requires two things: clarity and conversation. Each time you post, reply, share or repost, you signal to the algorithm who you are and why users should follow you.

The goal is to make your Threads content appear when users search or browse for relevant topics on the network.

Master your Threads profile and bio for visibility

Your Threads profile does more than introduce you; it acts as a foundational signal to users and the Threads algorithm. Keep it concise and keyword-relevant.

For example, instead of, “We help brands,” use a descriptive statement that integrates the problem you solve: “We build social strategies that drive revenue and prove ROI.”

You have about 150 characters to make this impact; use your bio to state your brand’s core value. A fully optimized bio also includes:

• A clear, consistent profile photo
• A link to your main hub, like your website or link in bio tool.
• Primary keywords related to your industry

(Source: Threads)

An optimized Threads profile and bio helps two key systems:

• The user: A user instantly understands your value proposition.
• The algorithm: The platform’s internal logic uses the keywords in your bio, name and handle to categorize your profile for internal search results.

Use keywords and topic tags to signal relevance

The rule for Threads SEO is quality over quantity—posting for the sake of posting only creates noise.

The “SEO” in Meta Threads SEO is less about ranking in a Google search and more about ensuring you appear in a Threads search. Keywords on Threads function as contextual signals for the internal algorithm, while Topic Tags act as Threads’ version of hashtags.

How to use them: If you discuss “influencer marketing strategies,” use that exact phrase in the text of your post and as a Topic Tag. Threads relies on these clear signals to connect users to relevant, real-time conversations. Focus on long-tail conversational keywords—the actual questions and phrases your audience types into the search bar.

Drive conversations that boost your relevance signals

On social media, engagement is the core signal for the algorithm. On Threads, relevance is not measured by link clicks but by conversation.

Replies, reposts and quote-threads are the most powerful signals that your content is valuable. An increase in these signals directly increases your feed visibility, which is the network’s primary form of discovery.

Proactively ask questions, provide unique takes and participate in other threads to generate these signals. Do not wait for conversation; start it.

Sprout Tip: Use Sprout Social’s analytics to track your performance across connected networks. If a topic drives engagement on LinkedIn, test that topic on Threads. Applying cross-platform data ensures you focus on proven conversational content.

Threads SEO benefits: Drive traffic and build E-E-A-T

This is where social search meets traditional SEO. Your high-value activity on Threads translates to tangible benefits through referral traffic and brand authority with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness).

Use Threads to amplify your pillar content

Threads is a strategic distribution channel for your core SEO assets. It’s where you’ll directly address audience questions and then link to your in-depth solution, such as a blog, report, case study or support center.

This drives referral traffic to your pillar content. Think of Threads as the appetizer to your long-form content main course.

Try the “teaser” strategy: Take a 2,000-word blog post on “The 5 Pillars of Social Media Listening” and break it down into a five-part thread.

• Post 1: Hook the reader with a provocative question, such as: “Is your brand still guessing about trends?”
• Posts 2–4: Each post expands on a single pillar with a strategic takeaway.
• Post 5: Provide a summary and a CTA to the full article.

This moves users from “problem-aware” to “solution-aware” while driving high-intent traffic to your site.

Build brand authority with authentic conversation

Google’s algorithms are increasingly looking for off-page signals to identify brands that are talked about, trusted and cited. The E-E-A-T framework uses Experience, Expertise and Authoritativeness to measure the ultimate ranking factor: Trustworthiness.

A consistently helpful voice in Threads discussions builds the social proof that strengthens your overall brand reputation. Brands that directly link social activity to E-E-A-T gain a strategic edge over competitors. Here’s how authentic conversation on Threads builds brand authority:

• You prove expertise in real time: Original posts and replies create an immediate association between your brand and credible value.

• You drive relevance signals: When your audience replies to, reposts or shares your Threads post, they signal that your content resonates. This increases your discoverability both on Threads and across the web.

How to build a data-backed Threads strategy with Sprout Social

Success on Threads requires more than just consistent posting; it demands a strategy rooted in data and streamlined execution. To maximize your discoverability, you must move beyond guesswork and use a solution that uncovers what resonates with your audience.

Sprout Social empowers you to optimize your Threads presence by handling the heavy lifting of workflow and analysis. While Sprout focuses on holistic management, our platform equips you with the cross-network intelligence and engagement tools necessary to craft the high-relevance content the Threads algorithm prioritizes. When you centralize your social effort, you gain the clarity and bandwidth to focus on what matters: driving the conversations that get your brand seen.

Find your content topics with social listening

You should never guess what your audience wants. Sprout Listening is an essential tool for identifying trends that fuel your Threads SEO strategy.

While Sprout’s Listening solution focuses on sources like X, Reddit and the web, it acts as your radar for emerging narratives. Use Listening to:

• Identify pain points: Find recurring questions and unmet needs for your product or industry.
• Spot momentum: Detect when a trend is gaining velocity before it becomes saturated.

This data-backed approach ensures your Threads content is always timely, relevant and authoritative. By building content around proven audience interest, you can confidently engage in the conversations your audience searches for and talks about.

Manage your cross-platform presence from one centralized solution

Threads doesn’t need to be “one more thing” to manage, which is why you need an intuitive platform that centralizes your social media engagement and publishing.

Sprout’s Smart Inbox centralizes conversations across Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn. This frees up critical time you’d otherwise spend context-switching or chasing comments, allowing you to engage authentically on Threads.

Beyond engagement, Sprout also centralizes your content publishing workflows. You can efficiently craft a strong piece of content and then tailor its format for an Instagram caption, a LinkedIn update and a Threads post—all from a single solution. This capability enables you to cross-publish and repurpose content across multiple networks at once, helping you scale a high-quality social media strategy without burnout.

Use analytics to understand what resonates

You need to know what’s working and what’s not. While Threads’ native analytics provides basics, Sprout’s Premium Analytics gives you a strategic view of your data for Threads and other networks.

Don’t treat Threads analytics as an island. Instead, use Sprout’s Threads Profile Report:

• Compare and align tonal performance: If your “bold” tone on X drives engagement, see if that same tone translates on Threads.
• Identify top topics: See which content themes drive the most impressions on other networks like LinkedIn and X, then prioritize those for your Threads content.
• Discover which types of content perform best: Test a mix of formats like text-only posts versus carousels and image-led posts. Then, use the Threads Profile Report to see which formats drive better visibility and engagement. Adjust your content mix accordingly.
• Measure referral traffic: Prove the ROI of your Threads SEO efforts by tracking click-throughs to your site.

This integrated analytical view empowers you to make strategic decisions, ensuring your investment in Threads pays off by generating not just views but valuable, high-intent traffic and signals.

Win with Threads on social and search

The modern audience has spoken: Discovery takes place in real time and is multichannel. Stop viewing SEO and social media as competing channels. Instead, position Threads as an essential part of a unified, high-value content strategy that drives traffic and proves your brand’s expertise.

Embrace the full potential of social search. You have the tools to transform Threads SEO from a buzzword into a powerful, data-backed channel for discovery.

Ready to build a search-first social strategy? Download our Social Search Optimization Workbook to get started.

The post Threads SEO: The missing link in your social media marketing strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.

This shift has real business impact: Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey found that 76% of all consumers (84% of Millennials and 90% of Gen Z) say they’ve bought something in the last six months because of content they saw on social media.

With the right process, you can build a keyword search strategy that boosts visibility across social networks, search engines and AI search to increase your reach through measurable ROI.

What is social media keyword research, and why does it matter?

Social media keyword research identifies the words and phrases that people use to discover content, products and conversations across social networks. Unlike traditional keyword research, which focuses on ranking in search engines, social keyword research reveals how audiences search, speak and engage in real time.

For example, when someone needs help baking a cake, they may search on Instagram for “DIY cake.” That keyword phrase helps users find what they need, but it also informs you about search demand.

Keyword insights like this shape discoverability and visibility across networks. In fact, Sprout’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey also found that 41% of Gen Z have a social-first search mindset, and 37% of consumers overall start their product research on social media. These terms influence how algorithms categorize content, surface trends that signal audience intent and uncover emerging topics that drive engagement. But beyond optimization, social search data also powers campaign planning, ad targeting and product innovation.

More than just a list of terms, though, social media keyword research is a strategic guide. By understanding the language your audience uses, you can directly inform your content strategy, ad targeting and even product development to meet your audience where they’re already looking. The terms you identify serve as a window into the conversations people are having on social, and therefore what’s trending in sentiment and online culture.

Today, keyword research isn’t optional for social media marketing—it’s a critical part of the modern customer journey.

Social keywords vs. SEO keywords: Key differences to know about

Social and traditional keyword strategies share the same goal: visibility. But the way algorithms surface content is very different.

Search engines like Google rank results based on factors like relevance, authority and backlinks. Social networks, however, prioritize what’s trending and what aligns with a user’s interests, follow history and engagement patterns. That means keyword research on social is less about ranking for exact terms and more about tracking conversations, cultural trends and audience intent. Because of this, even if your post is optimized for a specific keyword, it won’t appear in feeds unless it resonates with what users are already engaging with.

Before social search rose in popularity, customers primarily turned to Google or Bing to find information using broad phrases. But today, they’re searching everywhere—across social networks, traditional engines and AI-powered tools—and their behavior has evolved, too. This shift underscores the importance of meeting audiences where they already spend time. And according to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, 30% of users plan to use social more in 2025, while 56% plan to maintain their current usage.

Here’s a breakdown of how social keywords differ from traditional SEO:

Social keywords

Social terms are often more conversational, casual and relevant to emerging trends. Additionally, queries on these networks often reflect real-time interests and cultural conversations rather than transactional intent. For example, a user who’s looking for sneaker art might search for “sneaker art inspo,” a top-of-funnel query for visual ideas.

Social keywords also vary across networks. X, for example, favors informal language, whereas LinkedIn terms are more professional.

(Source: Pinterest)

Social keywords are also generally more timely since they rise and fall quickly with trends. These terms guide engagement, content planning and campaign relevance, but they complement, not replace, long-term SEO strategies.

Traditional SEO keywords

Traditional SEO keywords focus on longer-lasting search trends and transactional intent. As a result, SEO researchers rely on tools like Google Trends, Ahrefs or Semrush to identify search volume, SERP results and trending POVs from experts, which inform web articles or long-term social content.

These terms support evergreen content strategies, maintain consistent visibility and inform campaigns based on durable search demand rather than social network trends.

(Source: Google Trends)

A 6-step framework for social media keyword research

Keyword research follows the same fundamental processes across channels, whether for traditional SEO or social media. Though the underlying steps are similar, the examples and applications that follow focus on social media search, with guidance that you can also apply to traditional SEO:

Step 1: Start with your core brand and topic pillars

To get started, brainstorm broad topics that reflect your brand, products, audience interests and industry niche. For example, what are the first things that come to mind when you think about your business or industry? At this stage, think about the terms you use and, more importantly, the terms your audience might use.

From here, use social-first tools to expand and refine your keyword list. Sprout Social Listening, for instance, helps you uncover long-term themes and audience insights that shape your broader content strategy. By monitoring conversations around your brand, industry and competitors, you can identify emerging niches, understand community interests and spot opportunities to strengthen brand affinity over time.

In contrast, NewsWhip by Sprout Social focuses on the near-term by surfacing trending stories and topics before they go viral. Together, these tools give you a balanced view of what’s resonating now and what’s gaining lasting momentum, which grounds your keyword strategy in real social conversations.

Step 2: Use autocomplete to discover your audience’s search habits

Every social network’s search bar is a powerful research tool. After listing your keywords, type them into the search bars on TikTok, Instagram and X. The autocomplete suggestions reveal the phrases that your audience is actively searching for on that network.

For instance, here’s a social search for “cookies for” that autocompletes on Threads:

(Source: Threads)

Because these terms come from the social network’s data, they reveal real insight into what users are looking for and what the network prioritizes.

Step 3: Uncover community language with social listening

What you say and how you say it make all the difference in successfully connecting with your audience. But cultural nuances aren’t always something that you can learn in one sitting. Instead, they become clear if you pay attention to conversations and behavior over time.

This is where social listening helps you spot trends, topics, keywords and sentiments about your brand, product and industry. Sprout Social Listening in particular captures the full context of conversations and competitor mentions. You can also set up Topics for specific keywords and hashtags.

This capability captures the language that your community uses when discussing pain points and products and provides insights to inform your targeted keyword strategy.

Step 4: Analyze hashtags and co-occurrence patterns

Hashtags are a great way to identify events and common trends on social media, especially to find your target audience’s conversations. That’s because they reveal trending events, ideas and movements on social media. For example, if an artist that your audience follows is hosting a concert, there’s probably a hashtag for that tour.

Here’s an example from Crocs, which cleverly plays on Taylor Swift’s #TheLifeofaShowGirl trending hashtags for the tour, by using #TheLifeofaCrocsGirl. This post works because it taps into Taylor Swift’s existing audience with humor and creativity, and even encourages users to try the project themselves. The post generated successful engagement, including 9k likes.

(Source: Facebook)

Along with hashtags, consider co-occurrence patterns, which are hashtags that frequently appear together. For example, you’ll likely see #NewYear and #2026 in the same posts around the new year. Using related hashtags like these together increases the likelihood that users will discover your content.

Step 5: Group social keywords into strategic content pillars

Social keywords shouldn’t just sit in a long, random list. You instead need a clear strategy to use them where they’ll make the biggest impact for your business.

That’s where content pillars come in handy. They let you organize your terms into topic clusters that mirror current content pillars (like those your team uses on a blog), campaign themes and audience interests.

Organizing keyword data into topic clusters helps you post more strategically and measure performance by category. With Sprout, use Tagging to group posts under specific content pillars or keyword themes. This makes it easy to review your analytics and see which clusters drive the most engagement and identify the topics that deliver the highest value for your overall content strategy.

Here’s an example of a pressure cleaning company that’s creating pillars from a keyword list. In this case, the social media marketer divided content pillars by services: one for pressure washing, another for low-pressure (soft washing) and a third for commercial services.

Step 6: Broaden your reach with semantic keywords

During your keyword research, you’ll find related terms, synonyms and modifiers. This is all thanks to natural language processing (NLP), a field of AI that gathers insights from posts, messages and similar data. These clues help you identify the language that your audience actually uses, especially when they reveal users’ most frequently used terms.

For example, “dinner party for the fall” might be a great target keyword for a catering company, but regional usage may favor the word “autumn” instead. Identifying semantic variations like this ensures that your content aligns with your audience’s language and search habits.

Network-specific keyword research strategies

Discovery looks different on every network, and as a result, success in social SEO depends on knowing what to prioritize. To improve your social search results, you should align your content with how people search and what each network’s algorithm favors.

No matter which network you’re optimizing for, though, you’ll want to start by understanding what your audience values most. When your content genuinely resonates with them, the right keywords will naturally rise to the surface. You can then use them to strengthen your content’s discoverability and ensure that it connects with people who are already searching for what you offer.

Here are a few more network-specific social search tips:

Instagram keyword research

Instagram search is visual. As a result, users expect to find images and videos that connect with their lifestyle, show how a product works and provide context.

Beyond this, Instagram uses search terms, tags, comments and hashtags for discoverability. It also provides location-based search, which is valuable for local SEO.

To get started with research on this network, take a look at your pillar topics and use the search bar to see what’s trending and what Instagram autosuggests. Then, take note of the additional terms and hashtags that the top posts use.

Here’s what Instagram search keyword suggestions look like for pasta recipes, for example:

(Source: Instagram)

For local results, search your city to see what your community is talking about. Here’s what location research looks like:

(Source: Instagram)

Sprout’s Listening tool helps you move beyond surface-level keywords to understand real conversations. To do this, create Listening Topics around your brand pillars and topic clusters to uncover what people are saying about your industry, competitors and key themes. This gives you a more complete view of what’s resonating and what’s gaining traction across social.

TikTok keyword research

TikTok shapes trends through a blend of education and entertainment. Its influence makes it a powerful space for discovery, especially when you use the same language as your audience.

As you plan your video content, optimize your captions, hooks and on-screen text around the phrases and topics that users search for most. This will make your content feel native to the platform while increasing its visibility and shareability.

This social media network provides search capabilities through its Explore tab and Shop. The Shop feature in particular is a great way to optimize your TikTok SEO with product pages when users are ready to make a purchase.

(Source: TikTok)

TikTok’s search bar is another valuable tool for researching possible keyword terms. When you type in a phrase, TikTok provides trending terms and topics that reveal what its users are interested in. If you find a relevant keyword there, you can then post about that topic for more exposure.

TikTok’s Keyword Insights solution also lets you research trending keyword terms and study data like popularity, changes in interactions and click-through rates, as it relates to ads. This, in combination with Sprout’s TikTok Listening, will provide you with real-time insights into what your target audience is talking about.

(Source: TikTok Keyword Insights)

YouTube keyword research

YouTube is the ideal place for customers who want long-form and short-form video content. As your team works on YouTube SEO, you can find keywords for both viewing experiences and repurpose them accordingly.

Here’s a closer look at these two common formats:

• Long-form videos: These longer videos often target bottom-of-the-funnel keywords to satisfy users who want in-depth content.
• YouTube Shorts: These shorter clips let you break up long-form videos into subtopics. You can then optimize each with different keywords to multiply your discoverability.

YouTube has a dozen different ways for users to search, so it’s important to research keywords across the board. Here are some of the visibility features it provides that help with research:

• Home tab: Here, YouTube suggests videos from subscriptions and user interests. You can subscribe to channels that your audience likes so your feed will show you the topics that resonate most with them.
• Shorts tab: This option presents a shuffled feed of Shorts. Your targeted algorithm can inform you about popular target keywords and topics here as well.
• Search bar: YouTube’s traditional search bar helps users find the content they’re searching for. Like on other networks, you can enter your core terms here to find similar keywords with traction.
• Category tabs: YouTube generates tags for users under the search bar. These tags not only help you target a specific keyword phrase but also reveal content in that category, which exposes more keywords that you can use.

Since YouTube and Google share data, Google Keyword Planner is a helpful tool for initial research on this network as well. Additionally, many Google results feature YouTube videos at the beginning of the SERP, like in this example:

(Source: Google)

For further research, go to Google’s search bar and see what it autosuggests for different topics. Then, switch to the Video tab to see which YouTube videos are ranking and gaining engagement for each term. You can also use Sprout’s YouTube Listening to spot trends so your team can develop relevant videos that gain traction.

LinkedIn keyword research

LinkedIn offers a mix of posts, carousels, videos and articles, which makes it a unique and valuable network for many types of keyword research.

On this social network, discovery happens through the home feed, search bar, LinkedIn News, groups, articles and newsletters. Visibility here depends not only on your keywords but also on the connections you have, who you engage with and the engagement that your posts typically receive. When your brand page or professional profile focuses on building connections and follows, LinkedIn will prioritize your content based on your network proximity and interactions. Engaging with your target audience will then help you see which posts gain the most traction in your network and search.

To improve your research, use LinkedIn’s Search Suggestions. When you type your industry terms into the search bar, you’ll see related topics, hashtags and relevant phrases. Semrush offers a LinkedIn Keyword Tool that provides further insights into keyword relevance and popularity too. Your team can also use Sprout’s LinkedIn Listening to learn what your network is talking about.

Facebook keyword research

Facebook offers many opportunities to boost discoverability with your profile, posts, Stories, Groups, Marketplace and more. This network uses texts, captions, alt text, hashtags and other content features to inform and influence visibility. It also organizes search results by content type, which gives your social media team the chance to increase reach through multiple content formats and community features.

On the search page, you can type in your keywords to see what Facebook is currently promoting, which can reveal new keywords. And by reviewing comments in relevant content, you’ll find and spot new opportunities to increase your reach.

Facebook’s search bar also provides autosuggestions that reveal popular keyword searches. Meta Business Suite Insights will give you more in-depth information about these keywords and topics. But beyond this, you can also use Sprout’s Facebook Listening to give you targeted insights on terms that your audience mentions.

Pinterest keyword research

Pinterest is a visual search engine and social media network that provides many opportunities for keyword research and SEO success. It increases your content’s visibility through keyword relevance, engagement and Pin quality. Then, when a user searches in the search bar or within boards with a specific intent, such as for “home decor ideas,” they’ll get results based on the keywords within Pin titles, descriptions and image alt text.

The best tool to start your keyword research for Pinterest SEO is Pinterest Trends, which helps you identify popular and trending terms for your audience.

(Source: Pinterest Trends)

Additionally, the Pinterest search bar provides autosuggestions for keyword variations and related popular terms.

X (Twitter) keyword research

X continues to change rapidly, so the user experience and social search behaviors are still evolving. In the past, its search algorithm ranked posts according to relevance, engagement, recency, audience interest and your profile reputation (number of followers). But in recent days, this has changed since a version of Grok AI now influences visibility. This means that engagement and relevancy are now more important than just follower counts.

Users can search on this network using the X search bar, within Communities and on Grok. Posts and comments influence discoverability across the network, while Grok results have the potential to reference and cite your content.

The Explore and Trends tabs are also helpful X search tools that identify rising topics. Additionally, since X offers AI search with Grok, you can use it to find more relevant keywords. Queries like “What are the most popular topics around weight loss for men?” and “Show me the top posts in this category,” for example, reveal potential keywords that you can use in your strategy.

For deeper insights, try Sprout’s X Listening feature to see what your audience is saying on X.

Reddit keyword research

Reddit is a community-first platform that values user-generated content. Its passionate audience will not only help you find potential keywords for Reddit SEO but can also inform your broader social search and social marketing strategy.

But unlike most social media networks, Reddit’s focus is on topic-based communities, or subreddits. Each subreddit has an audience and culture that affects which keywords will gain traffic. Keyword relevance, therefore, comes from a subreddit focus, post titles and comments.

Tools like Subreddit Stats or Reddit Pro will help you find high-performing keywords from your communities. Along with these tools, native solutions like the Popular tab in your home menu show what’s trending. To find more trending and long-tail keywords, you can also try visiting relevant subreddits and filtering for the top posts of the day, week, month or year.

The platform also offers Reddit Answers, an LLM that sources the platform’s content. If you ask questions that are relevant to your audience and keyword list, Answers will give you user-generated responses with citations. Additionally, Sprout provides listening for Reddit so you can gather helpful insights in one place, rather than having to track down audiences across hundreds of targeted communities.

Threads keyword research

Threads, Meta’s answer to X, Bluesky and Substack Notes, is one of the most generous networks for organic reach. The network’s real-time, conversational nature makes Threads SEO especially valuable for visibility and engagement. Posts can gain traction quickly here, even without a large following, when they tap into active discussions or timely topics.

Because Threads is decentralized and users have more control over what appears in their feeds, staying connected to the community matters even more on this network. To capitalize on this, use keyword research to understand what people are talking about, which conversations are gaining momentum and how your brand can authentically join in. Insights from Instagram keyword trends can also guide you since these networks share a similar data ecosystem.

5 essential tools for social media keyword research

Aside from Google’s Keyword Planner tool, there are many other keyword research tools available in the market. Some of them are much easier to use, while others that are more difficult provide more comprehensive data.

Some of these research tools can also help you find keywords for other aspects of your marketing campaign, like social media marketing and content marketing. Here are some excellent options to check out:

1. Sprout Social: Comprehensive trend and sentiment analysis

Sprout Social Listening is an effective keyword research tool because it lets you build listening queries to easily discover relevant conversations about your brand and products. Not only does this help you in your brand listening efforts, but it also shows you trending topics that you can participate in through relevant social posts or in the comments.

Its Trends Report highlights the topics and hashtags that are gaining traction across your industry, competitors and audience. And within Sprout Listening, the Word Cloud gives you a visual snapshot of your Topics’ most-used keywords and hashtags, which helps you see what’s resonating in real time. If you pair this with sentiment analysis, you’ll be able to understand how people feel about your brand and the broader conversations that are shaping your space.

Tracking these hashtags and keywords over time will help you refine your strategy and create content that naturally aligns with what your audience is already talking about.

2. Native social network tools: First-party insights

Most social media networks offer native analytics solutions, such as Meta Business Suite, TikTok Analytics and LinkedIn Page Analytics. These are great starting points for your social media keyword strategy because they provide first-party data.

Along with native analytic tools, you can use autocomplete and in-app trend trackers to find timely keywords with growth potential.

3. BuzzSumo: Top-performing social content

BuzzSumo is a leading content research tool that helps you analyze what content performs best on social media, but you can also use it for blog and social media keyword research. It may not necessarily provide you with keyword ideas, but it provides useful insights to fuel your content strategy.

(Source: BuzzSumo)

By entering a keyword or topic, you can discover the most-shared articles, videos and posts across social networks related to that keyword. This shows you which angles and formats are resonating right now, which will help you identify which keywords and topics to target for your social media content. You can also filter by platform, content type and date to get highly relevant insights.

BuzzSumo’s evergreen score is also useful if you’re learning how to perform keyword research for a blog. This feature helps you understand how profitable the topic will be in the long run so you’ll have a much easier time deciding whether it’s worth investing your time and effort.

4. AnswerThePublic: Natural language queries

AnswerThePublic is a data-driven tool that generates ideas for customer searches. To do this, it analyzes autocomplete results across search engines and helps you generate variations and similar queries to spark new ideas.

(Source: AnswerThePublic)

Using this tool, you can find common user questions that will help you perform content ideation and address customer concerns.

5. Hashtagify: Hashtag research

Hashtagify helps you identify trending tags, analyze hashtag performance and uncover variations that expand your reach. The tool also recommends complementary hashtags to give you ideas for potential social keywords to include in captions, comments or future content planning.

(Source: Hasthtagify)

Using these insights helps you stay relevant and understand what audiences are actively engaging with in your niche.

How to turn social keywords into a content strategy

Ultimately, your keyword research should translate into themes and campaigns. Here’s how you can use your findings to put your SEO research into action:

Map keywords to your social media funnel

After you’ve identified your top keywords, you’ll need to group them into content pillars and align each category with a stage of your social media funnel.

To get started with this, map awareness-focused keywords to brand discovery posts, mid-funnel terms to engagement content, and conversion-driven keywords to calls to action or product storytelling. Then, apply a semantic strategy to map these keywords to broader goals—like brand visibility, engagement or conversion—and thread them through every format, including captions, video scripts, Stories, bios and long-form content.

This approach helps search engines and audiences understand the full context of your content, which will create a cohesive experience from discovery to purchase.

Draft social posts based on keyword groupings

Now that you’ve defined your themes, you can move from ideation to execution using a social media management solution.

If you’re using Sprout, you’ll create and organize your posts in Compose, then use Tagging to categorize them by campaign, topic or keyword group. Within the Publishing Calendar, you’ll then visualize these tagged posts to identify content gaps, ensure a healthy mix of formats and maintain a consistent publishing rhythm. This view helps your team stay proactive and aligned across every social channel.

Track content performance to create a content feedback loop

After publishing, you’ll want to track your performance to determine what’s working and what’s not.

Sprout’s Tagging and Post Performance reports help here by revealing which content resonates most so you can apply those insights to future posts. Or for deeper analysis, you can use Premium Analytics (a paid add-on) to gain custom dashboards, advanced filtering and detailed visualizations.

Using these tools, you can create a keyword-to-content loop framework with your performance analysis. Doing this surfaces new keywords (or similar keywords) that show potential based on your viability results and engagement.

How to measure your social keyword strategy’s ROI

Knowing what to track makes the difference between vanity results and real business growth. Here are some critical key performance indicators (KPIs) to look out for that reflect visibility, engagement and growth:

• Engagement rate: This metric represents how often your audience interacts with your content via comments, likes, reposts and shares.
• Growth in search discoverability by keyword: This KPI analyzes the number of times your keyword content appears in search queries on each network.
• Impressions for keyword-optimized content: Impressions represent how much reach and visibility your content earns.
• Link clicks: The click-through rate shows how much your content resonates with audiences and how effective it is at moving them to action.
• Backlinks: The third-party websites and social posts that link back to your brand increase your authority for E-E-A-T.
• Keyword performance trend over time: This KPI measures how effective your keyword research and content strategy are.
• Audience and follower growth: Follower growth reflects awareness and content resonance, as well as your potential to increase views for future posts with a larger base.

Performing regular audits and refreshing your keyword cycles will also help you continually improve your strategy and find new insights.

How to spot keyword fatigue and emerging trends early

Social keywords often have a shorter shelf life than traditional SEO terms since they’re typically connected to trending events and interests. So if you want to catch social keywords at the perfect time and invest in them while they still resonate, listening tools are your best option.

Sprout Listening, for example, uncovers high-performing hashtags and terms. When those keywords start losing traction, you can listen again to quickly pivot your strategy before performance dips. This ensures that you’re spending your effort on the highest-ROI opportunities.

Let data drive your next great social campaign

Social keyword research gives you valuable insights into what users are searching for so you can publish content that shows up in search results. By improving your keyword research in this way, you’ll meet users where they like to search and buy.

Alongside analytics that tie performance to business outcomes, effective keyword research can increase your reach and discoverability—but it all starts with listening. Sprout Social Listening leverages AI to discover vital user, industry and pain-point insights. That way, you can meet users where they are and discover what they engage with most.

To build your plan today, download our free social search optimization workbook. Or to learn how Sprout can guide your content and community strategy for maximum engagement and impact, sign up for a free demo today.

The post The complete guide to keyword research for social media appeared first on Sprout Social.

If you don’t know how the Pinterest algorithm works, you risk wasting your budget on Pins that never surface in search. In fact, adapting to algorithm changes was among the top challenges for marketers that year. This is just one of many social media algorithms that brands must master.

Here’s what you need to know about how ranking on Pinterest works, plus practical steps to optimize your Pins for greater visibility and engagement.

What is the Pinterest algorithm?

Pinterest’s algorithm is the engine that powers its network. In other words, it’s the “special sauce” that determines which Pins land in the places that matter: search results, home feeds and “related Pins” recommendations. A combination of eye-catching visuals, text overlays and user engagement fuels these signals.

As social media search becomes more competitive and visual-first, Pinterest stands out as a network for brands that understand discovery. That’s because, unlike other social media networks, Pinterest acts as a visual search engine that delivers ideas, products and inspiration when people are ready to buy. In fact, 85% of weekly Pinterest users say they’ve purchased something from a Pin. And according to Sprout Social’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, more than half of consumers say that Pinterest feels more positive than other social media networks.

Underneath the Pinterest hood, machine learning takes the wheel. The network’s algorithm tracks what users click, save and engage with. It then learns from those patterns and predicts what they’ll want to see next. As a result, Pins that match genuine interest naturally rise to the top.

How the Pinterest algorithm works: 4 key ranking signals

Pinterest’s algorithm follows a simple logic: reward high-quality, fresh content that resonates. For this, it weighs four main signals—quality, engagement, relevance and freshness—to decide which Pins deserve visibility. Here’s more on how this process works:

1. Pin quality

Pinterest measures each Pin’s quality and engagement, as well as how well a Pin captures attention and drives action over time. It also looks at how many people save your Pins, zoom in on images or click through to your site. As a result, the Pins that keep generating interest, rather than peaking once and disappearing, rise higher in results.

Simply put, high-quality Pins have the following qualities:

• Visually compelling: The most successful Pins use high-resolution, vertically oriented images or videos.
• Engaging: High-ranked Pins generate saves, comments, zooms and click-throughs.
• Popular: The algorithm prioritizes Pins that keep generating interest, regardless of their age.

2. Pinner Quality

The algorithm also considers your account’s overall behavior, or your authority as a creator, to assess reliability. This includes signals like how frequently you post, whether you save your own content and how audiences respond to comments. The network rewards active, consistent contributors.

According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, engagement is the top KPI that leaders use to measure social success. On Pinterest, stronger engagement lifts your Pinner Quality and signals to the algorithm that you’re a trusted creator. In other words, the algorithm favors creators whose Pins consistently spark meaningful action over those who post irregularly or rely mainly on repins.

3. Relevance

Relevance indicates whether your content reaches the right audience at the right moment. This is where keywords are critical. Pinterest’s algorithm scans titles, Pin descriptions, board topics and linked domains to understand intent and match Pins to what users are searching for. It also measures topic relevance, or how closely your content aligns with each user’s established interests.

A Pin about sustainable decor, for example, performs best when it does the following:

• Includes relevant keywords
• Lives on a matching board
• Links to a domain that reinforces the same theme

4. Recency and freshness

Pinterest wants to show users new ideas. That’s why the algorithm gives fresh Pins an early visibility boost, especially when they pick up engagement quickly.

Pinterest values a living ecosystem of ideas, not a static catalog. As a result, a steady flow of new URLs will strengthen your domain quality while also improving the visibility of your evergreen Pins over time.

Best practices to optimize your pins

Pinterest stats show that users save more than 1.5 billion Pins every week, which makes this social network one of the most powerful discovery engines in social. But to stand out, brands need to capture a combination of creativity and consistency.

This is where strategy meets art: Pairing search-driven thinking with scroll-stopping design helps you create Pins that perform. Every visual choice, caption and keyword sends a signal to the algorithm about your content’s quality and intent. Small refinements add up here, especially when they align with Pinterest marketing best practices.

Here are a few tactics you can use to help your content stand out in search and feeds:

Master keyword research for Pinterest

Pinterest behaves like Google since search intent drives discovery and keywords power visibility. This is why the most effective brands on Pinterest approach keyword research with a social-first mindset. The approach is similar to SEO but more heavily considers how people browse and save ideas.

To perform your own keyword research for Pinterest SEO, use the network’s autocomplete, related Pins and trending searches to find the language that your audience already uses. High-intent, long-tail keywords carry more weight than broad terms here, especially when they appear naturally in titles, descriptions and hashtags.

A strong Pin also includes the following information:

• A clear title that contains the keyword and states a clear benefit (for example, “Summer outfit ideas for work”)
• A detailed Pin description with context and two or three keyword phrases
• Relevant hashtags that are specific to the content

Keyword-rich Pins enhance visibility, especially for e-commerce brands. They also surface extra details like pricing or product information, which drive more click-throughs and signal value to the algorithm.

Create engaging Pins: Video, idea and rich Pins

Research indicates that people retain a staggering 95% of a message they see in a video compared to just 10% from text. This is why video Pins and Stories tend to hold attention longer, which helps the algorithm recognize stronger engagement.

To try it out for yourself, test these high-engagement Pin formats:

• Static Pins: A staple on Pinterest, these Pins are perfect for clean, eye-catching visuals that stop the scroll. They perform best when designs are simple, text overlay is clear and images tell a story at a glance.
• Video Pins: Short, vertical videos of products and tutorials capture moments and stories beyond the static image. They also encourage longer watch times and repeat views.
• Idea Pins: This multi-page format (formerly Story Pins) is excellent for step-by-step guides or collections. Additionally, the algorithm heavily favors these Pins for building engagement.
• Rich Pins: These Pins automatically sync information from your website to your Pins (like price, availability, ingredients or article headlines). This adds a layer of context that the algorithm loves, which makes your Pins more relevant and trustworthy.

Optimize your posting cadence

Post timing affects how quickly your Pin gains engagement. Pins that perform well in the first few hours signal quality to the algorithm, which can further extend their visibility. This early traction also leads to wider distribution across the network.

That’s why timing Pins for when your audience is most active helps your content reach more people. To identify those windows when users are most likely to engage with your Pins, lean on insights from your analytics or Sprout’s ViralPostⓇ feature.

Post consistently with a Pinterest content calendar

Consistency on Pinterest matters too. That’s because the algorithm notices how often you show up, not just what you post.

A consistent posting cadence builds your Pinner Quality and indicates that your brand contributes reliably to the network. When your Pins follow a clear theme too, you’ll help the algorithm understand your niche and recommend your boards to the right target audience.

A content calendar makes this kind of consistency easier by turning your Pinterest presence into a growing library of ideas rather than just a pile of one-off uploads. Over time, that rhythm will help both your audience and the algorithm know what to expect from your brand and keep users coming back for more.

Measuring and adjusting your Pinterest strategy

Pinterest’s search algorithm is always evolving, so your strategy should too. Staying relevant now means paying attention to what’s working, testing new formats, spotting early shifts and adjusting before performance slips.

This kind of adaptability depends on measurement, but that’s where many teams hit a wall. According to Sprout’s data on social media ROI, 97% of marketers say they can communicate the value of social media to their brand, but only 30% feel confident about proving their return.

Using Pinterest’s built-in business account analytics alongside Sprout’s cross-platform insights helps social teams close that loop. By analyzing performance and iterating on what resonates, marketers can spot shifts early, experiment with new creative and refine their Pinterest strategy as the algorithm evolves. After all, the brands that treat iteration as part of their process, not a reaction, are the ones that stay ahead.

Below are three more ways to further fine-tune your Pinterest strategy:

Track metrics with Pinterest analytics

Pinterest analytics reveal what’s really powering your visibility with metrics like impressions, saves, Pin clicks and click-throughs. These show how your content connects with people and where engagement starts to fall off.

Each metric also tells part of the algorithm’s story:

• Impressions measure reach.
• Saves show interest.
• Clicks signal conversion potential.

Performance isn’t about big numbers alone, though. Understanding which boards, topics or creative styles sustain engagement also helps you refine your focus. When certain formats consistently outperform others, for instance, that’s a sign that the algorithm has found a strong relevance between your content and your audience.

Use A/B testing on Pin types

Optimizing your results on Pinterest starts with testing. To do this, compare formats like static versus video or carousels versus Story Pins to see how your audience interacts with your content. Insights from these tests will highlight what catches and sustains their attention.

Sprout’s tagging feature simplifies this process by labeling posts for direct comparison across campaigns. This makes it easy to identify high-performing patterns and helps you decide where to invest your creative energy. When trends start to take shape, building on them helps your Pins gain momentum and increasingly grows their visibility.

Stay updated on algorithm changes

Even small tweaks to Pinterest’s algorithmic ranking logic can shift what performs almost overnight. It’s the teams that notice those changes early that will be able to maintain strong visibility while others struggle to catch up.

As an early warning system, use social listening tools to surface trends and detect shifts in language, imagery and search behavior across social and the web. Reporting dashboards then translate those signals into measurable data points that guide next steps. Sprout’s combination of listening and reporting in this area also helps social teams pinpoint new opportunities and catch drops in performance.

How Sprout helps you succeed on Pinterest

Behind every strong Pinterest strategy is a system that keeps everything organized, consistent and measurable. That’s what Sprout does—it helps teams plan smarter, post on time and see what drives results with clarity, rhythm and data that elevates your content in Pinterest’s algorithm.

Here’s how you can use Sprout Social to achieve your Pinterest strategy goals:

Plan and schedule Pins with publishing and calendar tools

Sprout’s social media publishing and calendar tools give you one central place to plan across Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok and the rest of your social media ecosystem. Seeing the full picture in this way will help you align your timing, creative direction and campaign pacing.

This cross-channel visibility also reduces guesswork and helps you manage recurring content, reuse high-performing assets and stay agile without losing structure. Fewer moving parts here mean stronger Pinner Quality and a workflow that scales as your brand grows.

Optimize timing with ViralPostⓇ

Visibility depends largely on timing, which is why Sprout’s ViralPostⓇ is so important. This feature studies engagement patterns across your audience and recommends when content is most likely to perform well. That way, instead of relying on trial and error, you can let the data guide your scheduling so every Pin gets a fair shot at discovery.

Then, when your Pins go live during peak windows, they’re more likely to earn early engagement. This, in turn, helps the algorithm recognize high-quality Pins and extend their reach across the home feed and related search results. As a result, you’ll end up with a more consistent, predictable rhythm for publishing.

Measure success with Premium Analytics

Every platform promises insights, but few deliver a complete view of ROI. Sprout’s Premium Analytics dashboards, however, connect activity with outcomes. This makes it easy for social practitioners to see which Pins drive traffic, which boards sustain engagement and which creative themes convert best.

Performance tracking becomes simpler when everything lives in one view, whether that’s comparing results across channels, tracking growth over time or identifying where to adjust. That’s why clear analytics transform data into decisions that directly improve visibility and impact.

Inform your Pins strategy with social listening

Trends on Pinterest often start on other networks, like TikTok and X, or in the broader culture. Sprout Social Listening monitors these conversations across the web, helping you spot emerging keywords, seasonal themes and creative directions before they peak on Pinterest.

Instead of guessing what to Pin, you can use these cross-platform insights to shape ideas that resonate. This ensures that your Pinterest content calendar is always relevant and ahead of the curve, which allows you to create Pins that meet demand, rather than just react to it.

Master the Pinterest algorithm with a data-driven approach

Winning on Pinterest is about consistency, not hacks or luck. The brands that rise are those that treat Pinterest like the visual discovery engine it is and refine their approach through testing, data and creativity. That way, every insight becomes a building block for stronger performance, from keywords that convert to visuals that hold attention.

Sprout’s features turn this process into an optimization engine with clear data and easy visualization. This helps you spot what’s working, adjust quickly and keep the momentum going.

Ready to see how your Pins and repins perform more clearly, fine-tune your strategy, and keep your content visible where it matters most? Request a Sprout demo today to learn more.

The post How to win with the Pinterest algorithm in 2026 appeared first on Sprout Social.

But compared to other channels where brand accounts and corporate content has become the norm, Reddit remains a haven for peer connection. Here, the voice of users reign—and they aren’t afraid to be vocal when other users (brands or not) violate community guidelines.

Success on the platform requires ongoing research and a thoughtful approach to content creation. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to building your Reddit marketing strategy, with tips our social team has learned from our foray into the network.

Why brands need a Reddit marketing strategy

We frequently advise social teams against jumping onto a new network just for the sake of it, especially when resources are stretched thin. That said, recent audience shifts and the ongoing evolution of search point to a future where Reddit will play a vital role in brands’ marketing efforts.

People are opting-in to community-driven spaces

One of the top things global social users want brands to prioritize in 2026 is interacting with audiences in smaller spaces, according to the Q4 2025 Sprout Pulse Survey. Users no longer settle for just being posted at—they want brands to interact meaningfully on social, and create spaces where they can connect with other individuals around shared interests.

Subreddits and AMAs naturally scratch this itch, giving audiences a place where no topic is too niche for rich conversation.

Audiences are already talking about your product there

Reddit has quickly become a top social network for product discovery. The company estimates that roughly 40% of all posts and comments on the platform are product-related.

The two top ways audiences want brands showing up on Reddit is by providing customer service and sharing educational product information, according to Sprout research. This makes Reddit a wealth of insights to better understand how your brand and products are perceived, and a forum for connecting directly with active buyers.

Reddit plays a key role in social search and AEO

Social search is growing fast and Reddit is a huge factor: More than 40% of Gen Z turn to social media when searching for information, their #1 source over traditional search engines and chat-based AI tools. The platform is in the top 10 for websites visited worldwide, and #3 in the US alone.

Reddit’s API partnership with Google has resulted in an explosion of organic search traffic to the network, not to mention it is becoming a top citation source for AI engines like ChatGPT. Large language models tend to favor recency and length when it comes to the content they cite. The long-form nature of many Reddit posts make them even more valuable answering users’ queries.

Reddit continues to roll out new brand-facing features that prove the network’s commitment to social search. For example:

• Reddit Pro Trends launched in 2025 to help marketers stay on top of trends and conduct keyword research across subreddits.
• The recently expanded “Smart keywords” tool makes it easier to detect brand mentions accurately. Our team noticed a 40% increase in Sprout Social mentions since this rolled out, helping flag subreddits we need to pay attention to.
• Reddit Ads (including the newer AMA ad format) show up directly in discussions people are already having, naturally weaving your brand into the conversation.

Ensuring your brand is discoverable on Reddit ultimately has implications for your reach beyond the network.

4 steps to building a Reddit marketing strategy

Here are four actionable steps brands (regardless of industry or audience) can use to create a strong Reddit marketing strategy, informed by our social team’s experience building our presence there.

Step 1: Outline a “crawl, walk, run” approach

It bears repeating: Reddit is incredibly community-driven, and each niche within the platform has its own norms and expectations for brand involvement. You can’t expect to go from zero to engaged Redditor or subreddit moderator overnight.

We recommend developing a “crawl, walk, run” approach, with distinct goals and plenty of time in each phase to test and iterate before progressing. This might look like:

• Phase I: Set up your account. Decide if it makes sense to create a branded user or an individual “persona” to build your presence around. The bulk of this phase should be spent researching and listening. Find the subreddits where your target audience or existing customers are active, and get familiar with the community guidelines, moderators and active voices in each. Monitor conversations already happening about your business or industry, and start compiling relevant insights to share back with other teams internally. You should start commenting or answering questions to build Karma (Reddit’s proprietary user reputation score), so long as you’re not doing so to plug your product or service.
• Phase II: With plenty of research under your belt, you can start becoming a more active Reddit contributor. This is where the experimentation truly begins. Start posting original threads (e.g., comment on trending topics relevant to your audience, share proprietary survey data or insights). There are a variety of formats to begin testing here, including AMA-style prompts, resource breakdowns or case study stories. Begin tracking engagement metrics like upvotes, comments, shares and saves to identify what’s working best.
• Phase III: This phase is all about running with what you’ve learned and scaling up. Now is the time to tackle larger content opportunities (e.g., hosting your own AMA with a company leader or brand ambassador) and formalize your internal Reddit workflows. You might also consider paid Reddit Ad opportunities.

Step 2: Conduct keyword research to find your niche

To break through on any platform, you have to start with research. Make this step more manageable by identifying a short-list of the subreddits most relevant to your brand, rather than only investigating specific keywords. Within this list, there may be some subreddits where you primarily listen and others where you’ll want to actively participate.

Our team has primary and secondary subreddits. Our primary subreddits (6 total) are where we want to become known as valuable contributors. Our secondary subreddits (7 total) are solely for Karma building and monitoring industry conversations. This works for us, but 10-15 is the sweet spot because it gives you a wide enough net to learn, explore and test.

While this research can be done manually, there are a variety of tools available to expedite the process. For example, Reddit Pro’s Trends feature lets business users create and monitor both standard and Smart keywords. The latter (which are only currently available for certain brand names and categories) offer expanded insights such as conversation volume and related keywords.

Tools like Sprout Listening and NewsWhip by Sprout Social scale your research over the long term. NewsWhip by Sprout Social helps teams catch emerging conversations about your brand or products before they make their way to other networks (or the media). With Sprout Listening, you can monitor conversations and brand health trends over time.

Step 3: Master community guidelines and remember the 90/10 rule

Once you start actively posting on Reddit, be prepared to follow community norms. Users who don’t risk having comments removed or being banned altogether.

Follow the 90/10 rule: Aim for 90% of the content you share to be educational, and 10% promotional. Once you’ve done your research, it will be tempting to weigh in on every thread that mentions your priority keywords—resist that temptation. Sharing relevant content is more important than hitting a certain number of posts or upvotes.

The tone of your posts is equally important as the content itself. Messaging that you used to share a corporate update on LinkedIn likely won’t land with Redditors. Relying on AI-generated responses sends another red flag to users already skeptical of bot-driven posts on the network.

Astroturfing (posting content that appears to be organic but ultimately is self-promotional content) is also largely discouraged across Reddit. Some communities may be more accepting of brand interactions than others. If your research into a specific subreddit doesn’t turn up past posts or comments from brand accounts, you may not want to break that precedent.

Even if you do follow these guidelines, there’s a chance your comments might get removed or your account could get banned—it’s the name of the game when experimenting. But you can work with your Reddit Pro rep to appeal if you think your content was wrongfully flagged. They can also help navigate your overarching strategy and Reddit Pro functionality.

Step 4: Resource your strategy appropriately

You should consider how you’ll resource your Reddit research, content and engagement plans on top of other team priorities.

At Sprout, we established rotating Reddit shifts across our in-house team members. This gives everyone an opportunity to get comfortable with the platform’s community expectations and content nuances. As a small team of three, shifts help us not only manage the workload but also understand our audience better. This setup also enables us to maintain a strong relationship with the Product team, with our learnings informing the Reddit product roadmap at Sprout.

Brands whose Reddit marketing strategies we admire

Looking for inspiration? These are some of our favorite brands that have embraced the power of Reddit.

Grammarly (now a part of Superhuman)

With 13,000 weekly visitors to the r/Grammarly subreddit, it’s no surprise that the AI writing platform has a multi-pronged Reddit marketing strategy. This includes two corporate accounts: u/GrammarlyOfficial and u/Grammarly_Support.

Through u/GrammarlyOfficial, the company hosts AMAs with executive leaders including their CEO, Shishir Mehrotra, and Jenny Maxwell, Head of Grammarly for Education. The account has earned over 600 Karma in less than a year.

The u/Grammarly_Support is one of five moderators of r/Grammarly, where their team frequently responds to product questions and feedback. In just one year, the account has made over 1,200 contributions and racked up a 100 Karma score.

Dove

In April 2025, Dove rolled out a branded subreddit for a specific purpose: the Dove Hot Seats campaign. To drive awareness of their new Dove Whole Body Deo collection, the company launched a Reddit-based scavenger hunt. Audiences were directed to the subreddit to pick up on digital clues that would lead them to a chance to win tickets to Charli xcx concerts, Lollapalooza and more.

Beyond this particular campaign, the u/Dove account has since started experimenting with Reddit to source feedback about new products.

Litter-Robot

Pet tech company Whisker is on a mission to make life better for cats and their owners. Their Litter-Robot product was one of the first-ever self-cleaning litter boxes to hit the market.

Cat parents are fanatical about taking care of their felines, and Litter-Robot mirrors that support for their customers on Reddit. The company maintains a corporate account that serves as co-moderator of r/litterrobot, which sees 66,000 weekly visitors and nearly 2,000 weekly contributions. The content ranges from troubleshooting questions and cat pics to folks swapping litter brand recommendations.

Taking it a step further, Whisker CEO Jacob Zuppke gets in on the conversation as u/CatPoopMan. Zuppke has gone so far as to offer his own email address to help get customer issues taken care of and share company updates (like Litter-Robot becoming HSA/FSA eligible).

Toronto Public Library

Libraries continue to write a new playbook for how traditionally offline organizations can engage audiences online—and the Toronto Public Library’s Reddit account is no exception.

The library is an active contributor to a variety of local Toronto subreddits, including r/Toronto and r/Torontoevents, where they regularly share upcoming free activities across their various locations. They also tap into their vast physical and digital archives to spark conversations around timely moments, like when they showcased this 1977 Blue Jays ticket during the 2025 World Series:

They also use the platform to respond to local patrons’ questions and shed light on internal processes (like ebook and audiobook purchasing), proving that a branded subreddit is not mandatory to delivering thoughtful customer service.

Get closer to your audience with a Reddit marketing strategy

If peer connection and smaller community spaces are the future of social, Reddit is where brands will need to be. No topic is too niche for the platform, and the depth and breadth of available subreddits means no brand is off-limits for user conversation.

But remember: This is not a place marketers can rush into. Instead, take the time to learn Reddit’s nuances and audience expectations. Then you can start building a long-term Reddit marketing strategy that brings your brand closer to customers, and to insights that can impact your entire business.

Ready to get started? Take a deeper dive into these strategies for Reddit social listening.

The post Building a Reddit marketing strategy: Lessons from Sprout Social’s team appeared first on Sprout Social.

Optimizing for social media search on X can improve your visibility within the network as well as across AI tools and traditional search engines. Here’s how to meet customers where they search and turn visibility into ROI.

What is Twitter (X) SEO?

X SEO (also known as Twitter SEO) is the practice of optimizing your profile and content (posts, hashtags, media) to rank in X’s internal search results and algorithmic feeds. Done well, Twitter/X search engine optimization also influences traditional and AI search engine results through indexing.

This shift is backed by data. The Q2 2025 Sprout Social Pulse Survey found that 41% of Gen Z turn to social media when searching for information online, outpacing traditional search engines (32%). And according to Statista, 78% of Internet users now use social platforms to research products and brands, making X and its 561 million active users a core part of that buyer journey.

An effective Twitter SEO strategy increases discoverability, expands reach, drives engagement and connects you with high-intent audiences when they are actively searching for answers.

Core ranking factors on X

Brands use a mix of direct and indirect tactics to improve visibility across X’s internal search, traditional search engines and LLM tools. Here are a few key considerations for optimizing for discoverability and engagement:

Keywords and relevant hashtags

Keywords and hashtags help surface content in searches and related conversations. When people browse topics or tags, your posts can appear even if they don’t follow your account. This improves discoverability, and as engagement grows, your content can start to rank beyond X as well.

Profile optimization

Your profile is your home base on X. Optimizing your username, Twitter handle, bio and other key elements ensures your Twitter account is searchable and trustworthy. A strong profile helps connect your brand to the right audience and makes it easier for search engines and X to understand and index your content accurately.

Engagement signals

X’s algorithm prioritizes posts with high engagement. When users like, repost or comment, it sends signals that your content is valuable. These interactions help grow your audience, build authority and improve ranking in both internal and external search results.

Top engagement signals include:

• Likes: When users hit the heart button on a post, it signals to X and search engines that the content is notable.
• Reposts: Reposts (formerly called retweeting) a post shows it resonated enough for a user to want to amplify it, expanding your reach to potential new followers.
• Quotes: If a user reposts your content and adds their own comments, it indicates interest in deeper conversations, helping boost engagement.
• Replies: Post replies mean users want to have a conversation, which creates more indexable content that adds context for search.

Note: X’s algorithm is evolving quickly. A version of Grok, X’s AI technology, now reviews over 100 million posts daily to recommend content to users most likely to engage. This shift prioritizes audience relevance and meaningful engagement over raw interaction counts or follower size. In other words, targeted, high-value content matters more than ever.

Content quality

Keyword research, engagement and optimization are essential for Twitter SEO, but without strong content, it’s difficult to drive long-term growth. Sharing concise, compelling and visually engaging posts—such as effective copy, images, videos or polls—increases the likelihood of interaction and amplification.

Timing and consistency

X’s algorithm rewards timely, consistent posting, so both when and how often you post are major factors in performance. Social media analytics and management tools can help you match publication times to audience behavior. For example, Sprout’s ViralPostⓇ feature uses AI to analyze your audience’s engagement patterns and recommend the best times to publish.

Careful link usage

X aims to keep users on the platform, which means posts focused only on external links often see lower engagement. Still, outbound links are important for driving traffic and conversions. To maintain visibility, it’s better to include links in replies or use creative alternatives like encouraging DMs for CTAs or directing users to your bio.

However, X is also testing an in-app reading experience for links, which its head of product recently announced: “A common complaint is that posts with links tend to get lower reach. […] To help get better signal, posts will now collapse to the bottom of the page so people can react while you’re reading.” This will create a more interactive experience for your X audience within the app.

Trending topics

Trending topics tell you what people are already searching and talking about. Joining these conversations in a way that aligns with your brand increases reach across the “For You” feed and relevant searches.

Verifications

Verified accounts often receive algorithmic perks, such as increased reach and visibility. Getting verified through X Premium and following the ID or business verification process can boost credibility and improve your chances of ranking in search.

How Google and AI search indexes X content

Along with internal Twitter SEO, there are numerous opportunities to expand discoverability through traditional search engines like Google and Bing, as well as AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude.

When users search for a keyword or question on Google, for example, X posts often show up. AI search engines also index X content, frequently surfacing posts as part of their responses. These tools increasingly rely on user-generated content to deliver relevant, conversational answers.

This trend is backed by major investments. Google pays Reddit $60 million annually to license its content, and OpenAI (ChatGPT’s parent company) has offered $70 million to do the same. These deals highlight the growing importance of real-time, community-driven content for search accuracy and topical relevance.

X also has its own AI search engine, Grok. Because Grok uses Twitter data to inform its LLM, it excels at providing current information, niche conversations and unique content.

When users search for a product or brand on Grok, they see real information from real people. Every post becomes not only content for traditional and AI search engines (which include citations), but also a data point within X’s internal ecosystem.

Here’s what brand mentions look like in Grok:

How Twitter SEO fuels traditional search rankings

Effective SEO, even with the rise of AI search, still starts with ranking in traditional SERPs. According to SEOZoom, “When Google inserts internal links into the paragraphs of the Overviews or reuses answers already generated for frequent queries, it continues to choose from the signals collected in the index.”

In other words, what ranks in Google still shapes what shows up in AI-generated answers. That’s why optimizing content on X can enhance overall search visibility.

Posts with images and videos often appear in Google’s SERPs, especially in Image and Video results. But their value doesn’t stop there. High-performing posts also trigger crawls and generate signals that strengthen SEO, such as backlinks and brand mentions.

For example, if a viral post on X gets shared in articles, blog posts or multi-channel content marketing campaigns, it signals relevance and authority to search engines. Those links contribute to Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), which affects both traditional rankings and AI-generated responses.

This is evident in a Google search for “training alone therapy,” which shows a post from Gymshark on the first page. Because Gymshark repurposed the content to Threads, that version appears too, claiming more real estate in the SERP.

Sprout tip: Use Sprout’s Smart Inbox to monitor and engage with influential audience members and feature experts. Replying quickly and thoughtfully to their mentions builds authority and directly contributes to your E-E-A-T signals.

Why Twitter SEO is critical for brands

The X team often refer to Twitter as the Internet’s town hall. For brands, it’s more accurate to call it the internet’s largest real-time focus group.

X is where ideas, exploration and curiosity collide, and that chaos is exactly what makes it such a powerful tool for search. Users actively seek recommendations, product reviews, how-tos and commentary. As they explore, they don’t just come across your posts—they also discover authentic, insightful content from your customers.

For example, a post from a customer who bought a BOYA microphone earned over 265k views, 598 likes and 317 bookmarks (an indicator that users plan to research or purchase later). Because the post included a clickable Grok logo in the top-right corner, users can interact with X’s AI—which pulls information from SEO and web content—to learn more about the product.

Here are a couple more reasons X SEO matters for your brand:

Audiences are searching directly on Twitter (X)

According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, 50% of consumers are on X, making it a high-value way to reach intent-driven audiences. And 37% of consumers across age groups prefer to go to social first for product research. Tapping into X’s top-of-funnel nature extends your visibility to those users and other audience members across search.

To engage these audiences, share content that addresses their needs while highlighting your products. Embedding SEO practices into your posts makes it even easier for the right people to find you.

Search funnels are shifting away from Google alone

Modern search isn’t confined to traditional engines anymore. AI-powered summaries, real-time discovery and SERP features are reshaping how users find information. Even Google’s own AI Overviews are changing behaviors by contributing to the 60% of searches that end without a click, as needed information now often appears directly in previews.

Optimizing for X SEO keeps your content and brand visible across engines, helping you capture value from zero-click results through product mentions, brand recognition and authority signals. Ignoring X SEO means giving up ground to social-first competitors that post indexable content and build credibility through high engagement.

9 best practices to improve your SEO on Twitter

To reach buyer-intent audiences and increase brand visibility in both X and traditional search results, you’ll want to focus on actions that drive engagement, authority and relevance. Here are some steps to take:

1. Optimize your Twitter profile for brand and keyword authority

A well-optimized X profile establishes authority and enhances searchability. Profiles with clear, keyword-rich bios, aligned handles and carefully chosen pinned posts (posts that stay at the top of your profile even when not the most recent) tend to be more discoverable both within X and on broader search platforms.

For example, a café including relevant keywords related to its location and menu increases relevance for local searches like “avocado toast near me” or “brunch spots in [city].” Choosing a handle that clearly reflects its brand name also supports discoverability.

Here’s an example from Carmela Coffee:

When your profile is optimized, every post benefits. Your handle, bio and pinned content all influence how search engines index and share your assets.

Consistency matters, so do your best to keep your X profile aligned with your other networks to reinforce authority. Sprout’s publishing workflows and Asset Library help your team streamline content management, ensuring you maintain a unified brand identity across social channels.

2. Craft engaging and SEO-friendly posts with multimedia

Visual content boosts engagement and discoverability on X, so posts that include images, GIFs or videos often outperform text-only posts. According to Sprout’s 2025 Content Benchmark Report, 10% of all X content is video, and that number continues to increase, with a 2% jump in 2024.

One effective way to incorporate multimedia is through X threads, a series of connected posts that create a long-form narrative. Threads let you link multiple posts to repurpose important points from articles, share customer stories or highlight product history. When attaching multimedia to a thread, make sure the associated posts clearly explains the asset and that metadata (like the file name) aligns with a keyword to help search engines understand your content.

Optimizing posts with keywords, image alt text and hashtags further enhances discoverability. Hashtags in particular serve as markers for trending topics and events, helping your content surface during high-interest periods.

3. Use Sprout’s Listening to find trending hashtags and topics

To improve real-time discoverability, match your content to what audiences are already searching for. Social listening helps you find trending keywords and topics to give you a competitive advantage. Sprout’s Social Listening add-on capabilities, for example, surface trending queries, hashtags and terms, allowing you to align your content strategy with audience interests and search behavior.

And Sprout’s Listening Word Cloud provides a visualization of these trends, making it easy to find the right opportunities to join relevant conversations.

Once you’ve identified a topic, tailor your content to participate naturally. For instance, if you own a pet grooming business and notice buzz around a local outdoor summer concert, try to promote on-site mobile grooming or invite concertgoers to stop by for free water and dog treats. This builds anticipation, drives local engagement and expands reach.

Vicky Bakery, known for its Cuban coffee and pastries, used this strategy for a Formula 1 race with the hashtag #VickyAtF1. Including both the brand name and “F1” made the post discoverable to racing fans, helped highlight the bakery’s presence at the event and boosted visibility among new and existing customers.

4. Balance organic posting with promoted tweets

Posts that perform well organically can gain extended life and visibility through promotion. While paid posts don’t directly influence SEO, they amplify organic signals—like engagement, impressions and reach—that do.

Sprout’s Paid Performance Report lets you compare performance across paid and organic traffic efforts. Unified insights allow you to optimize your paid spend strategy and demonstrate how your total X strategy contributes to ROI.

5. Publish original, high-quality content consistently

Infrequent or low-effort posts make it harder to earn the engagement needed to show up in search. To support both social and traditional SEO ranking factors, focus on quality and consistency.

For example, Wendy’s built a strong presence on X through brand-aligned, authentic posts trolling other users or teaming up with other brands. In multiple instances, Wendy’s has even roasted competitors like McDonald’s, generating thousands of likes and reinforcing its distinct voice.

6. Optimize tweet timing with AI-driven insights

The first few minutes after you publish a post are critical. High engagement velocity (how quickly your post gains likes, replies and reposts) can influence X search visibility and reach, driving even more interactions.

Effective Twitter marketing requires posting when your audience is most active. One way to optimize timing is with ViralPostⓇ, an AI-driven solution that recommends the best times to publish based on social networking behavioral data and your account’s performance.

Here’s a general idea of the best times to post on Twitter:

• Mondays: 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
• Tuesdays: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Thursdays: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Fridays: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Saturdays: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Sundays: 12 p.m.
• Best days to post on X: Tuesdays through Thursdays
• Worst days to post on X: Saturdays

7. Leverage cross-platform amplification to build backlinks and authority

Sharing X content across other platforms enhances SEO, just as external links strengthen traditional search strategies. Embedding posts in blogs, newsletters and press mentions amplifies visibility while generating backlinks. Combined with social engagement, these links strengthen brand authority and support E-E-A-T signals in both Google and AI-driven results.

However, coordinating cross-platform sharing is time-consuming, which makes it difficult to be consistent. Sprout’s publishing calendar provides a complete view of your cross-channel strategies, making it easy to plan, schedule and repurpose X content across your social media platforms.

8. Build authority through community engagement

Ultimately, successful SEO for Twitter depends on how you nurture your followers. After all, it’s your audience that drives the engagement signals you need to rank and boost discoverability.

To connect with X communities, start by engaging in conversations. Reply to comments, ask questions and talk about trending topics. Responding to a viral post or commenting on respected influencers’ content can also boost exposure in search results tied to those keywords. Over time, this strategy helps you build relationships, expand your follower base and improve your visibility.

Interactions like likes, reposts, quote posts and replies also send strong signals to X, boosting your reach and increasing the likelihood of your content appearing in search results.

Tracking these engagement metrics is essential for improving search performance. Sprout’s Premium Analytics (paid add-on) helps you move beyond vanity metrics to measure the impact of every post and connect Twitter activity to measurable ROI.

Strategy tip: If you aren’t sure where to start, explore the X Communities tab to find topic-focused groups to engage with.

9. Amplify your visibility and credibility with influencer partnerships

Influencers play a major role in shaping both social and search authority on X. Collaborating with creators who already rank in Explore or dominate key conversations helps expand your brand’s visibility and credibility.

The Sprout Social Influencer Marketing platform (formerly Tagger) helps you discover relevant influencers, manage your influencer partnerships and measure their impact. Collaborating with creators improves your visibility and lends authority to your content.

Want to see how creator partnerships can boost your X SEO? Book a demo of Sprout Influencer Marketing today.

Then, generate an influencer marketing report to measure progress and tie your effort to business goals. Report on metrics like performance over time, engagement rates and study audiences and influencers with data in the Profile Group Analysis.

How to measure Twitter SEO success

Measuring X SEO success means looking beyond vanity metrics. While likes and replies matter, what really counts is how your content impacts search visibility, brand authority and business outcomes. Here’s a structured approach to capture the big picture:

Set clear objectives up front

Define what success looks like, whether that’s more branded search traffic, higher content indexing or stronger lead generation. Tying objectives to business outcomes—like more website traffic from X referrals leading to conversions—ensures your SEO and engagement metrics aren’t just noise.

Use multi-layered measurement

Since users can discover you through Google, AI-generated answers or X itself, use a multi-layered measurement approach to get additional insight into your social media SEO strategy performance.

To track the full journey—from post → engagement → website behavior → conversions or SERP movement—and pair your social analytics with web analytics and business intelligence tools.

Benchmark and track over time

Effective SEO measurement depends on consistent benchmarking. Establish baselines for key metrics like branded search traffic, SERP positions and engagement rates, then monitor these X metrics to reveal what’s working and what’s not.

Whether you’re looking at topic selection, post formats or timing, weekly, monthly and quarterly check-ins can reveal trends and opportunities for joining high-impact conversations.

Prioritize leading and lagging indicators

Leading indicators like engagement, reach and link clicks point to future impact. Lagging indicators, such as SERP movement, organic lift and backlinks, confirm long-term value. Both matter.

When a post drives strong engagement, it signals relevance and notability to both X and search engines. That engagement can translate into ranking in SERPs, encouraging users and websites to link to your content.

To take advantage of this two-pronged approach, publish quality, keyword-rich content and comments that encourage immediate engagement while supporting future discoverability.

Attribute properly

Even high-impact work can go unrecognized without attribution tools that help define and communicate progress.

Sprout’s URL tracking features automatically apply consistent UTM parameters to your links. This allows you to use conversion tracking and assisted attribution models to see exactly how X contributes to measurable outcomes in multi-touch funnels.

Platform-specific KPIs for X SEO

The first layer of social SEO performance is internal discoverability, or how easily users can find your content within the network.

Below are some X SEO KPIs for measuring growth:

Sprout’s X Post Performance Report and X Profile Report make it easy to track these core metrics.

SEO-aligned KPIs

After establishing a strong internal search presence, focus on external search visibility through backlinks, content amplification and discovery-focused actions.

These SEO KPIs help you focus on your greater search discoverability online:

Integrate Twitter SEO into your long-term growth strategy

X SEO enhances both in-network and traditional and AI-powered discovery, with social search allowing you to maintain a seamless funnel while positioning your brand as the solution people seek. It also provides an opportunity for deeper audience insight through sentiment analysis.

Sprout’s unified social media management platform offers a suite of tools to put these insights into action. From social listening that surfaces trending topics to Premium Analytics that connect posts to ROI, its capabilities help uncover opportunities to reach high-intent customers and improve visibility.

Book a demo to see how Sprout can strengthen your Twitter SEO and unify your social marketing strategy.

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