Social Media Hashtags for Podcasts: How to Choose Them
TL;DR: We treat hashtags as one small part of a post. Tailor them to each platform, favour niche and topic hashtags over generic ones like #podcast, and use a few relevant tags rather than many.
Table of Contents
- How Hashtags Work for Podcasts
- Platform-Specific Strategies
- Choosing Effective Hashtags
- Hashtag Categories for Podcasters
- Common Hashtag Mistakes
- FAQ
How Hashtags Work for Podcasts
Here's the thing: We treat hashtags as one small part of a post, not the thing that decides who sees it. We still suggest using relevant ones, especially to reach people who don't follow you yet.
What We Use Hashtags For
- Labelling the topic of the post
- Joining a conversation you're genuinely part of, such as a live event
- Tracking your own mentions with a branded tag
The Reality of Podcast Hashtags
Before you lean on generic podcast hashtags like #podcast, #podcasting and #podcaster, search them on the platform you post to and see how crowded they are. Our suggested strategy: target smaller, niche-specific hashtags where the people browsing are more likely to care about your topic.
Platform-Specific Strategies
Don't copy one set across every platform. Check each platform's own guidance and tailor your tags.
Instagram Hashtags
How many: A few focused, relevant hashtags rather than a long list.
Placement: We'd put them in the caption; keep captions clean if the tags feel cluttered.
Types to use:
- Niche topic hashtags
- Audience hashtags
- A community or location hashtag
Example combination:
#marketingpodcast #smallbusinesstips #womeninbusiness
Avoid hashtag walls.
TikTok Hashtags
How many: A few relevant hashtags.
Placement: In the caption, naturally integrated when possible.
Types to use:
- Trending topic hashtags (when genuinely relevant)
- Niche community hashtags
- Format hashtags (#podclip, #podtok)
Note: Put your effort into the clip first, then the hashtags.
LinkedIn Hashtags
How many: A few relevant hashtags.
Placement: At the end of your post, after the main content.
Types to use:
- Industry hashtags (#marketing, #leadership)
- Professional topic hashtags (#entrepreneurship)
- Your show's branded hashtag
Twitter/X Hashtags
On X, we suggest using hashtags sparingly:
How many: One or two, or none.
Placement: Integrated naturally into tweet text, or at the end.
Types to use:
- Live event hashtags (#podcastmovement)
- Trending topics (when genuinely relevant)
- Your branded hashtag
YouTube Hashtags
YouTube can show hashtags from your description by your video title:
How many: A few in the description. YouTube says up to three hashtags from your description that it considers most engaging will appear by your video title, and if a video has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them.
Placement: In the video description. Avoid hashtags in titles.
Types to use:
- Primary topic hashtag
- Content format hashtag (#podcastclips)
- Channel/series hashtag
Put more effort into your title and description than your hashtags.
Choosing Effective Hashtags
Choose tags for relevance, not quantity: pick ones your target audience would browse.
Research Process
Find effective hashtags through research:
- Search your topic: What hashtags do similar shows use?
- Check post volume: Look for tags active enough to be browsed but not so crowded that posts vanish
- Verify relevance: Make sure posts under the hashtag match your content
- Test engagement: Track which hashtags correlate with discovery
Balancing Volume and Competition
There's no magic post count. Pick tags that are relevant first, then watch how your posts perform with them and adjust.
Topic-Based Selection
Choose hashtags based on your episode content, not just "podcast":
For a marketing podcast episode about email: #emailmarketing #marketingtips #digitalmarketing
For a true crime episode about cold cases: #truecrime #coldcase #crimejunkie
For a business interview with a founder: #entrepreneurship #startuplife #foundersstory
Match hashtags to the specific content of each post.
Hashtag Categories for Podcasters
Build a hashtag bank organized by category. Mix categories for each post.
Niche/Topic Hashtags
Your podcast's subject matter:
Business: #entrepreneurship #startups #smallbusiness #leadership #marketing
Health: #wellness #mentalhealth #fitness #nutrition #mindfulness
Entertainment: #movies #tvshows #popculturepodcast #fandom #entertainment
True crime: #truecrime #crimestories #mysterypodcast #coldcases
Comedy: #comedypodcast #funny #standupcomedy #laughs
Audience Hashtags
Who you're trying to reach:
- #womeninbusiness
- #millennials
- #workingmoms
- #freelancers
- #creativeentrepreneurs
Format Hashtags
How your content is presented:
- #podcastclips
- #podcastepisode
- #interviewpodcast
- #audiogram
- #podtok
Community Hashtags
Groups you want to join:
- #podcasters
- #podcastcommunity
- #indiepodcast
Branded Hashtags
Your unique tags:
- #YourShowName
- #ShowNamePodcast
- #YourCatchphrase
Use a branded hashtag to track your own mentions.
Common Hashtag Mistakes
Avoid these patterns.
Using Only Generic Tags
Posting with only #podcast #podcasting #podcaster puts you in a very crowded stream. Always combine them with niche-specific tags.
Too Many Hashtags
Keep your tagging focused and relevant.
Irrelevant Trending Tags
Don't jump on trending hashtags unrelated to your content; a marketing clip has no place under #WorldCup. Stick to relevant tags.
Same Hashtags Every Post
Rotate your hashtag sets based on the specific content of each post.
Ignoring Platform Differences
Don't copy-paste the same hashtags across platforms. Customize your approach for each.
Never Testing
Track which tags go with higher reach on your own posts over time, and drop the ones that don't.
FAQ
How do I create a branded hashtag for my podcast?
Keep it simple and memorable—your podcast name works if it's not too long or easily misspelled. Check that it's not already heavily used for something else. Use it consistently on all your content and encourage listeners to use it. We'd wait until you have engaged community members who'll actually use them.
Should I use the same hashtags for every episode promotion?
No. Customize hashtags based on specific episode content. A marketing podcast episode about email marketing should use different hashtags than an episode about social media. Keep your brand hashtag consistent, but rotate topic-based hashtags to match each post's actual content and reach different audiences.
Do hashtags still matter in algorithm-driven social media?
We treat them as one small tool, not a growth strategy. Put most of your effort into the post itself.
Ready to Get Your Content Discovered?
We'd make your archive searchable before worrying about which hashtags to use.
Try PodRewind free with five episodes, and make your entire podcast archive searchable on the Creator plan.