The Ultimate Guide to Discovering Low Competition Hashtags on Facebook

Learn how to effectively identify and leverage low-competition hashtags on Facebook. This guide covers key competitor research tactics, Facebook's built-in tools, long-tail variations, local tags, and more.

Finding low-competition hashtags on Facebook is crucial for increasing your reach and engagement. With over 3.05 billion monthly active users, strategic hashtag use allows you to tap into specific audiences who are actually interested in your content. However, discovering viable hashtags that aren’t already saturated can be tricky.

In this ultimate guide, we’ll walk you through identifying and utilizing low-competition Facebook hashtags.

From understanding keyword competition to leveraging Facebook’s tools, you’ll learn actionable tactics to integrate relevant tags that drive real results. Let’s dive in!

How to Assess a Hashtag’s Competition Level

Not all hashtags are created equal. Before integrating a new tag, it’s essential to evaluate its level of competition.

Here are 3 key factors to analyze:

Follower Count

A hashtag’s number of followers can give you an idea of its popularity. More followers mean more exposure for your content, but also more competing posts. As a general rule, aim for hashtags with anywhere from 5,000 – 500,000 followers. Anything below 5k may not have enough of an audience, while anything above 500k is likely highly saturated.

Post Volume

Check how many recent posts are using the hashtag by searching it on Facebook. Low-competition hashtags will have fewer than 50-100 posts within the last 24 hours. More than that, and your content risks getting buried quickly. Monitor post volume at different times of day to get the full picture.

Engagement

Scan through recent posts using the hashtag. Engagement metrics like reactions, comments, and shares indicate how responsive the audience is. Low-competition hashtags see decent engagement on individual posts. For high-volume tags, engagement gets spread thin. Gauge what resonates to inform your own content strategy.

Leverage Facebook’s Tools

Fortunately, Facebook offers built-in tools to research and identify relevant hashtags. Take advantage of these to uncover hidden gems:

Facebook's Search Bar

Simply search potential hashtags in the Facebook search bar and browse the results. This shows your top posts and follower counts at a glance. Toggle between ‘Posts’ and ‘Accounts’ to gauge both post volume and hashtag followers.

Hashtag Search Page

Navigate to facebook.com/hashtag/[insert hashtag] to access the dedicated topic page. Here you’ll see top posts, followers, story engagement, related hashtags, and more. Use these insights to gauge competition levels and find complementary tags.

Explore Tool

Access Facebook’s ‘Explore’ tool by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the Explore tab. Search for keyword variations around your niche and scroll through the hashtag suggestions. Look for ones with <100k followers and decent engagement.

Facebook Ad Library

Search hashtags that competitors use in their Facebook ads in the Ad Library. See what resonates with their target audience. This can uncover aligned tags that already have some traction.

Identify Hashtag Variations

When a hashtag takes off, numerous similar variations often emerge that split the audience. For example, the leading entrepreneurship tag #entrepreneur spawned related iterations like #femaleentrepreneur, #mompreneur, and #teenentrepreneur.

Uncovering these less competitive variations can work to your advantage. Search for your main hashtag, then scroll down and click “See More” under “Related Hashtags People Also Search For”. This surfaces close iterations worth testing.

Research Trending Conversations

Staying on top of trends allows you to capitalize on relevant hashtags in real time. Use tools like Facebook Trends, Trendog, and RiteTag to identify timely tags gaining momentum. Create content that provides your unique angle before competition builds up.

Piggyback off Influencers/Competitors

Study what hashtags influencers and competitors in your niche use most in their top-performing posts. If a tag works well for their audience, it likely will resonate with yours too. Emulate their successful formulas, then customize them with your unique hashtags.

Long-Tail Variations

Generic single-word hashtags like #marketing or #entrepreneur attract lots of competition. Get more specific by targeting ‘long-tail’ hashtags segmented by geography, industry, or interests. For example:

• #petcaremarketing
• #austinmarketingagency
• #restaurantentrepreneurlife

These ultra-targeted tags help you stand out to highly relevant subsets of users.

Emerging Trending News

Stay on the pulse of current events and news by following relevant Pages and influencers. When developing stories, quickly research emerging hashtags and create content offering your perspective before competition builds.

Go Local

Include location-based hashtags like cities, states, and landmarks to improve visibility. For instance, a business in Austin might use:

• #austin
• #atx
• #austintexas

Local hashtags usually have lower competition, allowing you to dominate the conversation in your geographic area.

Leverage cultural events

Keep an eye out for relevant cultural moments like holidays, observances, and events. Timely hashtags centered around these let you tap into spikes in interest. For example:

• #internationalwomensday
• #blackhistorymonth
• #sustainablefashionweek

Just ensure your content offers genuine value, not just empty tags.

Find Your Community’s Hashtags

Identify where your audience, community, and industry convene on Facebook. Follow related Pages and Groups to learn established hashtags where engaged discussion is already happening. Seamlessly join the conversation by using hashtags your peers respond to.

Use a Hashtag Tracking Tool

Robust social listening tools like Keyhole and Rival IQ offer advanced hashtag tracking and research. Input keyword themes to uncover highly targeted, low-competition tags. Filter by engagement metrics and follower count to identify viable options. These tools do the heavy lifting for you.

Research Competitor Hashtags

Plug competitor Page names into social listening tools like Keyhole or Socialinsider. Analyze their top-performing hashtags over time, engagement levels, and types of content used. Identify ones driving strong results that could work for your brand too.

Add Your Unique Hashtags

Once you’ve identified proven main hashtags, make them your own by tacking on branded variations. For example:

• #socialmediamarketing → #socialmediamarketingdonewild
• #contentmarketing → #contentmarketingthewildway

These personalized tags help your posts stand out while still ranking for popular terms.

Continually Test and Optimize

Hashtag competition and effectiveness levels fluctuate over time. Consistently analyze your top-performing hashtags to inform optimization. Phase out stagnant tags in favor of new discoveries that generate better results. Treat hashtag selection as an ongoing process, not a one-time task.

Hashtags Secrets on Facebook

Additional Knowledge: Best Practices For Facebook Hashtags in 2024

Final Thoughts

The right hashtags make your posts visible to those most likely to care. But generic tags drowned in competition do little to build meaningful connections. By taking the time to research and identify proven yet untapped hashtags, you can cut through clutter and drive strategic engagement.

Remember to dig into both quantitative and qualitative data around potential hashtags. Look at follower counts, post volumes, and competitor usage, but also assess audience quality and responsiveness.

Leverage Facebook’s built-in tools along with third-party listening platforms to uncover hidden gems. Stay on top of trending news, events, and community conversations. Customize popular tags with your unique variations.

Hashtag marketing is all about pinpointing precise targets, not casting a wide general net. Use these tactics to discover low-competition Facebook hashtags that deliver your content to the right people. With a tailored strategy, you can build communities that drive real impact.