Marketing Lessons Learned From 5 Top TikTok Hashtags

As TikTok grows in popularity, brands are figuring out how to appeal to its primarily Gen Z and millennial audience. Some find success by creating trendy hashtag challenges while others create innovative, addictive TikTok videos that showcase their brand hashtag. Take a look at five brands that are killing it on TikTok and the marketing takeaways you can apply to your campaigns on the platform.

Chipotle

Mexican eatery Chipotle’s branded hashtag #chipotle has millions of views. Part of its success is the company stays very active on TikTok, posting fun and engaging videos and responding consistently to viewers’ comments. For its hashtag, #chipotlehack, Chipotle uploads how-to videos on making secret guac recipes or how to eat more at Chipotle on a budget, for example. Many TikTok users follow by uploading their own hacks. Chipotle has also found success with partnering with TikTok influencers, including TikTok food influencer newt, beatboxer spencerx and TikTok star Zahra (muslimthicc).

Washington Post

This newspaper knows exactly how to appeal to TikTok users. While news is generally serious and the iconic paper has been around since 1877, its hilarious TikTok videos are hugely popular on the trendy platform. The Post’s Dave Jorgenson, a video producer, runs its TikTok account and is often featured in the goofy videos. As a result, #newspaper has millions of views on a platform. The lesson learned here for marketers is no matter what your product or service, you can find success on TikTok by appealing to its audience base.

Guess

Guess has found success on TikTok by starting a TikTok hashtag challenge, one of the platform’s signature features. Its first challenge was also the platform’s first sponsored challenge. For #InMyDenim, Guess partnered with several influencers to show off their favorite Guess denim jeans looks. The hashtag gained popularity, attracting millions of views.

Crocs

Crocs’ #ThousandDollar Crocs hashtag challenge has gone viral, gaining billions of views. The description of the hashtag appeals to TikTok’s young audience, whose strength is being individualistic instead of following the status quo. It reads, “Show us what YOUR $1,000 Crocs looks like by customizing, enhancing or by just embodying the Come As You Are mentality and letting the world know I’m gonna be whatever I want.” Crocs also partnered with celebrity influencer rapper Post Malone to be its brand ambassador and kickstart the hashtag.

Crocs also attracts attention and approval from TikTok users by staying current with trends and social concerns. It has partnered with @chinatownmarket to donate 100 percent of its profits from custom Jibbitz packs to Feeding America. It listened to its audience and created Black Lives Matter Jibbitz charms and donated to the NAACP.  And it created a Just Love shoe designed by actress Ruby Rose, making a donation to GLAAD, an organization promoting LGBTQ acceptance. Crocs showcases each of these endeavors on TikTok to keep its audience aware of its efforts.

Another one of Crocs’ TikTok challenges is #crocsgames2020. It’s no doubt inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled organized sports and limited people to staying close to home. Crocs encourages TikTok users to post a video of themselves winning at unique at-home sporting events — because they have their Crocs on. By using the hashtag, Crocs gives them the chance to be featured on the #crocsgames2020 page.

e.l.f. Cosmetics

e.l.f. Cosmetics is giving marketers quite a few lessons on TikTok marketing. One is its commission of an original song by Grammy award-winning producer iLL Wayno featuring hip-hop/rap artist Holla FyeSixWun. The song is written specifically for its TikTok campaign Eyes Lips Face, after the acronym for its name. e.l.f. used several TikTok influencers to get #eyeslipsface started, and now TikTok users have taken over by posting original content. The hashtag has over 6.5 billion views.

e.l.f. Cosmetics also keeps the hashtag fresh and trending by running contests. Examples of TikTok contests the cosmetics company has run include:

• $250 worth of e.l.f. Cosmetics makeup and skincare products for posting a TikTok video with the #eyeslipsface and #contest hashtags
• A six-month TikTok influencer contract plus $5,000 by posting in its #eyslipsfamous hashtag showing elaborate makeup artist skills and following @elfyeah
• 17 prize winners of various e.l.f cosmetics by following @elfcosmetics and @whitefoxboutique, liking the sweepstakes posts and tagging a friend in the post
• Coupon code for one free Putty Primer with a $10 or more purchase by following @elfyeah and tagging a video with #elfmagicact showing the use of makeup putty

The terms of these contests increase subscribers to e.l.f.’s TikTok accounts and boost brand awareness. They also encourage sales of e.l.f. products.