TikTok Advertising 
Are you looking for a fun way to engage with your followers on TikTok while increasing your reach? Look no further than TikTok hashtag challenges! This unique feature allows users to create and participate in challenges using a specific hashtag. In this article, we will dive into the world of TikTok hashtag challenges and how they can benefit your brand or personal account.
What is a TikTok Hashtag Challenge?
A TikTok hashtag challenge is a viral trend that encourages users to create and upload videos using a specific hashtag. These challenges can be started by anyone, including brands, influencers, or regular users. The goal is to create a fun and engaging challenge that will inspire others to participate and create their own unique content.
To participate in a TikTok hashtag challenge, users must first search for the specific hashtag associated with the challenge. Once they find it, they can create their own video using the hashtag and upload it to TikTok. Other users can then find the hashtag and participate in the challenge themselves.
TikTok Hashtag Challenge vs Branded Hashtag Challenge: What’s the difference?
TikTok offers two types of hashtag challenges: Branded Hashtag Challenges and Standard Hashtag Challenges. While both types of challenges involve creating and participating in challenges using specific hashtags, there are some key differences between them.
Definitions & Objectives
A branded hashtag challenge is a challenge that is sponsored by a brand. In this type of challenge, the brand creates a unique hashtag and works with influencers or TikTok to promote the challenge to a wider audience. The goal of a branded hashtag challenge is to create brand awareness and engagement by encouraging users to create and share content related to the brand or its products.
On the other hand, a standard hashtag challenge is a challenge that is created by a user or group of users, without any sponsorship or promotion from a brand. These challenges can be related to a specific topic, theme, or trend and can be started by anyone. Its goal is to create viral content and increase engagement on the platform.
Promotion
One of the main differences between these two types of challenges is that branded hashtag challenges tend to have more resources and promotion behind them. Because they are sponsored by a brand, they often have a larger budget for influencer partnerships, advertising, and other promotional efforts. This can lead to a wider audience and more engagement for the challenge.
Main focus
Another difference is that branded hashtag challenges tend to have a more specific focus on the brand or its products. These challenges are often designed to promote a specific product or service, and the content created by users is usually related to that product or service. Standard hashtag challenges, on the other hand, can be more open-ended and flexible, allowing users to create content on a wide range of topics.
Latest TikTok Hashtag Challenges examples to inspire
#Bonita
A funny hashtag challenge that was trending in March 2023 was the #Bonita challenge. Paired with a funny audio from the hit comedy show “Family Guys”, many big brands like Duolingo or Xbox have joined in the challenge to show their fabulous, “slay” image. Needless to write, the challenge is an absolute Gen Z’s favorite!
#ilikeitpicasso
Similar to #bonita, this challenge is also paired with an audio called “What’s this? I like it Picasso”. The audio features the voice of a person expressing their amazement at an invention or performance, followed by a compliment to the artist with the phrase “I like it Picasso.” This is why the challenge is well-suited for behind-the-scenes videos. Many small businesses have taken the opportunity to advertise for their products in such a natural manner.
Why should You Participate in a TikTok Hashtag Challenge?
Increase reach and engagement
A successful hashtag challenge video can allow you to increase your reach and engagement on the platform. When you participate in a challenge, your video will be visible to a wider audience, including people who may not follow you yet. This can lead to more followers and increased engagement on your profile.
Build your image
It is evident that participating in a challenge can help you build your brand or personal image. By creating unique and engaging content, you can show your followers your personality, creativity, and values. This can help you stand out from the crowd and attract new followers who share your interests and values.
Connect with the audience in a fun way
Or simply, you just wanna have fun! There is no denying that participating in a TikTok hashtag challenge is just plain fun and engaging! It’s a great way to connect with your followers and engage with the TikTok community as a whole.
TikTok Hashtag Challenges best practices
Follow one before creating one
During the initial stage of brand building, we suggest creating informative videos and also keeping up with the latest trends as much as possible. They are for driving engagement and making your brand name familiar to the audience. Once you have gained a significant following, you can test your luck with branded hashtag challenges to enhance your marketing success.
Keep up-to-date with the newest trends
As trending hashtag challenges are constantly updated, you must keep an eye out for emerging ones to stay ahead of the trend.
The easiest way to do it is by browsing your For You page to see if there is any frequent pattern of hashtag challenges. Another method you can try is to browse the Discover tab to find out the trending keywords, hashtag or audio.
To simplify the process even more, we recommend you follow the hashtag #trendalert on TikTok. By utilizing this hashtag, brands can gain access to the latest features that are gaining traction on the app. This is thanks to a dedicated community of trend-seekers who keep a watchful eye on the platform and evaluate sound-to-video ratios and rate of growth.
Have your own unique take
There are 2 sub-types of hashtag challenge in the Standard Hashtag Challenge category that you should watch out for: Community and Niche. While community challenges are open to anyone and everyone, niche challenges may require a bit more industry-specific knowledge to understand and recreate. However, regardless of which type of challenge you choose, it’s crucial for brands to put their own spin on it and make it unique to them. This way, the challenge can benefit everyone involved and help increase engagement and brand awareness.
Furthermore, while it is true that while there are many hashtag challenges that you can try, you need to see if the challenge is worthy of your resources? How are you going to showcase your personality through it? After all, if your audience perceives you as another brand after watching your video, all your hard work will be for naught. So, make sure to choose challenges that align with your values and style, and find creative ways to make them your own!
Wait no more to join TikTok Hashtag Challenges
All in all, there is no denying the impact of hashtag challenges. They are what makes TikTok TikTok! So, it’s no surprise that brands are jumping on the bandwagon to create their own challenges and boost their engagement. Especially for new or smaller brands, hashtag challenges can help brands to increase brand awareness without breaking the bank. The real challenge lies in how to stand out from the hundreds of other brands doing the same thing. Therefore, the key to success is always creativity and authenticity to showcase the spirit of your brand.
While engaging your audience with hashtag challenges (HTCs) is an important part of any marketing strategy on TikTok, it’s only the first step. Ultimately, the goal is to drive sales and convert those engaged users into paying customers. That’s why we suggest you learn how to sell on TikTok, so you can leverage all the engagement and awareness you’ve generated through HTCs and turn it into tangible results for your brand.
Marketing Attribution 
