When I first noticed YouTube hashtags being featured in videos, I thought they looked silly. At the time, I thought hashtags were only useful for platforms like Twitter or Instagram. It wasn’t until I clicked on a hashtag under an anime clip I was watching that I realized how useful the tags were.

Remember a few years ago when Instagram launched a Snapchat-like feature to its app? More recently, the brand announced that it will shift to a video-first approach, presumably to compete against short-form video platform TikTok.

TikTok has over 1 billion active users a month, making it one of the most popular social media platforms to date. With so many users, there are plenty of opportunities for brands to create viral content that captures the attention of their target audiences. But a billion monthly users also leads to stiff competition, so it’s important to use hashtags to bolster your content and help it stand out.

The media landscape has changed significantly over the years thanks to the rise of the internet and social media. With platforms like YouTube and TikTok, anyone can go online, create content, and find their niche audience. As a result, media has become more decentralized than ever, and millions of content creators have created a new space in the entertainment industry — the creator economy.