Most people think Telegram is just for private chats or quick group updates. But if you’re running a news channel, you’re leaving traffic on the table if you’re not using hashtags the right way. Telegram doesn’t have a search algorithm like Google or Twitter, but it does have a simple, powerful feature: hashtags. Use them well, and your news posts start appearing in topic-based searches. Skip them, and your updates vanish into the void.
Why Telegram Hashtags Actually Work for News
Telegram’s search function lets users look up posts by hashtag. When someone types #Russia or #ClimateChange into Telegram’s search bar, they see a feed of public posts with that tag. This isn’t a trending list-it’s a live archive. If your news post has #UkraineConflict and someone searches for it three days later, your post still shows up. That’s the key difference from other platforms. On Twitter or Instagram, posts disappear after a few hours. On Telegram, they live as long as the channel is public.
News channels with consistent hashtag use get 3 to 5 times more views from search than those that don’t. A study from the Telegram Channel Analytics Group in early 2025 tracked 217 news channels over six months. Those using 3-5 relevant hashtags per post saw an average 42% increase in non-subscriber traffic. The channels that used random or vague tags like #news or #update saw almost no lift.
How to Pick the Right Hashtags for News
Not all hashtags are created equal. The goal isn’t to stuff as many as you can. It’s to match what real people are searching for.
Start with the core topic. If you’re reporting on a fire in California, use #CaliforniaFire. Not #Fire. Not #Disaster. Too broad, and your post gets lost. Too narrow, and no one searches for it. #CaliforniaFire is specific enough to be useful, common enough to have search volume.
Then add location. #LosAngeles, #SanDiego, #BayArea. People often search by place, especially during breaking news.
Next, add the event type. #Wildfire, #PowerOutage, #EvacuationOrder. These are terms people use when they’re looking for updates.
Finally, use one or two trending tags if they’re real. If #Election2025 is being searched heavily, include it-but only if your news actually relates to it. Fake relevance hurts credibility and gets your channel flagged.
Best practice: Stick to 3-5 hashtags per post. More than that looks spammy. Less than three limits reach. The sweet spot is 4.
What Not to Do with Hashtags
Here’s what most news channels get wrong:
- Don’t use #BreakingNews. It’s overused, meaningless, and doesn’t help search. Telegram’s search doesn’t prioritize it.
- Don’t use hashtags in the first line of your post. Put them at the bottom. Readers care about the story first, not the tags.
- Don’t reuse the same hashtag set for every post. If you post about politics, sports, and tech, use different tags for each. A generic set like #News #Update #Info makes you invisible in topic searches.
- Don’t translate hashtags into other languages unless your audience is bilingual. #Crisis is searched more than #Кризис in most global searches.
One channel in Ukraine, @UkraineNow, used to post #Ukraine every time. After switching to #UkraineWar, #KharkivAttack, and #RefugeeCrisis, their search traffic tripled in two months. They didn’t change their content. They just changed their tags.
How to Find What Hashtags People Are Searching For
You don’t need fancy tools. Telegram’s own search bar is your best friend.
Type in a term you think people might use-like #ElectionResults or #FloodAlert. See what comes up. If you see 50+ recent posts, that tag is active. If you see only one or two from last year, it’s dead.
Check what major news channels are using. Follow @BBCBreaking, @Reuters, @APNews. Look at their last 10 posts. What hashtags do they use? Copy their structure, not their exact tags. Adapt them to your topic.
Also, pay attention to comments. If readers keep typing “where’s the map?” or “is this in Texas?”, add #TexasFlood or #MapUpdate to your next post. Real user language is gold.
Structure Your Posts for Maximum Search Visibility
Hashtags alone won’t do it. You need to write posts that both humans and Telegram’s search system can understand.
Start with a clear headline. Don’t say “Update on the situation.” Say “Power Outage Hits 120,000 Homes in Ohio.”
Include key facts early: who, what, where, when. Telegram’s search looks at the first 200 characters. If your post starts with fluff like “We’re monitoring the situation,” it won’t rank.
Use plain language. Avoid jargon. Say “roads closed” instead of “transportation infrastructure compromised.”
End with your hashtags. Always. Put them on their own line, no punctuation, no emojis. Example:
#OhioPowerOutage #Columbus #UtilityCrisis #EmergencyAlert
This format tells Telegram: “This post is about these exact topics.”
Track What Works and Adjust
Telegram doesn’t give you analytics for hashtag performance-but you can still measure results.
Every week, pick three hashtags you used. Type them into Telegram search. Count how many posts appear. If your post is still in the top 10 after 48 hours, you did it right. If it’s buried under 50+ other posts, your tag is too competitive or too vague.
Keep a simple log:
- Post date
- Hashtags used
- Estimated views (from subscriber count and comments)
- Search visibility (top 10? top 50? gone?)
After a month, you’ll see patterns. #Wildfire tends to stay visible for 3-5 days. #ElectionPolls drops fast. Adjust your strategy accordingly.
Hashtags Are a Long-Term Game
Don’t expect overnight results. Building search visibility takes time. But once your posts start appearing in searches, they keep appearing. A post from March about #HurricaneSeason might still get 20-30 views a week in August from people researching past storms.
That’s the real power of Telegram hashtags: they turn your news into a reference library. Not just for your subscribers, but for anyone looking for information.
Think of your channel like a public archive. Every well-tagged post is a new shelf in that library. The more shelves you build, the more people will find you-even if they never hit subscribe.
Start today. Pick one recent post. Rewrite the hashtags using the 3-5 rule. Put them at the bottom. Watch what happens in the next 72 hours. You might be surprised how much difference a few simple words make.
