本文是一篇毕业论文范文，本研究对品牌营销人员、内容创作者以及社交媒体运营者具有实际的启发意义。首先，扩大视频传播范围是提升互动的核心策略，可通过优化发布时间、参与热门挑战和使用平台功能实现。其次，热门标签确实是提升参与的有效工具，但必须讲究策略性与相关性。
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of research and question
1.1.1 Research background
With billions of users and businesses calling it home, TikTok is now one of the most effective mediums for short-form video for digital marketing. Its algorithm individualizes each person’s feed by ranking content based upon relevance and popularity by such metrics as shares, comments, likes, and watch time, together with whether or not the material just so happens to be popular with that user at that time. This algorithm renders TikTok extremely effective at building popularity for quickly moving content, which means that it’s a great location for both influencers and businesses that wish to rapidly expand their content.
Hashtags are among the primary modes by which content gets discovered on TikTok. They also categorize content based on topical themes and popular topics with a higher likelihood of appearing on TikTok's "For You Page" (FYP). Strategically employing trending hashtags aids in raising chances of getting noticed to improved reach, acquiring more likes from a broader audience in a shorter time, increasing engagement, and boosting virality potential. It involves hashtags based on challenges, memes, or updates like themes that relate to whatever current users are looking for or interested in.
1.2 Purpose of research and significance
1.2.1 Research purpose
This study focuses on understanding how trending hashtags influence viewer engagement on TikTok, with particular attention to video reach as a mediating variable. It also explores how this relationship may vary based on content type (AI-generated vs. human-generated) and the total number of hashtags used. The analysis is based on a comparison between luxury and non-luxury fashion brands to evaluate if brand category plays a role in shaping engagement dynamics. The main research contents include:
Investigating the direct relationship between the use of trending hashtags and viewer engagement on TikTok.
Examining video reach as a mediating variable between trending hashtags and engagement metrics.
Exploring whether AI-generated content enhances or weakens the effect of trending hashtags on both video reach and engagement.
Analyzing how the total number of hashtags moderates the impact of trending hashtags.
Comparing the performance of luxury vs. non-luxury brands in leveraging hashtags for engagement and reach.
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Research on viewer engagement on social media
Viewer engagement refers to all forms through which a company communicates with their viewers in a bid to make relations. It can also be defined by means of in which enterprises communicate with viewers through social media every time driving competition more by means of improved interaction. Brands make engagement intentionally through posting fresh, interesting content from time to time, engaging with their fans every time, due to which there is development of brand loyalty and brand equity [1]. It is also stated to be a socio-technical process which is affected by viewers' interaction with digital means in such a manner that both users' behaviors and the technology modify each other over time [2].
Viewer engagement by means of consumption which is sustainable refers to that people interact with a brand or product in such a way that it comprises emotion, thought, and action. It tends to lead to deeper commitment which is predisposed to change people's mode of adopting practices which are sustainable [3] .
Based on this study, To whatever extent interaction and responsiveness that viewers display in relation to a brand's social media videos, with help by means of wise use of popular hashtags, will be known by means of viewer engagement. Interaction such as likes, shares, comment, and views tend to be applied or implemented in means of measuring this engagement since these pertain in some way to an extent that people like content so that people are influenced to interact.
2.2 Research on hashtags and viewer engagement
A hashtag is any word or words that are followed by a hash sign (#), which is utilized on social media to label messages on a particular matter. Hashtags sort information such that it is possible that people view related messages and get involved with content that is relevant to their interest. They are mostly applied on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram such that clicking on a hashtag lists all available messages with such a hash. A TikTok hashtag challenge is a campaign or trend that prompts people to produce and upload content based on a particular hashtag. TikTok, influencers, or organizations that aim to promote their products by encouraging original viewer engagement can initiate challenges on TikTok [7]. Hashtags help guide your videos to an appropriate audience such that there is a possibility that similar content viewers can easily view them [7]. Branded hashtag challenges on TikTok are an advertising approach that uses paid promotion, owned brand content, and viewer-generated content to drive maximum exposure. Branded hashtag campaigns are launched by organizations and tend to ask people to incorporate products, use brand content or effects like stickers and filters, or use brand's name explicitly in handwritten portion [8]. Hashtags push content from viewers that use them such that it is easily accessible by viewers such that people can easily view clothing products and stores. This approach tends to involve their followers, so people that follow an account are their core audience. Since hashtags do not cost anything and are accessible by all people, their effects can go a long way such that it drives sales [9]. Hashtags behave like a sorting so that there is a likelihood of people viewing some content similar to some certain content or design on TikTok. By using trendy and relevant hashtags like these by local players like Surabaya-based Conseva, there is an ability that promotional content may roll over with a lot of people, which may yield brand exposure such that people tend to view them.
Chapter 3 Hypothesis Development .............................. 12
3.1 Related theories .................................. 12
3.2 Hypothesis .................................... 13
Chapter 4 Methodology ............................. 26
4.1 Data collection ............................................ 26
4.1.1 Summary statistics ...................... 27
4.1.2 Correlation analysis ................................... 28
Chapter 5 Results and Discussion ..................................... 34
5.1 Estimated impact of trending hashtags on viewer engagement ...................... 34
5.2 Estimated role of video reach in influencing engagement ............................. 36
CHAPTER 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Estimated impact of trending hashtags on viewer engagement
In testing hypothesis studies, I conducted a series of regression analyses with indicators of viewer engagement (likes, comments, saves, shares LnVE1 to LnVE4), with video reach (LnVR). Under Hypothesis 1, I was interested in whether direct effects from trending hashtags (HT) on viewer engagement occurred. Hypothesis 2 tested mediating effects from video reach, tested by considering effect from LnVR on outcome of engagement. To test Hypotheses 3a and 3b, that AI-generated content strengthens relationship between trending hashtags and reach and engagement, I added an interaction term (HT × AI, tagged HTAI) to models. Similarly, for Hypotheses 4a and 4b, that number of hashtags weakens effects of trending hashtags, I added another interaction term (HT × HN, tagged HTHN). These indicators, with their interaction terms, allowed a full test of mediating, as well as moderating, effects under investigation.
Regression tests evidently substantiate hypothesis that trending hashtags (HT) play an important role in enhancing viewer interaction at various levels, especially if coupled with AI-generated content. More specifically, viewer interaction between trendy hashtags and AI-generated content (HTAI) strongly supports enhancing viewer interaction scores, i.e., likes (LnVE1: 0.53, p < 0.001), and comments (LnVE2: 0.74, p < 0.001). It follows that such videos that incorporate trendy hashtags along with AI-generated content are found to be especially relevant, interesting, and innovative, engaging users better, and thus resulting in better interaction rates.
CONCLUSIONS
To examine the effects of trending hashtags, video reach, AI-generated content, and overall hashtag performance on viewer engagement within TikTok’s dynamic ecosystem, this study conducted rigorous regression analyses using key interaction metrics such as likes, comments, saves, and shares. Based on these findings, the study offers practical insights for content creators and brand sponsors seeking to enhance their performance on the platform.
The results provide clear evidence that engagement with trending hashtags significantly boosts viewer interaction, particularly by encouraging higher levels of behavioral sharing. This effect is especially pronounced when paired with AI-generated content, which was found to strongly stimulate user engagement. Furthermore, the study confirmed the mediating role of video reach, demonstrating that reach is a critical prerequisite for driving viewer engagement. Content visibility was shown to increase through effective hashtag optimization, which in turn promotes viewer interaction across various metrics.
AI-generated content, especially when combined with trending hashtags, had a particularly powerful impact—leading to increased shares, likes, and saves. This supports the notion that strategic integration of AI-driven content with trending hashtag campaigns can substantially elevate viewer engagement.
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