By Fran Saracco
Improving Social Media
September 15, 2023
20-minute read
What are Instagram Hashtags?
Hashtags are your best friend for sorting and finding content on Instagram. Hashtags are created using the symbol “#” and are linked to the things you post on Instagram, becoming clickable and searchable topics.
Any word or phrase can be turned into a functional hashtag, as long as the “#” is placed in front. Numbers can be used within hashtags, but spaces and special characters cannot. On Instagram, most creators use hashtags to join trends and help audiences discover their content.
How Do Hashtags Work on Instagram?
You can use up to 30 hashtags in each post on Instagram. These posts must be public – if your profile is set to private, none of the hashtags you use will appear on discovery pages.
When users click on a hashtag, they are taken to its discovery page, which displays all public content associated with it. People will click on the hashtags they are interested in or are searching for as a way to find content on Instagram.
Users can also follow hashtags they care about, ensuring that relevant content appears in their feed regularly.
Hashtags in Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories feature a hashtag sticker, allowing you to add working hashtags to your stories. Users who click on them will be taken to the hashtag feed, just as if they clicked on a hashtag in your post. Hashtags in Instagram Reels
Hashtags work the same way in Reels, helping Instagram’s algorithm categorize your content so it appears in the user’s feed.
Do Hashtags Still Work on Instagram?
Hashtags are still a valid tool to help your Instagram account grow – but the way hashtags work on Instagram has changed a bit.
Essentially, Instagram’s algorithm will reward content that is interacted with the most by showcasing it more prominently on hashtag pages and discovery pages.
This means that the best way to use hashtags on Instagram is to create high-quality content and use quality hashtags that help attract more views and followers.
Since hashtags are used to find content, the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t interacted with you before.
Top 50 Instagram Hashtags for 2024
Here’s how popular brands are using trending Instagram hashtags in 2024: #love #instagood #fashion #photooftheday #beautiful #artist #design #photography #happy #picoftheday #follow #tbt #followme #nature #like4like #travel #instagram #style #repost #summer #instadaily #selfie #me #friends #fitness #girl #food #funny #beauty #instalike #smile #family #photo #life #likeforlike #music #ootd #follow4follow #makeup #amazing #igers #nofilter #dogsofinstagram #model #sunset #beach #instamood #foodporn #motivation #trending
Top Instagram Hashtags for 2024 by Category
There is a lot to consider when working with Instagram hashtags. Here are the top Instagram hashtags, categorized by industry or event. Choose a relevant category to start developing your hashtag strategy.
Best hashtags for likes and follows
Best hashtags for Instagram Reels
Best hashtags for fashion and beauty
Best hashtags for food and drinks
Best hashtags for travel
Best hashtags for pets
Best hashtags for technology and gadgets
Best hashtags for weddings
Best hashtags for fitness
Best hashtags for holidays
Best hashtags for Instagram contests
Best hashtags for photography
Best hashtags for business to business
Best hashtags for small businesses
Best hashtags for music
Best hashtags for art
Best hashtags for nature
Best Instagram Hashtag Generators
No matter how many hashtags you target, it can take a long time to type that many characters, especially since autocorrect doesn’t fix spelling mistakes in hashtags. Here are some tools that can make the process of creating hashtags easier. Best hashtags
Best
Hashtags are a simple tool for hashtag research across the browser. The tool’s algorithm calculates the best hashtags for your social media content based on historical data. Enter the desired hashtag, and the Best Hashtags tool will generate a list of hashtags in different categories such as: Best Relevant Hashtags, Top 10 Hashtags based on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, Low Difficulty Hashtags, Exact Match Hashtags.
You can also discover new hashtags on the New Hashtags and Best Hashtags pages.
SISTRIX
The Instagram Hashtag Generator from SISTRIX is another great tool to quickly find successful hashtags. Enter a hashtag or topic, and you’ll see the top 30 hashtags to use. Get more recommendations by searching for other hashtag variations related to your main search.
The tool is completely free for up to 25 queries per day. If you want more research, you’ll need to sign up for a SISTRIX account.
Influencer Marketing Hub
This Instagram Hashtag Generator is different. Instead of searching for hashtags by topic, you can upload an image, and the tool suggests hashtags to use. In the following example, we uploaded an image from the Surreals NFT collection to see what hashtags it would generate.
You can specify up to five keywords. Once selected, the tool reveals the optimal list of hashtags to use in your post.
Inflact
Inflact is another useful tool for Instagram hashtags for posts, stories, and reels. The easiest way to use the tool is through keywords. For example, if you type “Paris” into the generator, it will reveal a few different hashtags that contain the keyword. Hashtags are categorized by frequent, medium, and rare usage.
Inflact’s smart search tool also reveals organic hashtags or those that are often written together in the same post.
Keyword Tool
The Keyword Tool is a paid tool that helps businesses discover keywords across a variety of platforms, including Instagram hashtags. It has a geolocation feature, so you can identify trending hashtags that top in your audience’s area.
Most Instagram hashtag generators are free. If you’re not ready to invest in a tool for this purpose, the more cost-effective route may be to use a general social media tool. You can keep various documents of hashtags and use social media scheduling software.
You can create posts on your desktop, copy and paste the hashtags or hashtag groups into the comment as needed. Since all of these tools can now publish content directly to Instagram on your behalf, this can save you a few steps.
Types of Instagram Hashtags
Understanding which hashtags to use is a crucial part of developing a strong hashtag strategy that increases your reach and engagement.
Different types of hashtags serve different purposes, and a good strategy includes a mix of them. Learn how to get your Instagram account verified and use hashtags from your verified account to increase your reach. Brand Hashtags
These should be included in your Instagram bio and be exclusive to your store. They can be used to build brand awareness, and you can encourage users to share content using them. Examples include #LiftUpTheGirls from Harper Wilde, #shwoodshop from Shwood Eyewear, and #swlfamily from So Worth Loving. Use only one or two specific brand hashtags in each post.
Location-Based Hashtags
If you have products targeting a local audience, you can use them to your advantage. Do you sell unique mugs featuring different states? Use #FloridaLife or #NewYorkDrinks to connect with the right audience. You can also tag posts based on location to reach a specific audience in the area.
Hashtags
Community and Industry
Most brands and companies, regardless of their size, use at least one hashtag that represents their product or industry. Most of the time, these hashtags are designed to be simple and memorable.
To find popular community hashtags in your niche, examine the trending posts from competitors in your field. Check the hashtags they are using.
Daily Hashtags
Popular daily hashtags include #MondayMotivation and #ThrowbackThursday. But there are many tags for daily challenges or trending topics or experiences. Look for them by checking the tags in posts from certain days, or search for days of the week and see what shows up in the search results.
Entertainment Hashtags
These hashtags are not meant to grow your audience, but to enhance the relationship with the audience you already have. These phrases often have little to do with the brand itself, but are more about the context of the post they define. In the example below, both #shopitlikeithot and #getitgirl focus on entertainment.
Broad Audience Hashtags
Broad audience hashtags are general tags that can apply to almost any post. They are used frequently, which means they are searched for often. They can give your posts a significant boost in reach and put them in front of a target audience. Examples of these hashtags include #instagood and #lovelife.
Occasion-Based Hashtags
You may want to remind your followers that it’s okay to have a #caseofthemondays, or to appreciate the #summerrain. Timely hashtags can be related to a specific holiday or time of year, or even a time of day. Users love timely content and are likely to search for posts related to holidays and seasons in particular.
Trending Hashtags
Trending hashtags are those that gain traction due to current events, advertising campaigns, or viral nature or pop culture. Hashtags change continuously, just like fashion trends and slang.
Whether Apple announces a new iPhone release, or it’s Election Day anywhere in the country, trending hashtags may not provide lasting results, but they can yield meaningful returns when used correctly.
Niche Hashtags
Some products have audiences with specific interests and corresponding niche hashtags. People buying their virtual reality systems are likely interested in the latest technology. Customers who care about healthy eating might search for phrases like #organic or #eatinggreen. Use specific niche hashtags to connect with a highly relevant audience.
Special Event Hashtags
Sometimes, hashtags can act like signposts that alert users to special events happening in your store. Planning a contest? Hashtags like #contestalert and #instagiveaway can help you find an interested audience. Similarly, hashtags like #flashsale and #BOGO can help you reach deal hunters and inform followers of exclusive online offers.
Tips for Using Hashtags on Instagram
Be Cautious with the Number of Hashtags You Use
You can use up to 30 hashtags in a single Instagram post. Whether you should do this is an entirely different question.
Instagram’s latest guidance is to be selective with your hashtags and only use 3-5 in each post. However, research suggests that using more hashtags generally leads to increased engagement.
As for the ideal number of hashtags, the data is inconsistent. Some marketers swear by using only two hashtags, while others use all 30 hashtags. In reality, the ideal number for a single post might be something you discover through experimentation.
Does
Should Instagram hashtags be visible?
No one wants to read 30 different hashtags, or even six for that matter, just to access the content. Large blocks of hard-to-read text also look visually unappealing.
Therefore, many brands choose to hide most of their hashtags by carefully placing them under the “See More” option. Some may take this step further by adding large extra spaces after “See More” to visually remove a significant portion of the hashtags from the rest of the caption. Other brands may add hashtags in a separate comment on the post, but this may cause the hashtags to lose their effectiveness.
For most brands, the best option is simply to make sure your hashtags are separated by at least one line from the caption and hidden under the “See More” option. This focuses attention on your caption, increasing the likelihood that it will be read. It also looks cleaner.
The exception is if you are using one or two hashtags for branding or entertainment purposes. In that case, leave them at the top if necessary, and ensure they are listed first or written in the same line of your Instagram caption. This way, they are more likely to be seen by users.
Although you may see others doing it, there’s no reason to use more than one line to separate hashtags. If users click “See More,” you don’t want them to have to scroll forever to reach the comments, as there’s a good chance they won’t stick around and leave their own comment. Conduct Instagram hashtag research.
Hashtag research is a crucial part of distribution on Instagram. It can help you identify the most popular hashtags, give you new ideas for hashtags you wouldn’t think of on your own, and help you discover trending hashtags.
There are many different strategies you can use to conduct hashtag research, whether you want to grow your list or find new trending topics. Let’s take a look at each of them. Check Twitter.
If you want to find relevant hashtags that are currently trending, Twitter can give you an edge. It has a section for trending topics where you can see what people are sharing.
Note that using hashtags on Instagram and Twitter is different, and trending Twitter hashtags focus more on news. Keep that in mind and use it for research purposes instead of blindly copying and pasting hashtags onto Instagram. Check your competitors.
It never hurts to see what your competitors’ marketing strategy looks like, including their hashtag strategy. Look for trends in the hashtags they use, and you might get some ideas for phrases you want to add to your list as well. Keep an eye on influencers.
Influencers – including micro-influencers – are called influencers for a good reason: they already have an audience and people actively seek them for advice, inspiration, or expertise. It’s no surprise that these profiles on Instagram have a knack for using hashtags and finding the best impactful phrases. Check them out, and don’t be afraid to steal some phrases you like.
Avoid banned hashtags
Did you know that there are banned hashtags on Instagram? They aren’t necessarily even curse words or obscenities – although those definitely make the list.
Instagram regularly bans hashtags that are frequently used alongside some type of illegal content. Some of these banned hashtags may be unsurprising, like #nasty, but others like #fitnessgirls and #tgif can be used for completely innocent reasons. Instagram will not promote new content to the feed of a banned hashtag, if the feed remains at all.
Can
Hashtags can be permanently or temporarily banned, and when used, your Instagram posts may be blocked. This means they may not appear in your followers’ feed, and they may not show up when users search for other hashtags related to the post. Overall, using a single banned hashtag can ruin all the work you’ve done on the post.
Measuring Your Instagram Hashtag Strategy
All marketing efforts should be measured at appropriate times, and this applies to hashtag strategies as well.
Hashtags can be much harder to evaluate on your own, especially if you have groups of them on posts. This can make it difficult to know which hashtags are working and which ones are not performing well. Fortunately, there are many ways to measure the impact of your strategy.
First, take a look at the overall growth of your channel. You can do this using Instagram analytics, although many social media management
Source: https://shopify.com/blog/instagram-hashtags
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