Are Hashtags Important on Instagram and How to Optimize Your Strategy

Using hashtags on Instagram is a crucial part of increasing your post's visibility. According to a study, posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement than those without.

Instagram's algorithm takes into account the relevance of hashtags to the content of your post. Using a mix of niche and broad hashtags can help you reach a wider audience. For example, using a specific hashtag like #sustainability can attract users interested in that topic, while a broader hashtag like #travel can attract a larger audience.

Research has shown that using 5-10 hashtags per post is the sweet spot for maximum engagement. Using too many hashtags can look spammy and may not be as effective. It's also a good idea to mix up the types of hashtags you use, such as a combination of niche and broad hashtags.

Hashtags are words preceded with the # sign, but they are a whole lot more. They're not just words, and they're definitely not something you can ignore.

If hashtags weren't vital, no one would bother about them, and they'd be lost in the horde of social media elements.

Using hashtags is crucial for promoting your Instagram account. They help your posts get discovered by people who are interested in the same things as you.

There are many benefits to using hashtags on Instagram, and here are our top 3.

Using hashtags effectively is key to growing your account and reaching new audiences on Instagram. Hashtags make your content more searchable, as they signal to users and the app what your content and account are all about.

Hashtags can help you boost engagement and make connections with the right audiences, as using hashtags like #SocialMediaManager can boost engagement with those working in social. You can also use branded hashtags to make it easy for your biggest fans to find specific content.

Using relevant hashtags will help your posts show up in more search results on the app, increasing the likelihood of likes and comments. For example, using the search-led hashtag, #GlobalRunningDay, can generate likes, and using a branded hashtag, #iamasweatybetty, can champion a sense of community and togetherness.

You can use up to 30 targeted hashtags in the caption or comment section on your main profile page. However, it's essential to use unique and specific hashtags for each post, as repeating the same hashtags can alert the algorithm of possible spamming activity.

Creating posts that awe readers and adding powerful hashtags to them can increase the likelihood of making them viral, as content that awe readers have a 34% chance of going viral.

Instagram recommends using between 3 to 5 hashtags per post to maximize reach and engagement.

Using 30 or more hashtags on a single post was once a trend, but it's no longer considered best practice.

It's worth noting that placing hashtags as the first comment on posts was once a popular trend, but it's now considered outdated.

To use hashtags effectively, you should include them directly in the caption of your post.

Finding the right hashtags for your Instagram content is crucial, and there are several ways to do it efficiently. You can curate lists of hashtags that align with your main content pillars, which you can quickly adjust and add to each post.

Conducting research on the Instagram Explore page is another great way to find relevant hashtags. Search for keywords related to your brand or content and check out the "Top" results. These posts clearly perform well with Instagram's algorithm, so take note of the different hashtags being used.

Researching the hashtags industry influencers are using can also be a great way to find relevant hashtags. Look for influencers in your niche and check the hashtags they use in their posts. You can do this by searching for a generic word like "football" in the search tab and finding the prominent accounts using that hashtag.

The Instagram Explore page is a treasure trove of inspiration for your hashtag strategy. It's a great place to find trending hashtags and see what's currently performing well with Instagram's algorithm.

To get the best results, search for keywords that are relevant to your brand or content and check out the "Top" results. These posts are clearly performing well, so take note of the different hashtags being used.

You can see this in action with brands like Sweaty Betty, a workout brand that targets women with a passion for fitness. By checking out the top results on the Explore page, you can see what hashtags are working for them.

The Explore page is a great way to discover new hashtags and stay on top of trending topics. It's a constantly changing landscape, so you'll need to check back regularly to stay up-to-date.

By incorporating the Explore page into your research, you'll be able to find relevant hashtags that will help your content reach a wider audience. It's a valuable tool in your hashtag strategy arsenal.

Saving time with your strategy is crucial for maintaining productivity on Instagram. Finding 20-30 hashtags for every post you share is extremely time-consuming.

You can make the process more efficient by curating lists of hashtags that align with your main content pillars. These lists can be quickly adjusted and added to each post.

With Later Social's Instagram Scheduler, you can create multiple "Saved Captions" that contain your curated lists of hashtags. This allows you to quickly add them to a post caption in just two taps.

Building a solid hashtag strategy is key to reaching new audiences and growing your account on Instagram. Having a consistent hashtag strategy is still one of the most effective routes for growth on Instagram, regardless of whether you use 10 or 30 hashtags.

Reviewing the performance of your hashtags is crucial to monitor the success of your experiments and fine-tune your strategy over time. With Later Social's Hashtag Analytics tools, you can track key insights about your hashtags, including a breakdown of which are driving the most likes, comments, saves, and reach on your Instagram posts.

Aiming for hashtags with between 10K-200K posts is a safe middle-ground to avoid being drowned out by the masses. To check a hashtag's post volume, head to Instagram's tag search tool on the Explore Page. This is a great way to vet your hashtags and can also provide valuable inspiration.

Using hashtags can significantly increase your exposure, and trying it out is worth it – you'll likely see much greater exposure than without hashtags.

Hashtags can be a powerful tool to discover industry trends, as seen with the 1.5 million posts under the dropshipping hashtag on Instagram. This evergreen trend is just one example of how hashtags can help you stay on top of the latest industry developments.

Industry influencers often create or use hashtags that drive discussions and create trends. For instance, searching for a generic word like football in the search tab on Instagram can lead you to prominent accounts and their used hashtags.

You can find relevant hashtags for every post by leveraging trending hashtags, checking the hashtags used by industry influencers, or using tactics like searching for generic words in the search tab.

Location-specific hashtags can be useful on some platforms, but they should be used sparingly. Including the name of your city, neighborhood, or county as a hashtag can help tag an exact location of a specific event.

However, these hashtags count toward the target number of hashtags on a given platform, so use a maximum of one or two per post when necessary. Location-specific tags are most applicable on Meta platforms, specifically Instagram.

Posts can also be separately geo-tagged with a location, so keep that in mind. Using location-specific hashtags is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so use them wisely.

Industry research is key to finding relevant hashtags. You can check out posts from other brands in your industry to discover traffic-generating hashtags.

Some of the best ways to do this is to take a look at the posts of your competitors and superiors in the industry. They may have already discovered effective hashtags that you can use for your own posts.

Researching the hashtags industry influencers are using is also a great way to find relevant hashtags. This can be done by searching for a generic word like "football" in the search tab and finding the prominent accounts that are using those hashtags.

Ensure that the hashtags from these sources don't have multiple interpretations that may confuse your target audience. For example, a hashtag like "football" may be used by accounts that are about the sport, but also by accounts that are about the food.

Leveraging trending hashtags in your industry can also help you reach a wider audience. This can be done by finding the trending hashtags on the pages of leading figures in your niche and using them in your posts.

By using hashtags from industry influencers and trending hashtags, you can increase your post's visibility and reach a wider audience.

Don't overdo it with the hashtags, as using more than 30 per post can actually decrease engagement.

Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your account's credibility, as it may appear like you're trying to game the system.

Make sure to research and use a mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach your target audience.

For example, using hashtags like #foodie or #travel can help you reach a wider audience, while using niche hashtags like #plantbased or #adventurephotography can help you attract a more targeted following.

Don't waste your hashtags by using generic ones like #SydneyAustralia in your caption.

Using tools to give specifics about your posts can help you focus on more relevant hashtags.

Don't use complicated or long hashtags just to fill space, as these can be confusing and are easy to misspell.

Repetition is a typical Instagram hashtag mistake, so try to use new and relevant hashtags on all your posts.

Avoid using repetitive hashtags, as posting them repeatedly can flag your account as a spam station and restrict the publicity of your content.

Don't overdo it with too many hashtags, as this can make your post look spammy and reduce engagement.

Banned hashtags are hidden from the mainstream Instagram Feeds, making your post invisible to the community.

Using too many banned hashtags concurrently can cause Instagram to flag or shadowban your account, which may result in permanent loss of your account.

There's no official list of banned hashtags, but it's estimated that there are thousands of them.

To check if a hashtag has been flagged, head to the Explore tab, type in the hashtag in context, and click on search. If it's banned, you'll see a message above the posts saying "Recent posts for this hashtag are hidden because some posts may not follow Instagram's Community Guidelines."

If you notice a dip in your engagements, it's possible you're using at least one banned hashtag repeatedly.

In 2024, the key to using hashtags effectively on social media is a strategic approach.

Taking a "less is more" approach to hashtags is the way to go. This means not getting too carried away with generating a ton of hashtags.

Creating a hashtag master list is a great idea, and it can be as simple as a spreadsheet or shared document that you can reference anytime you draft a social media post.

Competitive research is a valuable activity that can provide inspiration for your hashtag list, and it's worth checking out what your closest competitors are doing.

The quality of your content is what matters most, and now more than ever before, it's essential to prioritize that.