Instagram hashtags are powerful. They can help your posts reach a target audience, attract followers in your niche, increase engagement, and develop a more positive and recognizable brand image.
But with great power comes great responsibility (#spiderman). Hashtags can skyrocket your business to new heights, but if used too frequently or without a clear strategy in mind, they become pointless and inefficient.
That‘s where this guide comes in. I’ll share my top tips and insights for choosing the right Instagram hashtags to achieve your goals in 2024 based on the latest data and my own experience working with brands. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What is an Instagram hashtag?
Why are hashtags important?
Types of Instagram Hashtags
How Brands Are Using Hashtags in 2024 [Data]
Best Instagram Hashtags
Best Practices for Using Hashtags on Instagram
How to Use Hashtags on Instagram for Business
How to Search Hashtags on Instagram
Instagram hashtags are unique because they’re mostly used for content discovery. Like word-of-mouth in the real world, hashtags can help users explore related posts and find new accounts, trends, or communities.
Instagram hashtags are also popular with niche audiences for posting targeted content. IG’s higher-than-average hashtag limit (30 max) and strong hashtag culture also make hashtags a powerful tool on the platform.
Why are hashtags important?
Hashtags are essentially Instagram’s sorting process. Over half of all Instagram accounts have 1,000-10,000 followers, making it tough for Instagram to deliver the right content efficiently to the right people.
Hashtags help your post get discovered by viewers most interested in seeing it, making Instagram hashtags an essential part of any social media strategy.
Krystal Wu, former social media community manager at HubSpot, explains the importance of hashtags this way.
“Hashtags are like a funnel. For instance, #marketing is incredibly broad and attracts all types of posts. I’ve found #digitalmarketing or #marketingmotivation gives us a more specific, targeted reach. The audience searching for these hashtags are also trying to narrow their search to what we offer related to marketing, so we’re actually reaching more of the right people,” Wu says.
In my view, hashtags are a better way to categorize your posts. They help you reach a target audience, and more importantly, they help your target audience find you. These users are more likely to engage with your post because it’s exactly what they were looking for.
Types of Instagram Hashtags
Hashtags are highly versatile little pieces of text. They can build a community, make your account more visible, or simply attract like-minded individuals to your account.
Before choosing a hashtag for your post, consider the most common types and their categorizations.
Branded Hashtags
Branded hashtags help you build a community specifically around your brand or business. It can be a slogan, the name of a specific product you offer, or your business name.
Product or Service Hashtags
Companies use product hashtags for posts related to their product and service offerings. These hashtags are usually general, such as #hairsalon or #knitwear.
However, I recommend you consider using more niche hashtags to share specific products and services, like #blackhairsalon or #handmadeknits.
Industry Hashtags
These hashtags are commonly used within your industry or niche. They help connect your content with a broader audience interested in a particular industry or topic.
For example, if you’re a traveling food photographer, you might connect with those industries with hashtags like #foodie, #travelphotography, or #foodphotography.
Trending Hashtags
These are popular hashtags that are currently trending on Instagram.
They often relate to daily themes (#tbt, #throwbackthursday), holidays (#DiaDeLosMuertos, #Pride, or #IndependenceDay), or viral topics (#barbiemovie, #budapest23).
Using these hashtags can help increase the visibility of your content.
Community Hashtags
These hashtags are great for getting more visibility among other Instagrammers who do what you do. For example, if you’re a knitter, you might post with #knittersofinstagram.
Location-Based Hashtags
These are great for targeting users in a specific area. Think #hairsalonnyc or #atlantabakery.
Campaign Hashtags
If you’re running a sponsored ad or platform-specific giveaway, you can use a unique hashtag to track campaign activity.
Event Hashtags
As a company or business owner, you can use these hashtags to contribute to the conversation about a specific event or industry conference, like #SXSW2024 or #CES2024.
How Brands Are Using Hashtags in 2024 [Data]
The HubSpot Blog analyzed over 37 million Instagram posts to understand Instagram engagement. Here’s what I found:
Many of the most engaging hashtags were Reels or video-related.
Mid-sized hashtags that pull up 10k-200k posts often get better engagement.
Hashtags, Explore, and Profile are the top Instagram impression sources.
62% of marketers use four to nine hashtags in an Instagram feed post.
Instagram users add an average of seven hashtags to each post.
Only 1% of marketers use all 30 hashtags.
Posts with 11 or more hashtags perform best, followed by posts with four or fewer hashtags.
82% of marketers use hashtags as part of their Instagram strategy.
85% of marketers have a documented hashtag strategy for Instagram.
52% of social media marketers use hashtags and relevant keywords to optimize their social media accounts for search.
Marketers who use hashtags on Instagram are 23% more likely to say Instagram marketing was effective for their brand last year.
30% of marketers with a documented hashtag strategy say it’s effective.
In my experience working with brands on social media, these stats align with what I’ve seen drive the best results.
The key is being strategic and tailoring hashtags to your specific content, audience, and goals rather than taking a scattershot approach.
When you hone in on the right mix of hashtags, you can dramatically increase the visibility and impact of your Instagram content.
Best Instagram Hashtags
For practical use and inspiration, I’ve packed this post with hundreds of interesting and useful Instagram hashtags you can use to grow your audience.
These are the most popular hashtags by volume. They’re important to know because each hashtag below grabs the volume of shares.
But while these hashtags draw a big audience, you might want to limit your use of the hashtags below because getting engagement from a targeted audience with this much competition is tough.
#love (2.1B posts)
#instagood (1.7B posts)
#fashion (1.1B posts)
#instagram (1.1B posts)
#photooftheday (1B posts)
#art (1B posts)
#photography (1B posts)
#beautiful (828M posts)
#nature (790M posts)
#picoftheday (723M posts)
#travel (706M posts)
#happy (702M posts)
#cute (668M posts)
#instadaily (647M posts)
#style (646M posts)
#tbt (584M posts)
#repost (559M posts)
#followme (557M posts)
#summer (555M posts)
#reels (538M posts)
#like4like (516M posts)
#beauty (532M posts)
#fitness (524M posts)
#food (511M posts)
#instalike (508M posts)
#explore (506M posts)
#photo (493M posts)
#me (455M posts)
#selfie (452M posts)
#music (445M posts)
#viral (442M posts)
#friends (440M posts)
#life (440M posts)
#fun (435M posts)
#smile (437M posts)
#family (437M posts)
#ootd (429M posts)
#girl (427M posts)
#makeup (397M posts)
#likeforlikes (390M posts)
#dog (369M posts)
#model (361M posts)
#design (357M posts)
#motivation (357M posts)
#handmade (349M posts)
#lifestyle (347M posts)
#likeforlike (328M posts)
#sunset (325M posts)
#artist (319M posts)
#dogsofinstagram (309M posts)
#foodporn (302M posts)
#followforfollowback (297M posts)
#beach (296M posts)
#drawing (288M posts)
#amazing (287M posts)
#nofilter (285M posts)
#cat (284M posts)
#instamood (281M posts)
#igers (277M posts)
#일상 (273M posts)
#sun (271M posts)
#flowers (262M posts)
#sky (261M posts)
#gym (258M posts)
#wedding (258M posts)
#moda (256M posts)
#photographer (254M posts)
#follow4follow (249M posts)
#hair (244M posts)
#foodie (244M posts)
#inspiration (241M posts)
#funny (239M posts)
#instafood (238M posts)
#memes (236M posts)
#baby (234M posts)
#naturephotography (234M posts)
#l4l (222M posts)
#nails (221M posts)
#f4f (219M posts)
#likeforfollow (218M posts)
#workout (218M posts)
#followforfollow (212M posts)
#illustration (212M posts)
#home (211M posts)
#instapic (207M posts)
#yummy (201M posts)
#vsco (200M posts)
#bestoftheday (200M posts)
#landscape (199M posts)
#catsofinstagram (199M posts)
#vscocam (195M posts)
#puppy (195M posts)
#fit (193M posts)
#party (193M posts)
#tagsforlikes (191M posts)
#girls (190M posts)
#tattoo (189M posts)
#healthy (189M posts)
#instafashion (187M posts)
#blackandwhite (184M posts)
#architecture (183M posts)
#pretty (179M posts)
#happiness (178M posts)
#japan (168M posts)
#lol (167M posts)
#cool (166M posts)
#weekend (159M posts)
#work (148M posts)
#night (145M posts)
Best Instagram Hashtags for Reels
The above hashtags might be the definition of popular Instagram hashtags, but there are still plenty more that you can use to help new users discover your account.
The following hashtags can draw people to your captivating Reels, Stories, and videos:
#reelsinstagram
#reelitfeelit
#igreels
#trendingreels
#instareels
#reelvideo
#reelsvideo
#reelsviral
#funnyreels
#birthdayreels
#stories
#instastory
#storiesinstagram
#instagramstories
#littlestoriesofmylife
#video
#reelvideo
Best Instagram Hashtags for Likes and Followers
Interested in building a fast list of followers on Instagram?
Check out these hashtags to find everything from selfies to photos of food to pet pictures to vacation shots. They signal that you’re on Instagram and have something worth sharing.
Users who browse the hashtags are looking to grow their follower base on Instagram, too. Using these hashtags tells users you‘ll engage if they do.
And in my experience, Instagrammers don’t just use these hashtags to connect with each other. They also use them to gain visibility in IG’s Explore section or on popular accounts like @instagood.
#instagramers
#instagramer
#instagramanet
#instagramdogs
#instagramjapan
#instagramcats
#instalove
#instamood
#comment
#shoutout
#follow
#f4f
#followme
#followforfollow
#follow4follow
#teamfollowback
#followbackteam
#followall
#followalways
#followback
#liker
#likes
#l4l
#likes4likes
#likesforlikes
#liketeam
#likeback
#likeall
#likealways
#pleasefollow
#follows
#follower
#following
#instalife
#instalike
#instapic
#insta
#instacool
#instafollow
#instamoment
Best Instagram Hashtags for Companies
Most brands have one or more hashtags they use to connect.
If your business is new to Instagram, I suggest creating a list of popular community and industry influencers, then checking out their posts and hashtags.
Most industry hashtags are simple and easy to remember.
These examples may seem a little on the nose, but they bring millions of eyes to posts with these Instagram hashtags:
#manufacturing
#manufacturer
#brand
#brandidentity
#business
#construction
#career
#transport
#transportation
#clothingbrand
#finance
#accounting
#data
#wfh
#commuter
#coworkers
#corporate
Companies can also get a boost with inspiring quotes and messaging to help people start the week off right.
On Instagram, the #motivation hashtag has come to caption anything from a photo of a user after a big gym session, to a computer screen right before he or she gets to work.
So these hashtags are great for companies, too:
#motivationalquotes
#motivational
#motivationmonday
#motivationalquote
#MotivationalSpeaker
#motivationalmonday
#motivations
#motivationquotes
#lovewhatyoudo
As you choose Instagram hashtags for your company, I recommend you look at the most popular posts for each hashtag, especially words with more than one meaning.
For example, if you’re posting for a company that trains plumbers, the hashtag “training” sounds like a natural fit. But if you look at posts with this hashtag, most of the posts are from people in fitness, so you’re less likely to grow your audience with that hashtag.
Top Instagram Hashtags for Individuals
Instagram users build their photo galleries on good feelings. It’s a place for individuals to shine with an amazing getaway, a new hairstyle, or a breath-taking moment.
Sharing that sunshine with others is sometimes the best way to feel good, whether you‘re using #tbt to share an old photo or #cute to record your pet’s latest antics.
Individual Insta hashtags are all about the vibe or emotion your post elicits.
Pretty scenery, a day at the beach, or a night out with good people are all great occasions for a hashtag.
So get started tagging your personal posts. Your followers will love it, and you’re almost guaranteed dozens of heart emojis in your comments.
#lovely
#loveit
#loveyourself
#lovelife
#loveislove
#lovemylife
#beautifulday
#beautifulview
#beautifulplace
#beautifulplaces
#beautifulnature
#happyday
#happylife
#happyfriday
#happyhour
#happyme
#happymonday
#happytime
#happydays
#happydog
#happyplace
#cutedog
#cutebaby
#cuteness
#cuteanimals
#cutecat
#cutepetclub
#cutenessoverload
#cutedogs
#cutecouple
#cutepuppy
#cutest
#throwbackthursday
#tbthursday
#tbtphoto
#me
#selfies
#selfietime
#selfiesunday
#selfiegram
#selfielove
#selfieaddict
#selfiesaturday
#selfiemania
#instalife
#insta
#instacool
#lifestyle
#lovelife
#luxurylifestyle
#lifeisgood
#lifestyleblogger
#lifequotes
#loveofmylife
#luxurylife
#lifeofadventure
#funny
#lol
#lmao
#hilarious
#laugh
#laughing
#friends
#wacky
#crazy
#silly
#witty
#instahappy
#joke
#jokes
#dogstagram
#dogsofinsta
#dogsofig
#dogsitting
#doglife
#dogoftheday
#amazingview
#amazingfood
#amazingplaces
Pro tip: When using hashtags as an individual on Instagram, I find it most effective to combine a mix of popular, general hashtags to boost visibility, along with more niche, targeted hashtags that resonate with my specific community and content themes.
It’s all about experimenting to find the right balance for your unique personality, interests, and goals on the platform.
Best Fitness Instagram Hashtags
Get in on a trending community of workout warriors with photos and videos from your best exercise sessions.
Use these fitness hashtags to share the moment:
#fitnessmotivation
#workout
#bodybuilding
#instagramfitness
#fitnessmodel
#fitnessaddict
#gymlife
#nopainnogain
#fitnessreel
#fitnessjourney
#fitnesslife
#fitnesslifestyle
#fitnessgoals
#runnersofinstagram
#fitnessfreak
#strongwomen
#fitnessfood
#foodisfuel
#fitnessgear
#gymfit
#fitnessinspiration
#training
#healthylifestyle
Best Creative Instagram Hashtags
Artists of all kinds have always flocked to Instagram. These hashtags hold pictures or process videos of creative outputs from makers of all kinds.
Whether you’re creating handmade wares, clothing, or music, these hashtags are some of the most popular on the ‘Gram.
#artwork
#instaart
#streetart
#digitalart
#artofvisuals
#artistsoninstagram
#artoftheday
#artsy
#artistic
#arts
#artgallery
#modernart
#handmadejewelry
#handmadewithlove
#handmadeisbetter
#handmadefont
#handmadegifts
#handmadejewellery
#handmadeshoes
#handmadesoap
#handmadeaccessories
#musica
#musician
#musically
#musicvideo
#musical
#musicians
#musicislife
#musicproducer
#musiclife
#musiclover
#musicfestival
#musicphotography
#musicproduction
Best Fashion Instagram Hashtags
People often turn to Instagram to see what styles are “in,” looking at posts ranging from fashion week to everyday outfit inspirations. It means that a lot of the content on Instagram revolves around fashion.
In fact, there are over one billion #fashion posts on Instagram.
Whether you’re hashtagging images of celebrities, luxury brands, clothes, or makeup, Instagram users who want to add a little glamor to their lives will find you.
#fashionblogger
#fashionista
#fashionable
#fashionstyle
#fashionblog
#fashiongram
#fashionaddict
#fashionweek
#fashiondiaries
#styleinspo
#styleblogger
#styleinspiration
#styleoftheday
#stylefashion
#stylegoals
#stylediary
#stylegram
#styleguide
#styleblog
#beautyblog
#beautycare
#beautytips
#beautyaddict
#beautysalon
#beautybloggers
#beautyqueen
#beautyguru
#beautyproducts
#beautyofnature
#beautygram
Best Travel Instagram Hashtags
Whether you’re a professional digital nomad or taking a quick weekend vacation, use hashtags to take your followers with you.
Seasonal hashtags are great hashtags for travelers, too. For example, summertime hashtags are full of Instagram users enjoying hours on the beach or showing off breezy outfits.
Instagram offers so many different filters to enhance photos that it‘s practically assumed that any picture on Instagram has been edited.
But if you’re using Instagram to lure travelers to your destination, you want to let the world know that your posts don’t need a filter to look fabulous.
Check out these travel hashtags for more ideas:
#travelgram
#instatravel
#travelphotography
#traveling
#travelling
#travelblogger
#traveler
#traveller
#roamtheplanet
#travelingram
#traveltheworld
#travelblog
#travels
#traveladdict
#wanderlust
#traveldeeper
#travelmore
#summer
#summertime
#summervibes
#summerfun
#summernights
#summerdays
#summerstyle
#summerfashion
#summerday
#nofilterneeded
#nofilters
Best Photography Instagram Hashtags
I think Instagram is unique because you‘ll see National Geographic and professional photos next to amateur photographers as you scroll. That’s why photography hashtags are so important.
To generate likes, comments, and followers, you might post daily content around a common theme or offer a glimpse of your every day.
Another way to stand out is to use hashtags that connect to your favorite subject matter, like #naturelovers or #portraitphotography.
I recommend you use photo hashtags like the ones below to make your place among the most noteworthy images on the platform.
#naturephotography
#streetphotography
#portraitphotography
#landscapephotography
#weddingphotography
#blackandwhitephotography
#photooftheday
#potd
#picoftheday
#photographyeveryday
#photographyoftheday
#bestoftheday
#instadaily
#instaphoto
#instapic
#nature
#naturelovers
#naturelover
#nature_perfection
#naturegram
#nature_brilliance
#natureaddict
#nature_shooters
#naturephoto
#naturelove
#sunsets
#sunsetlovers
#sunsetlover
#sunsetsky
#sunsetphotography
#sunsetbeach
#sunsethunter
#sunsetmadness
Best Food Instagram Hashtags
Who’s hungry?
As someone who loves to both cook and dine out, I know that meal pics are the bread and butter (no pun intended) of a people-oriented Instagram account.
Food hashtags are brimming with mouthwatering posts of desserts, pizza, recipe video content, and so much more.
These popular tags go with food pictures that are gorgeous, creative, and worthy of Instagram. Use food hashtags to caption your next delicious Instagram Reel or photo and post your next colorful and sumptuous dish!
#foodstagram
#foodgasm
#foodphotography
#foodiesofinstagram
#yummy
#foodblogger
#eathealthy
#eatlocal
#foodlover
#foodpics
#delicious
#instafood
#healthyfood
#foodpic
#foodies
Top Trending Instagram Hashtags
Head to “Search” on the Instagram app for the latest trending hashtags. Below the search bar, there’s a horizontal scrolling list of current trending topics, such as fall nail design, fantasy football, or penguin dance.
Clicking into this trending content will reveal the hashtags that top accounts use for these topics.
You can also look to trendsetters in your industry or niche for trending hashtags.
For example, HubSpot’s Instagram Engagement report includes a list of the top 50 Instagram accounts by followers.
Trending hashtags these influencers are using include:
#playeverymoment
#hardestworkersintheroom
#NoPrideNoSport
#exploretogether
#comingsoon
#familyreunion
#healthiswealth
#thisismenow
#buildabiggertable
#foreverclassic
A glance at these accounts also shows mentions growing in popularity, where an influencer names other influencers, collaborators, or brands in their Instagram content. You can use HubSpot’s social media management software to track mentions, monitor keywords, and more.
Niche Hashtags
Think about hashtag selection the same way you approach SEO for your blog.
Choose hashtags that support the themes and community that you want to connect with in your post.
Doing this will help you find hashtags that support your current audience while also helping new people discover your content. Check out this post for more details if you’re new to Instagram SEO.
#retro
#nostalgia
#poemoftheday
#trustyourjourney
#mindsetchange
#lifeinthedreamhouse
#goldenera
#icon
#usopen2024
#familytime
#mathmemes
#halloweendecorations
#trusttheprocess
To find the right niche hashtags for your content, go from big to small in your search. For example, say you’re creating a video game inspired by Fortnite.
Start with broad hashtags like #videogames #videogame #videogamecollector #videogameart. Then, narrow to hashtags in your niche, like #horrorgame, #horrowgameplay, #fortnitecommunity.
Finally, narrow into the specific topic of your post, look at other accounts in your niche, and check out the hashtags they’re using, like #upcominggames or #horrowgamesmonth.
User-Generated Hashtags
User-generated Instagram posts are some of the most powerful content there is — just ask Beyonce’s #beyhive.
You may already have a campaign, brand awareness, and brand loyalty hashtags, but there are a few more ways you can use hashtags to find and promote content from your users.
Reposting is a common function on Instagram that lets you share content from other users, with credit back to the original user.
You can also use hashtags to tell followers on Instagram that a photo or video inspired you. I think funny, Instagram-worthy memes are a great way to add to user conversations. Try these hashtags to share or repost user-generated content:
#reposted
#reposter
#meme
#dankmemes
#funnymemes
#memesdaily
#edgymemes
#dailymemes
#spicymemes
#memestagram
#memes😂
#memepage
#memelord
Emerging Hashtags
New hashtags are created every day, and staying on top of what’s new before it becomes oversaturated can help you reach more people with your content.
Based on our research, here are some emerging Instagram hashtags to consider using:
#2024
#brandpartnerships
#2024trends
#2024predictions
#igreelstips
#explorepages
#genzmarketing
#2024goals
#2024socialgoals
#aiartcommunity
#trendingsound
#engagementtips
#instagramnews
Top B2B Hashtags
If you manage an Instagram account for a company that sells products and services to other businesses, consider including these hashtags in your B2B marketing strategy.
#entrepreneur
#success
#onlineshop
#smallbusiness
#marketing
#branding
#digital
#marketingdigital
#innovation
#ecommerce
#onlinemarketing
#retail
#contentmarketing
#marketingstrategy
#software
#inboundsales
#b2bmarketing
#b2bevents
#b2bmarketplace
#b2bleadgeneration
#b2bsales
#b2bbusiness
#b2bleads
#b2bemailmarketing
#marketingtips
#marketingstrategy
#startups
#management
#businesstips
#instagramforbusiness
#instagramstrategies
Top B2C Hashtags
Does your company sell directly to consumers? If so, the best hashtags for an Instagram post may vary depending on your target audience.
Social media marketing isn’t an exact science, but in my experience, the more engaged your audience is, the better your chances of strong ROI.
Here is a list of B2C hashtags that could be effective for B2C businesses:
#b2c
#b2cmarketing
#b2csales
#onlineshopping
#smallbusiness
#online
#marketing
#marketingdigital
#socialmedia
#startup
#digitalmarketing
#sales
#socialmediamarketing
#advertising
#networking
#ecommerce
#onlinebusiness
#onlinemarketing
#smallbiz
#startuplife
#company
#contentmarketing
#socialmediatips
#instahacks
#ugc
#acolorstory
Hashtags to Retire
It‘s important to routinely change up and audit the hashtags you’re using to help make sure they stay on-brand and effective. Hashtags to retire are oversaturated with content or shadowbanned and could hurt your content reach.
#adulting
#beautyblogger
#dating
#dm
#humpday
#iphonegraphy
#lean
#mustfollow
#killingit
#desk
#mirrorphoto
#instasport
#direct
#always
#snapchat
#workflow
#kickoff
#brain
#tags4likes
#thought
#valentinesday
Best Practices for Using Hashtags on Instagram
Using hashtags on Instagram is relatively simple, but you should adhere to a few rules to get the most out of your hashtagging.
I’ve compiled best practices under the following frequently asked questions.
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Thirty hashtags are the maximum number you can use.
According to HubSpot research, the average is seven, with only 1% of Instagram accounts using all 30 hashtags. You can use more or less depending on your Instagram marketing goals.
More doesn’t necessarily mean better. Instagram recommends users include no more than three to five hashtags per post.
Should I add hashtags to every Instagram post?
Yes! Absolutely, you should.
I suggest you try to choose hashtags that are as short or as niche as possible.
The less volume of posts a hashtag has, the more likely you’ll be seen by people who follow them. Plus, if the subject matter is highly specific, people are more likely to engage with your post.
All of my posts are similar. Can I use the same hashtags over and over again?
No. Instagram’s algorithm may penalize you for consistently using the same hashtags, pushing your posts down so they don’t show up for those tags.
Even more, they might ban your account, because using identical hashtags could make it look like you’re spamming users — or worse — like an Instagram bot.
I recommend rotating your hashtags to be highly relevant to each post, even if the posts are similar.
Let’s say that you own a handmade pasta business. If you always use the hashtag #spaghetti but post photos of linguini, macaroni, and penne, Instagram may flag your account, and users won’t engage.
Can I hide the hashtags in a comment?
Absolutely. You can hide your hashtags in a comment. Instagram doesn’t distinguish between caption hashtags and comment hashtags.
Simply write your caption as you would. After that, navigate to the published post and leave a comment with your hashtags. They’ll be hidden completely until users navigate to the comment section.
How do I hide hashtags in the caption?
Don’t want to post the hashtags in a comment? No worries.
You can hide the hashtags in the caption by either 1) writing a caption that’s more than three lines long or 2) adding three to five line breaks with a punctuation mark.
To add a line break, place the text cursor at the end of your caption and hit Return. Don’t forget to add either a period, a dash, an asterisk, or a tilde to ensure that the line stays there.
(If there’s no punctuation, Instagram may treat it as accidental extra space, and delete those line breaks upon publication.)
Are there any hashtags I should avoid using?
Yes. Instagram maintains a list of banned hashtags. However, they don’t publish this list, and there’s no authoritative source.
Some are intuitive, such as NSFW and self-harm hashtags, while others, such as #pushups and #mustfollow, aren’t as self-evident. If you have any doubts about your hashtags, be sure to look them up using the app’s Search function.
If it doesn’t show up, it’s banned. If it does show up, navigate to the hashtag feed and check for a message like this:
If your prospective hashtag doesn’t have a message like this, you’re all good to go.
Pro tip: Regularly monitor your hashtag performance using Instagram Insights or third-party analytics tools. This will help you identify which hashtags are driving the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new hashtags to keep your content fresh and optimized.
1. Keep your hashtags organized.
You can use Excel or an Instagram analytics tool to create an efficient hashtag system. If you choose an Excel sheet, you‘ll need to manually keep track of which hashtags you use, how often, and which ones correlate to your most popular posts.
Over time, you’ll see relationships between certain hashtags and your most popular posts, which can help you decide which hashtags work best for your brand.
If you have a more advanced social media team, I recommend considering a tool like HubSpot Social Media Management, Meltwater, or Iconosquare. These tools store top hashtags and offer reports on which hashtags reach the most people.
Krystal Wu says, “An Excel sheet is the best way to start for smaller businesses with limited budgets. Once you get more advanced, I highly recommend using a tool to track the data. A manual system can get overwhelming when you post three times a day and use about 20 hashtags per post.”
This free social media scheduling template is a quick way to organize your hashtags.
2. Figure out your magic number.
Most top brands use seven or fewer hashtags per post, so it‘s easy to assume that’s the magic number for everyone … right?
Krystal explains that this isn’t always the case: She told me HubSpot has been more successful with hashtags ranging in the low 20s. Recent HubSpot research says that posts with 11 or more hashtags are the top performers.
The point is, you can’t know how many hashtags work best for you until you start testing. For HubSpot, it took the team several months to find a number that worked best, and during the trial period, they ranged from seven to 30. Give yourself the same flexibility for trial and error.
3. Narrow your hashtags.
There are two big reasons more specific, smaller-volume hashtags are better for your brand: First, you can compete in a smaller pool.
HubSpot, for example, doesn‘t typically use the hashtag #marketing because it’s too broad. If you search #marketing, you’ll find pictures of restaurants, inspirational quotes, before-and-after hairstyle pictures, and memes.
The randomness of #marketing leads me to the second reason specific hashtags are a good idea — as a user, I‘m more likely to find what I need if I search for something specific, and when your business comes up for my specific search request, I’m more likely to be happy with what I found.
Krystal explains: “Keeping a hashtag close to the interests of your brand really helps. We try to use hashtags tailored for a specific topic and then narrow it down further — for instance, we’d use #SEOTips if our marketing post was mostly about SEO.”
Think of it this way: #dogs is more popular, but it has a wide demographic. If I search #goldenretrieverpuppies and I find your post, I‘m more likely to engage with it because it’s exactly what I’m looking for.
4. Research what other people are hashtagging.
An easy way to generate hashtag ideas, I’ve found, is to list your followers or competitors and research what they’re hashtagging on their photos.
It can also be particularly helpful to research what influencers in your industry are hashtagging — by definition, influencers are people with a large social media following, so they must be doing something right.
5. Test out related hashtags.
When you type a hashtag into Instagram’s search bar, Instagram shows you related hashtags in the scroll-down menu.
Instagram also delivers related hashtags on the next page after you click on a hashtag, which is a simple way to create a longer list of hashtags.
6. Follow your own hashtag.
Another way to use Instagram hashtags for marketing is to follow your own hashtag. Krystal explains, “On Instagram, I actually follow the hashtag #hubspot so I can find anyone who talks about us and connect with them. As long as your account isn’t private, people can find you via the hashtag.”
Following your hashtag is an effective way to engage with others, talking about your brand and developing better relationships with them.
7. Create a brand campaign hashtag.
I think this is the trickiest item on the list, but it can pay off big time if done successfully. Some businesses have successfully attracted followers by creating their own campaign hashtags. To work, a campaign hashtag needs to be funny, clever, or at least memorable.
Campaign hashtags are particularly useful for promoting a new product or upcoming event or even just inspiring people. Red Bull, for example, encouraged followers to post Red Bull pictures with a #putacanonit hashtag (see what I mean about clever?).
Lululemon, rather than running a more traditional ad campaign, developed a positive connotation for their brand by asking followers to post real, active pictures of themselves with a #sweatlife hashtag.
Now that we‘ve covered the importance of using Instagram hashtags for your business, you might be wondering how to search for Instagram hashtags within the app, or how to use the search function to find related ideas. If you’re unsure of the technical process for hashtag searching, here’s how:
How to Search Hashtags on Instagram
To search hashtags on Instagram, tap the magnifying glass at the bottom of your screen, then tap the search bar at the top. Selecting the “Tags” option will enable you to search hashtags and related hashtags based on their popularity.
1. Open Instagram and tap the search icon.
Instagram wants you to use hashtags, making it extremely easy to find the right ones for your post. To start, open the Instagram app on your mobile device and tap the magnifying glass at the bottom of your screen.
2. Tap the search bar at the top of your screen.
The search screen on your Instagram might first send you to a news feed style page (the Explore page) with suggested content based on topics you’ve demonstrated an interest in on social media.
To switch to a hashtag search, tap the search bar at the top of this page, as shown in the screenshot above.
3. Tap “Tags.”
Once you’ve tapped the search bar at the top of your screen, Instagram will give you four options to filter your search.
Instagram refers to hashtags as simply “Tags,” as shown in the screenshot below. Tap this “Tags” option, then tap the search bar above it, and begin searching topics for which you want to find a trending hashtag.
You don‘t have to include the pound sign (#) in your search — your results will be the same with or without it — but you’ll need to use this pound sign in your photo’s caption once you choose a hashtag.
4. Browse hashtags based on post count and current content.
Voila! You should see multiple options for hashtags based on your search.
Browse around at each related hashtag that Instagram suggests for you — you might find that a hashtag with slightly fewer posts includes photos or videos that align with the content you’re posting.
After finding the most relevant hashtags for your account, you’ll be sure to create a winning hashtag strategy.
Use Hashtags on Instagram to Gain More Followers
Using hashtags is a critical part of a strong Instagram marketing strategy.
I learned to tailor them to my content, audience, and goals, using a mix of high-volume, niche, trending, and branded hashtags for maximum reach and engagement.
Continually testing and optimizing my approach over time proved invaluable.
Putting these insights into practice helped me gain more followers this year. Constant experimentation and refinement with my hashtag usage really paid off.
Happy hashtagging!
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
