Instagram hashtags are still one of the most effective ways to get more eyes (and engagement!) on your Instagram posts. Think of these as keywords to help locate your business. (Psst..I am offering a special hashtag service below)
1. How Do Instagram Hashtags Work? Instagram hashtags serve the purpose of labeling and categorizing your content, which in turn assists Instagram in presenting your posts to users who are likely to find them relevant. Essentially, the hashtags you include contribute to the search results on the Instagram Explore page.
Hashtags have long been a topic of discussion, particularly after Instagram advised utilizing only 3-5 hashtags. (more on this below) Despite this, using relevant and focused hashtags (along with keywords) in posts and Reels remains a prime method to reach untapped audiences on Instagram.
Using the “right” hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t connected with you before. This can translate into more engagement, more followers and more customers for your brand or business.
Hashtags also have plenty of other uses beyond improving your discoverability. You can use them for community-building, sourcing user-generated content (UGC), running campaigns, and more.
2. How Many Instagram Hashtags Should You Use On Your Posts? As I mentioned above, Instagram advised creators to use between 3-5 hashtags on their posts, despite allowing up to 30. Later.com put this to the test. Later analyzed 18M+ Instagram feed posts to see how the number of hashtags impacts reach.
The result? They found that using more hashtags typically yields the best results — with 20 hashtags receiving the highest average reach rate. Using 20 relevant hashtags to the theme of your content as much as you can is key.
3. How To Find The Right Hashtags: When searching for optimal hashtags, the volume of posts is a crucial factor to consider as well as the number of active followers you have.
If a hashtag has been used in millions of posts, there’s a high probability that your post will get lost among the multitude of content. Especially if you are a new account. On the other hand, if a hashtag has less than a hundred posts, it’s a hashtag not many are using and would not be relevant to use. To strike a balance, target hashtags with a post range between 10K-200K for better visibility. To assess a hashtag’s post volume, utilize Instagram’s tag search tool on the Explore Page.
Below is an example of how I helped a client gain visibility on the Explore page by using researched and targeted hashtags.
On the left, the circled number shows how many times this post appeared in the Explore page thanks to my strategic hashtag approach—an increase of 178%. On the right is a post without a hashtag strategy.
3. Do I Use The Same Hashtags Across All Channels?: No, you shouldn’t use the exact same hashtags across all social channels. Different platforms have distinct audiences, trends, and hashtag best practices.
Contact me to learn more about adding a hashtag strategy to your marketing plan. Right now I am offering a hashtag special. I will provide a hashtag strategy for $250!
Ready to take your Social Media to the next level? Contact me today.