Mastering Instagram Hashtags: A Complete Guide for Publishers
One of the cheapest, most effective, and straightforward ways to promote your content on Instagram is by using hashtags.
Hashtags attract more eyes and more engagement to your content. Without them, your posts remain hard to search for and less likely to appear on the Explore page.
This guide covers everything you need to know about using Instagram hashtags to promote your content––why you should use them, how they work, which hashtags to use, and much more.
Publishers should use hashtags on Instagram to expand the reach of their content, especially among users unfamiliar with their brand, product, or service.
When users discover your content through relevant hashtags, they’re more likely to engage by liking, commenting, and sharing, which tells the algorithm to push your content in front of more people.
Overall, if you want to grow your content’s visibility, boost engagement, connect with industry influencers, or gather user-generated content, hashtags are the most effective tool to use.
Hashtags do work on Instagram, and they work very well!
Let’s look at some key statistics:
- Instagram posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement than those without hashtags.
- Adding at least one hashtag boosts the average engagement rate to 1.03%, compared to 0.79% for posts without hashtags.
- Hashtags are especially effective for smaller accounts. Accounts with fewer than 5,000 followers can see a 36% increase in reach per post by using relevant hashtags. Some posts even experience up to a 70% increase in reach with hashtags.
To add a hashtag to an Instagram post, type the “#” symbol before a word or phrase (with no spaces) in your post caption or comments.
Pro tip: Make sure to think about the audience you’re trying to reach before writing a hashtag. Instagram hashtags label and categorize the content you post, helping Instagram understand who to show your content. Simply put, the hashtags you use influence the visibility of your posts on Instagram’s Explore page, so it’s important to understand who you’re targeting.
You can add up to 30 hashtags per Instagram post. However, Instagram suggests using just 3–5 hashtags per post, likely because fewer tags make it easier for Instagram’s algorithm to categorize content accurately for the Explore page and Reels tab, and to target it to the right audience.
On the other hand, research by the social media management platform Later suggests that using more hashtags can yield better results. Around 20 hashtags per post seems to be the sweet spot for maximum reach.
The key is to focus on high-quality, highly relevant hashtags for your audience. Using 5–10 targeted hashtags will perform better than 30 broad, less relevant ones.
How to track Instagram hashtag performance
If you’re already using hashtags but unsure if they’re effective, there are some simple ways you can measure their performance.
Start by identifying the hashtags you want to track and monitoring which ones you’re using on your posts. Then, analyze performance metrics like reach, engagement, and the number of likes, shares, or comments each post receives. Tools like Later, Sprout Social, and Brand24 can also help you dive deeper into hashtag analytics.
Over time, you’ll notice certain hashtags drive more impact than others. Just like with other forms of marketing, you can test different hashtags for the best results.
With thousands of possible hashtags on Instagram, it can be challenging to know where to start! The most popular daily hashtags, like #love, #happy, or #amazing, rarely change. While these broad hashtags are widely used, they may not be the most effective for reaching your specific audience.
Top hashtags on Instagram, October 28th, 2024 Source: https://inflact.com/tools/instagram-top-hashtags/
Instead, try using tools like Inflact to find more targeted and relevant hashtags for your content. For example, if you’re creating content around gaming, using specific hashtags related to popular games will attract a more engaged audience than broad tags like #amazing.
In the screenshot below, a search for “Fortnite” on Inflact shows a range of hashtags—categorized by popularity—that are tailored to gaming content. This can help you connect with audiences specifically interested in “Fortnite” rather than a general gaming audience.
Just as there are recommended hashtags to use on Instagram, there are also banned hashtags. These are tags that have been flagged or reported by the Instagram community for various reasons.
One common reason is that the hashtag is associated with inappropriate content, violating Instagram’s community guidelines. Another reason is that certain hashtags are frequently used by bots or spammers, leading Instagram to flag them as spam.
Using banned hashtags can put your account at risk. Instagram might flag your account as a spammer or for violating community guidelines, which could lead to a “shadowban.” This temporary restriction limits your account’s reach and engagement, sometimes to near zero. If you notice a sudden drop in engagement, you might be experiencing a shadowban.
To avoid this, you can check if a hashtag is banned by using tools like MetaHashtags. These tools are regularly updated to help you avoid banned hashtags and maintain a healthy reach on Instagram.
The right mix of popular, niche, and branded hashtags can help you reach new audiences, engage more meaningfully with followers, and make your posts discoverable. But don’t just add any hashtag—make sure each one is relevant, track your performance, and avoid banned hashtags that could risk a shadowban.
Experiment with different hashtags and adjust your strategy as you go. Over time, you’ll see your Instagram account grow with a highly engaged audience who loves what you share.
