601 Most Popular Instagram Hashtags in 2023 [+ Trends & Data]

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.

Here's the thing, though: 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.

While it can be hard to choose the right hashtags on Instagram, you don’t have to guess. Aside from this article, we’ve put together an ultimate course on using Instagram for marketing. In this course, we’ll teach you to not just attract followers, but to attract the right followers.

First, let’s go over Instagram hashtags specifically — and why they’re so important for your Instagram marketing strategy. We’ll also cover the following topics:

• How Brands Are Using Hashtags in 2023 [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. This volume makes it tough for Instagram to efficiently deliver the right content to the right people. Hashtags help your post get discovered by viewers most interested in seeing it. This makes 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. We'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."

Essentially, 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 group of hashtags for your posts, take a look at the most common ones you can use and their categorizations.

Branded Hashtags

Branded hashtags help you build a community specifically around your brand or business. This can be a slogan. It can also be the name of a specific product that you offer or even your business name.

Product or Service Hashtags

Companies use product hashtags for posts related to their product and service offerings. This will usually be general, such as #hairsalon or #knitwear. You may also want to use more niche product 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 takes 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.

Image Source

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 keep track of activity relating to the campaign.

Event Hashtags

As a company or business owner, you can use these hashtags to add to the conversation relating to a specific event or industry conference, like #SXSW2023 or #CES2023.

How Brands Are Using Hashtags in 2023 [Data]

The HubSpot Blog analyzed over 37 million Instagram posts to understand Instagram engagement in 2023. Here's what we found:

• Reels or videos got a mention in over half of 2022’s top hashtags.
• Mid-sized hashtags, those that pull up 10k-200k posts often get the best engagement.
• Hashtags, Explore, and Profile are the top Instagram impression sources.
• 62% of marketers use between four to nine hashtags in an Instagram feed post.
• Instagram users add an average of 7 hashtags to each post.
• Only 1% of marketers use all 30 hashtags.
• Posts with 11 or more hashtags have the best performance, 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.

Best Instagram Hashtags

For practical use and inspiration, this post is packed with hundreds of interesting and useful Instagram hashtags you can use to grow your audience.

Keep reading, or jump to the Instagram hashtags you’re most interested in:

• Top Instagram Hashtags
• Best Instagram Hashtags for Reels
• Best Instagram Hashtags for Likes and Followers
• Best Instagram Hashtags for Companies
• Top Instagram Hashtags for Individuals
• Best Fitness Instagram Hashtags
• Best Creative Instagram Hashtags
• Best Fashion Instagram Hashtags
• Best Travel Instagram Hashtags
• Best Photography Instagram Hashtags
• Best Food Instagram Hashtags
• Top Trending Instagram Hashtags
• Niche Hashtags
• User-Generated Hashtags
• Emerging Hashtags
• Top B2B Hashtags
• Top B2C Hashtags
• Hashtags to Retire

These are the most popular hashtags by volume. They’re important to know because of the volume of shares that each hashtag below grabs.

But while these hashtags draw a big audience, you might want to limit your use of the hashtags below because it’s tough to get engagement from a targeted audience with this much competition.

1. #love (2.1B posts).
2. #instagood (1.7B posts).
3. #fashion (1.1B posts).
4. #instagram (1.1B posts).
5. #photooftheday (1B posts).
6. #art (1B posts).
7. #photography (1B posts).
8. #beautiful (828M posts).
9. #nature (790M posts).
10. #picoftheday (723M posts)
11. #travel (706M posts).
12. #happy (702M posts).
13. #cute (668M posts).
14. #instadaily (647M posts).
15. #style (646M posts).
16. #tbt (584M posts).
17. #repost (559M posts).
18. #followme (557M posts).
19. #summer (555M posts).
20. #reels (538M posts).
21. #like4like (516M posts).
22. #beauty (532M posts).
23. #fitness (524M posts).
24. #food (511M posts).
25. #instalike (508M posts).
26. #explore (506M posts).
27. #photo (493M posts).
28. #me (455M posts).
29. #selfie (452M posts).
30. #music (445M posts).
31. #viral (442M posts).
32. #friends (440M posts).
33. #life (440M posts).
34. #fun (435M posts).
35. #smile (437M posts).
36. #family (437M posts).
37. #ootd (429M posts).
38. #girl (427M posts).
39. #makeup (397M posts).
40. #likeforlikes (390M posts).
41. #dog (369M posts).
42. #model (361M posts).
43. #design (357M posts).
44. #motivation (357M posts).
45. #handmade (349M posts).
46. #lifestyle (347M posts).
47. #likeforlike (328M posts).
48. #sunset (325M posts).
49. #artist (319M posts).
50. #dogsofinstagram (309M posts).
51. #foodporn (302M posts).
52. #followforfollowback (297M posts).
53. #beach (296M posts).
54. #drawing (288M posts).
55. #amazing (287M posts).
56. #nofilter (285M posts).
57. #cat (284M posts).
58. #instamood (281M posts).
59. #igers (277M posts).
60. #일상 (273M posts).
61. #sun (271M posts).
62. #flowers (262M posts).
63. #sky (261M posts).
64. #gym (258M posts).
65. #wedding (258M posts).
66. #moda (256M posts).
67. #photographer (254M posts).
68. #follow4follow (249M posts).
69. #hair (244M posts).
70. #foodie (244M posts).
71. #inspiration (241M posts).
72. #funny (239M posts).
73. #instafood (238M posts).
74. #memes (236M posts).
75. #baby (234M posts).
76. #naturephotography (234M posts).
77. #l4l (222M posts).
78. #nails (221M posts).
79. #f4f (219M posts).
80. #likeforfollow (218M posts).
81. #workout (218M posts).
82. #followforfollow (212M posts).
83. #illustration (212M posts).
84. #home (211M posts).
85. #instapic (207M posts).
86. #yummy (201M posts).
87. #vsco (200M posts).
88. #bestoftheday (200M posts).
89. #landscape (199M posts).
90. #catsofinstagram (199M posts).
91. #vscocam (195M posts).
92. #puppy (195M posts).
93. #fit (193M posts).
94. #party (193M posts).
95. #tagsforlikes (191M posts).
96. #girls (190M posts).
97. #tattoo (189M posts).
98. #healthy (189M posts).
99. #instafashion (187M posts).
100. #blackandwhite (184M posts).
101. #architecture (183M posts).
102. #pretty (179M posts).
103. #happiness (178M posts).
104. #japan (168M posts).
105. #lol (167M posts).
106. #cool (166M posts).
107. #weekend (159M posts).
108. #work (148M posts).
109. #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? Navigate to 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 that you 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 Instagrammers don't just use these hashtags to connect with each other. They also use hashtags 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, create a list of popular community and industry influencers, then check 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, be sure to 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.

And sometimes the best part of feeling good is sharing that sunshine with others. 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

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. This 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 glamour 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 help enhance photos, 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

Instagram is unique because you'll see National Geographic and professional photos next to amateur photographers as you scroll. This makes photography hashtags especially 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.

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? 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

For the latest trending hashtags, head to "Search" on the Instagram app. Below the search bar, there is a horizontal scrolling list of current trending topics, such as fall nails design, fantasy football, or penguin dance. Clicking into this trending content will reveal the hashtags that top accounts for these topics are using.

You can also look to trendsetters in your industry or niche for trending hashtags. For example, the 2023 Instagram Engagement report from HubSpot 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.

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
• #usopen2023
• #familytime
• #mathmemes
• #halloweendecorations
• #trusttheprocess

To find the best 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 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. 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 put your content in front of more people.

Based on our research, here are some emerging Instagram hashtags to consider using:

• #2023
• #brandpartnerships
• #2023trends
• #2024predictions
• #igreelstips
• #explorepages
• #genzmarketing
• #2023goals
• #2023socialgoals
• #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 the more engaged your audience is, the better chances you have for 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. This will help make sure they stay on-brand and effective. Hashtags to retire are those that are oversaturated with content or are 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 a relatively simple process, but you’ll want to adhere to a few rules to get the most out of your hashtagging.

We’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. In fact, 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.

Try to choose hashtags that are as narrow 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.

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Try rotating out your hashtags so that they’re highly relevant to that specific 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 will 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 3 to 5 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 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:

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If your prospective hashtag doesn’t have a message like this, you’re all good to go.

1. Keep your hashtags organized.

To create an efficient hashtag system, you can use Excel or an Instagram analytics tool. 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, and this can help you decide which hashtags work best for your brand.

If you have a more advanced social media team, you might want to consider a tool like HubSpot Social Media Management or Iconosquare. These tools store top hashtags and offer reports on which hashtags reach the most people.

For smaller businesses with limited budgets, Krystal Wu says, "An Excel sheet is the best way to start. Once you get more advanced I would highly recommend using a tool to track the data. A manual system can get overwhelming when you're posting three times a day and using about 20 hashtags per post."

This free social media scheduling template is a quick way to start organizing 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. And 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 our trial period, we 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 wanted.

4. Research what other people are hashtagging.

An easy way to generate hashtag ideas is to make a list of your followers or competitors and research what they're hashtagging on their own 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. This is a simple way to create a longer list of hashtags to try out.

6. Follow your own hashtag.

Another way to use Instagram hashtags for your marketing purposes 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 will be able to find you via the hashtag."

Following your own hashtag is an effective way to engage with other people talking about your brand and develop better relationships with them.

7. Create a brand campaign hashtag.

This is the trickiest item on the list, but if done successfully, it can pay off big time. Some businesses have successfully attracted followers by creating their own campaign hashtags. A campaign hashtag needs to be funny, clever, or at least memorable to work.

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 the popularity of each one.

1. Open Instagram and tap the search icon.

Instagram wants you to use hashtags and has made it extremely easy to find the perfect 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 newsfeed-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 with which 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 will need to use this pound sign in the caption of your photo 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 are more in line with the content you're posting.

After finding the best 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. With a little research and the right Instagram hashtags, you can increase your follower count and boost the number of leads coming from this popular social media platform. Happy hashtagging!

Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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