Instagram hashtags remain one of the most effective ways to increase the number of eyes (and participation!) to your Instagram posts by 2022.
But how do you apply hashtags on Instagram? How can you identify the most appropriate hashtags to use on the Instagram account? Which hashtags are trending right in the moment? And should they go into your caption or the comments?
We're answering these questions, and many more, in our ultimate overview of Instagram hashtags on Stack-writer.
Instagram hashtags are an essential method of categorizing and labelling your content. They can then aid in helping Instagram provide your content to users who are relevant.
With their most basic purpose, the hashtags you use fuel the search results on the Instagram Explore page:
But it doesn't stop there. Hashtags are also used to serve as reference points for the Instagram algorithm, meaning it can categorize your content and recommend the content to users that it believes is likely to be of interest.
Then... Do Hashtags still work On Instagram by 2022?
Hashtags have been at the center of debate, especially following Instagram's recent suggestion to use three hashtags (more on that later).
As Instagram slowly shifts toward semantic keyword search, it opens up the possibility of a whole new world for content discovery - which means that the words you use in your captions and the topics in your videos will become searchable, too.
In spite of these massive advancements, hashtags do still work on Instagram. In conjunction with a robust strategy for content, they could produce incredible results.
Are you ready to download the complete download on Instagram hashtags? Check out our YouTube video guide here:
Utilizing the most popular hashtags may not be the best way to gain more people to engage with your stories or posts since they're less likely be noticed.
The number of hashtags on Instagram Should You Use On Your Posts?
As we've already mentioned, Instagram recently recommended that creators should utilize between 3 and 5 hashtags in their posts, despite allowing up to 30 per post.
This is in contrast to everything we've previously heard about how hashtags work on Instagram however, based on their recent focus on keywords and SEO this is beginning to (kind kind of) seem to make sense.
Instagram is introducing more "suggested" content feeds - such as the Instagram Reels tab, for example. However, in order to offer suggested content that truly is considered to be a "good match," Instagram needs to be able to identify it with precision. it. The theory? Fewer hashtags = more accurate self categorization.
To test this hypothesis, Later looked at 18M+ Instagram feed posts looking at the hashtags that were used per post and average percentages of reach.
It is evident that more hashtags will yield greater results. The rate of reach increases by 11 percent (from 24 percent to 35%) when the number of hashtags increases from one to thirty.
To put it into perspective If you take a account that has 20K followers this is more than 2.2K accounts that are reached per post.
We even looked at whether this trend had changed in comparison to the year 2020, but the results were pretty constant.
So how many hashtags can you utilize on Instagram? For now it is the best way to growing your reach and engagement with Instagram content feeds. But, as Instagram launches more "suggested" streams of content focusing on less, hyper-relevant hashtags could be a tactic worth testing.
Before choosing hashtags to use for your posts, it's a good idea to think about the various types of hashtags you could use.
This will help make sure you've covered all bases by using your hashtag strategy.
There are five main kinds of hashtags to be considered:
Branded hashtags are used for special events or campaigns, for example #Later and #LaterCon.
There's no formula that can be used to determine how many of each hashtag you need to include But keeping the different types in mind can provide valuable inspiration and help guide your strategy.
Utilizing relevant, specific hashtags on your posts as well as stories is one of the best ways to be found by new followers on Instagram.
Utilizing using the "right" hashtags can put you right in front of your desired people, even if they've never interacted with you previously.
This will result in greater followers, more engagement, as well as more clients for your brand or company!
But this isn't all. Hashtags also have many uses beyond improving your discoverability. They can be used to aid in community-building, sourcing user-generated content (UGC) or conducting campaigns, analyzing your target market, and more.
That's why it's vital to have a clear and well-crafted hashtag strategywithout one you could miss out on opportunities to improve your Instagram account and boost engagement.
For example, look over Later's Instagram post that announces our most recent Linkin.bio customization:
We employ hyper-relevant hashtags such as #smallbiztools and #linkinbio in the captions. #linkinbiotool to ensure that people can quickly find our content when they're on the lookout for a link to our bio tool.
Tl;dr: Hashtags help people find your content , increasing the chances of getting likes comments, shares, and saving!
The report of Later's data shows that the addition of 20-30 hashtags to the content of your Instagram post is the most effective method of increasing your reach and engagement rate.
But how do you discover this many relevant hashtags for every post? Here are 3 different tactics you can use:
Tactic #1: Use a Hashtag Suggestion Tool like Later
Later's Hashtag Suggestion tool is an easy way of finding hashtags in relation to the content of your article and the similar hashtags in your industry.
To use it, input a hashtag into the tool's search barand then hit "Suggest," and it'll instantly create new hashtags. classified by relevancy
Tip #2: Conduct your own research using the Instagram Explore Page
Its Instagram Explore page is an excellent source of ideas for how to implement your Instagram hashtags strategy.
For the best results make sure you are searching for keywords relevant to your business or your content and also check"Top" search results "Top" result.
These posts are clearly doing well in the Instagram algorithm, so take note of the different hashtags used and consider whether they would be appropriate with your content.
Tactic #3: Assess Instagram Hashtag Activity Using Twitter's Tag Search Tool
In the quest to find the most effective hashtags, post volume is a crucial metric.
If a hashtag is already been used in hundreds of thousands of social media posts chances are your content will be missed by the noise.
On the other hand If a hashtag has a handful of posts, then it's likely there isn't anyone searching through the Instagram Explore page. To get a good middle ground you should look for hashtags with between 10 and 200K posts.
To verify a hashtag's posts volume, head to Instagram's tag search tool located on the Explore Page.
This is a fantastic way to vet your hashtags. It could also provide valuable inspiration. For instance, you could discover a hashtag with a specific niche that begins with the same keyword, however, it has a greater number of posts.
Instagram has proven that hashtags work in your post's caption and in the comments section therefore it's your choice as to where you want to share them.
It's important to consider the timeframe however. In case you're posting manually hashtags in the comments, you'll want to do this immediately after your article is published.
TIP: If using later's Instagram tool for scheduling, then you are able to schedule the First Comment to go live at the same with your posting.
This is an excellent way to keep your caption's aesthetic clean, while still benefiting from the additional publicity benefits of a successful hashtag strategy.
Later's First Comment tool lets you schedule a comment to go live exactly at the same date and time as your post. available for the paid and free plans.
If you have the correct Instagram hashtag strategy, you'll not only be able to reach more peoplehowever, you will reach the right people for your business or brand.
Find out who is likely to engage with your content.
Utilizing 20-30 relevant hashtags can make your posts appear in more results for searches on the app, increasing the likelihood of comments and likes.
Make Sweaty Betty, an empowering fitness brand whose clients is women who have a passion for fitness.
The account employs the search-driven hashtag, #GlobalRunningDay to generate likes and a branded hashtag #iamasweatybetty, to promote the sense of belonging and community:
It has over 2.5K likes (and an incredibly chatty comment section! ) These hashtags for niches can be used to build an online community of runners and fans and encouraging users to get their hearts beating!
Being mindful of using hashtags your target people are actively searching for can increase your exposure and likes numbers. It's an win-win.
How to Save Time with Your Instagram Hashtag Strategies
Finding 20-30 new hashtags for every post you share is extremely time-consuming - However, there are ways to make the process more efficient.
One way is to curate groups of around 20-30 hashtags, which are in alignment with your main content themes, which you can quickly edit and incorporate into each post.
With the free Instagram scheduler, you can create "Saved Captions" that contain your own lists of hashtags.
You can quickly add them to a post caption (and edit them) in two taps!
The best method to create your strategy for hashtags?
The foundation is set. After you've identified the hashtags you want to use, you should start testing them and digging into your statistics.
The analysis of the performance of your hashtags is the best method to measure the effectiveness of your experiments, and will help you fine tune your strategy as time passes.
By using Later's Analytics tools, you can get the most relevant information on your hashtags, such as a breakdown of which are driving the most likes and comments, as well as saves and engagement on Instagram posts. Instagram posts.
It will automatically analyze the hashtags you've used with the performance of your posts over time, providing you with a snapshot of what's working and what's not, on your account.
Hashtags are a powerful way to engage new audiences and increase the size of your account, but it takes time and effort to get results.
Whether you use 10 or 30, a consistent hashtag strategy is among the most effective routes for development on Instagram.