Instagram Best Hashtags in 2023: How to Use Them to Grow Your Following
Instagram hashtags can be overwhelming. We especially hear this from people who want to use Instagram as a marketing tool or to monetize their creativity. Luckily, with a little bit of know-how and the right tools, it really is within everyone’s grasp to achieve big goals on the platform and benefit from posting there. So today, we’ll discuss in detail the role of relevant Instagram hashtags – because when it comes to growing your profile, you MUST understand how important they are to your success.
As you probably already know, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years, with over two billion monthly active users. Initially designed for sharing square photos, the app has quickly become a hub for content creators, influencers, and brand owners to showcase their creativity, create an outlet for their thoughts, reach a wider audience, and gather like-minded people. While Instagram was primarily a platform for sharing memories with friends and entertainment, these days are long gone: now, it’s a powerful marketing tool to connect with people all around the world and has also become a leading source of income for many creators.
Interested in learning how to become one of them and growing your Instagram profile the strategic way? Well, you’re in luck, as in this guide, we’ll focus on all you need to know about Instagram hashtags to increase your following, grow your loyal tribe, and make the process stress-free. Let’s dive into it!
What Are Instagram Hashtags?
So, hold on, what are Instagram hashtags exactly?
A hashtag is a combination of letters (sometimes with numbers or emojis) preceded by the # symbol (e.g., #HashtagsAreImportant). They’re specific words and phrases Instagram users use to find the content they’re looking for. They make it possible for them to find relevant content when using an Instagram search engine. That way, hashtags make your content searchable and way more discoverable!
Each hashtag is clickable, meaning users who click on any hashtag or search a hashtag will see a dedicated explore page showing other posts and Reels tagged with that hashtag.
For instance, when you use the hashtag #weddingdressinspiration in one of your posts, when someone clicks on that hashtag, they’ll discover a whole explore page with posts similar to yours. It works both ways, of course, and that’s why using hashtags boosts visibility and is considered the most effective way to reach new audiences.
Hashtags are also an efficient way to organize the content we’re posting. They help Instagram algorithms understand your regular posts, carousels, or Reels and match them with your potential followers – people interested in your content.
Why Should We Use Hashtags?
Instagram is the most hashtag-driven social media platform out there. The secret to attracting your target audience and growing your tribe is using the right, most relevant ones. It’s also important to remember that Instagram algorithms play a significant role in our success on the platform, and by using the best hashtags, we help them categorize our posts so that the platform can distribute them more easily.
Why should you include hashtags in every Instagram post?
- Hashtags behave just like a library of all Instagram posts. They make your posts and Reels discoverable, meaning your target audience can easily find what they’re looking for.
- Instagram hashtags help you build your engaged community because you’re more likely to attract like-minded people, who are genuinely interested in your niche, and they’re more likely to become loyal members of your tribe.
- Many people decide to follow their favorite hashtags, which gives you a fantastic opportunity to appear in their feed with your hashtagged content, even if they don’t follow you yet.
- When you post a hashtag in your caption, your content will appear on the explore page for that hashtag. You can gain extra visibility if your post reaches the Top 9 for a given hashtag. As you already know, each hashtag has its own explore page. Hashtag pages feature the top 9 posts accompanied by that hashtag (they also feature the most recent posts and Instagram Reels).
- Hashtags are a clever way to make Instagram algorithms understand what your content is about. They also clarify who the post is relevant for, and who should see it.
How To Choose the Best Hashtags for Your Instagram Posts?
Using Instagram hashtags can be one of the most effective ways for your profile to reach a new audience organically. However, to use hashtags smartly and make them work for you (and your visibility on the platform!), you need to understand how they work and put some thought into your hashtag strategy.
Let’s start with the most practical tactics you can implement into your hashtag strategy right away.
- Research trending hashtags before you post. That research will help you understand what people are currently looking for and what content they consume the most at the moment. For example, search volume for the best hashtags associated with Christmas goes crazy around Christmas 1st, and this trend decreases by the last week of December. Let me tell you – while performing trending hashtag research, you can discover many exciting tendencies which will help you better understand Instagram’s community. A smart way to perform trending hashtag research is by using a tool like IQ Hashtags that allows you to type in one keyword related to your niche and will show you the best-related hashtags tied to your needs. This is an awesome way to discover trending hashtags for your posts and uncover tendencies that will quicken your organic growth.
- Use location-based hashtags. They are a phenomenal way to get discovered by new potential followers, as they are targetable and highly searchable. Side benefit? That way, you can boost your local awareness and connect with the local community.
- Analyze which hashtag search volume is the best fit for your profile’s size. The more general a hashtag is, the more competitive it gets to reach the top ten posts and stay in the most recent posts section. Ideally, you want to use hashtags that relate to your post and the type of people you want to attract – and those with which you have a chance to reach the top posts section, of course. How to distinguish which search volume is optimal for you at the moment? Start out with analyzing your hashtag performance with the IQ Hashtags tool’s feature to track which hashtags are giving you the higher exposure and which hashtag size works best for you.
- Discover what hashtags your target audience is using. The better hashtags you use, the higher the chances of becoming discoverable to your target audience. Many golden hashtags work for different niches, but first, you need to find out which hashtags work for YOUR niche and which ones will help you attract like-minded people and your target audience. Think like your potential follower – what keywords (hashtags) would they type in to find exciting content for them? Keep this approach in mind while researching new hashtags – this will help you empathize and think like your target audience to identify the best opportunities or potential roadblocks along the way. Remember, think like your potential follower and include words and things they would care about.
The Most Popular and Trending Instagram Hashtags
Strategic hashtag research and sticking to the best hashtags that are most relevant to your niche is key to growth. Still, from time to time, it won’t do any harm to use the most popular and most trending hashtags that are general and crowded, but sometimes can give you additional views or likes. Are you curious what hashtags are on that list right now?
#love #instagood #photography #photooftheday #instagram #art #nature #fashion #picoftheday #beautiful #travel #fitness #happy #likeforlikes #follow #style #photo #beauty #instadaily #followforfollowback #makeup #lifestyle #cute #summer #smile #girl #motivation #followme #model #life #instalike #like #design #food #me #tbt #music #sunset #dogsofinstagram #travelphotography #gym #naturephotography #family #artists #friends #handmade #dog #photographer #selfie #workout #fun #bhfyp #explore #interiordesign
Remember not to overuse them, as they’re really general, and they won’t attract your target audience and most valuable, engaged followers. Still, if you add one of them occasionally, you have nothing to worry about. Just keep in mind that well-targeted hashtags you find while performing specific hashtag research are worth their weight in gold – and the most popular, overcrowded hashtags, on the contrary, aren’t.
Instagram Hashtags FAQ
We made a FAQ that summarizes all the Instagram hashtag questions we receive most often – because, as the old saying goes, “Asking questions is the first way, to begin with, the change.” We love questions if you ask us!
How many hashtags should I be using in my posts?
You can include up to 30 hashtags in every post (and up to 10 hashtags on an Instagram Story). If you type in more hashtags, your caption won’t post, and you’ll see a blank space instead of your carefully crafted caption, so choosing 25-30 hashtags is the safest option.
Assuming that more is often better in the social media world, should you hashtag to the maximum? We won’t surprise you: yes, but only if you can find 30 relevant hashtags that are connected to your niche. That way, each hashtag gives you the opportunity to connect with new potential followers, and every single hashtag can make a huge difference.
How often should I update my hashtags?
A smart way to tell which hashtags are working for you is to track the hashtag performance (with the tool we mentioned before), and keep track of the hashtags you’re reaching the “top posts” with. Then, keep posting these and swap out the rest until your engagement rates improve again.
Is it worth adding hashtags to old posts?
When you add a hashtag long after posting a photo or a Reel, the post will be added to the hashtag feed, but retroactively. This means that your content will appear in the hashtag feed, but users will have to scroll back in time to find it in that section.