Twitter Hashtags for 2022: the Ultimate Guide

Instagram hashtags can be the difference between success and failure for your Instagram advertising strategy. Make sure you are using them correctly to see your posts being seen by more potential customers who will become interested in your service or brand.

If you do it wrong, you could end up doing harm in the form of annoying followers to getting penalized by Instagram's algorithm.

To make use of hashtags for Instagram effectively, you must be aware of how they work and then think about the strategy.

The right place is to find out how. Take a look at our video below or read on!


Instagram Hashtag Guide 2021

Additional Bonus Information: You can download a no-cost checklist that details the exact steps that a fitness influencer took to increase from one to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget or expensive gear.

What are Instagram hashtags?

A hashtag is a combination of letters, numbers and/or emojis followed by the number symbol (e.g., #NoFilter). They can be used to classify content and help to make it more searchable.

Hashtags are clickable. Anyone who clicks any Instagram hashtag or performs an Instagram hashtag search will find a page showing all the posts tagged with that hashtag.

Why should you use Instagram hashtags?

Hashtags are a great way to grow your Instagram reach and increase your reach. When you use a hashtag, your post will appear on the page that is associated with that hashtag. If you include hashtags in your Story, it could be added to the hashtag of your Story and also appear on the hashtag page.

You can also decide to follow hashtags, which means that they can see your hashtagged posts in their feed even if they do not join you (yet).

Instagram hashtags can be an excellent method of creating community online and getting people driven to take action with your brand. As an example, when the way people exercise suddenly changed in 2020, Nike Los Angeles used the #playinside hashtag to highlight people in the local community who were active at home.

Top instagram hashtags

On the 19th of July, 2021, these are the top 50 hashtags on Instagram:

  1. #love (1.835B)

  2. #instagood (1.150B)

  3. #fashion (812.7M)

  4. #photooftheday (797.3M)

  5. #beautiful (661.0M)

  6. #art (649.9M)

  7. #photography (583.1M)

  8. #happy (578.8M)

  9. #picoftheday (570.8M)

  10. #cute (569.1M)

  11. #follow (560.9M)

  12. #tbt (536.4M)

  13. #followme (528.5M)

  14. #nature525.7M

  15. #like4like515.6M

  16. #travel497.3M

  17. #instagram482.6M

  18. #style472.3M

  19. #repost471.4M

  20. #summer454.2M

  21. #instadaily444.0M

  22. #selfie422.6M

  23. #me420.3M

  24. #friends396.7M

  25. #fitness395.8M

  26. #girl393.8M

  27. #food391.9M

  28. #fun385.6M

  29. #beauty382.8M

  30. #instalike374.6M

  31. #smile364.5M

  32. #family357.7M

  33. #photo334.6M

  34. #life334.5M

  35. #likeforlike328.2M

  36. #music316.1M

  37. #ootd308.2M

  38. #follow4follow290.6M

  39. #makeup285.3M

  40. #amazing277.5M

  41. #igers276.5M

  42. #nofilter268.9M

  43. #dog264.0M

  44. #model254.7M

  45. #sunset249.8M

  46. #beach246.8M

  47. #instamood238.1M

  48. #foodporn229.4M

  49. #motivation229.1M

  50. #followforfollow227.9M

Be aware that the most popular Instagram hashtags are not necessarily the most effective.

The number of posts may mean lots of people have been following the hashtag However, it also means there's a ton of content that's associated with it, and your posts may be overlooked. Instagram suggests using a combination of popular and niche hashtags to attract different kinds of people that range from general to niche.

Types of Instagram's most-loved hashtags

Instagram breaks hashtags down into nine distinct types:

  • Keywords for your service or product These are the basic keywords to describe your product or service such as #handbag, #divebar or #handbag.

  • Niche hashtags are more specific and show where you fit in the context of your field, such as #foodblogger and #travelblogger.

  • Industry Instagram hashtags for communities Communities are present on Instagram, and these hashtags allow you to connect with them and become a part of them. Think #gardenersofinstagram or #craftersofinstgram

  • Special event or seasonal hashtags: These can refer to real holidays or seasons, like #summerdays, or they can be used for all those National [Thing] Day holidays, like #nationalicecreamday or #nationalnailpolishday

  • Location hashtags: Even when you tag your geolocation in an Instagram post, it might still be a good idea to use a hashtag that refers to your location, like #vancouvercraftbeer or #londoneats

  • Daily hashtags: Every day has plenty of its own hashtags, ranging from #MondayBlues up to #SundayFunday. We've created a complete list of daily hashtags to help you choose If you're looking for an easy source of hashtags to add to your posts.

  • Relevant hashtags for phrases: They incorporate elements of niche hashtags, product hashtags hashtags, and community hashtags. Basically, they're phrases people use on Instagram for connecting to existing communities in a slightly insider way, such as #amwriting and #shewhowanders

  • Acronym hashtags: The most well-known acronym is the hashtag #TBT which stands for Throwback Thursday. Other hashtags that are popular include #OOTD which means outfit that day's outfit, #FBF which stands for flashback Friday, and #YOLO which means you only live once.

  • Emoji hashtags hashtags might include emojis on their own, like #??? ?, or phrases or words with Emojis, such as #sunglasses and #sunglasses ?.

Branded hashtags are a great alternative for businesses who use Instagram. We'll provide more information on these later in this post.

How many hashtags should you utilize on Instagram

You can include up 30 hashtags on a typical post, and the maximum number of hashtags is 10 when you post Stories. If you attempt to include morethan that, your comment or caption will not be published.

This being said, simply because you have the option of using those many hashtags on Instagram does not mean you should. There's no one right number of hashtags that should be used for every company or for every blog post of the same company.

The general consensus is that 11 hashtags are a good amount to start with. But the most common number of hashtags to use on Instagram is between 1 and 3.

It is necessary to conduct testing to determine what works best for your business.

How to hide hashtags on Instagram

After you've worked hard to create your Instagram caption, you don't be able to finish your post with a prominent collection of hashtags. There are several methods to make your hashtags less prominent.

How do you make it difficult to hide Instagram hashtags in comments:

  1. Create your caption in the usual way, however, don't use hashtags.

  2. After your post has been posted, simply click on the speech bubble icon beneath your blog post to leave a message.

  3. Copy or write the hashtags that you want to add in the box for comments and tap Post.

  4. On mobile, your hashtags will not be visible unless a user selects View all comments. However, on desktop your comments will stay at the top, so this trick works better when you're targeting a mobile audience.

Source: VW on Instagram

How do you hide Instagram hashtags from captions:

You can also add hashtags within your caption without them being visible to the naked eye.

  1. At the bottom of your caption Tap Return or Enter at the bottom of your caption. If you do not see a Return or Enter button you can tap 123 to display it.

  2. Enter a punctuation mark (try an asterisk, a dash, or bullet) Then press Return once more.

  3. Repeat steps 2 to 4 at least three times.

  4. Instagram hides captions at the end of three lines. This means that your hashtags won't show unless your followers click ... more. In the event that they do, your hashtags will be separated from your caption , which means they won't interfere with your caption.

How do you hide captions on Instagram Stories

You can hide hashtags in Instagram Stories, too. One option is simply to make them appear less prominent. your hashtags, by pinching and shrinking them until they are extremely small. You can also tap the hashtag sticker to change the background from white to a semi-transparent one.

If you want to hide your hashtags entirely it is possible to paste an emoji, sticker or GIF over top to conceal them.

How to find trending hashtags for Instagram

Like Twitter, Instagram doesn't publicize a list of popular hashtags. If you do a search for a hashtag on Instagram you'll be able to see the number of posts that use that hashtag. You'll also see the list of popular Instagram hashtags using similar words, with post counts included as well.

To search for hashtags on a desktop, type in the hashtag including the # symbol into your search bar. On mobile, type in your search term in the search box, and then tap Tags.

If you're watching you Instagram page, you'll be able to quickly spot trending hashtags that are emerging. Don't be too eager to get caught up in trends, however. Only post using the hashtag that is trending in the event that it makes sense to your company, and for the specific contents of your post.

How do I search for several hashtags in Instagram

The most convenient method to search for multiple hashtags on Instagram is to create search streams using an application for social listening such as Hootsuite to monitor hashtags you're interested in so you can view all relevant content on one screen without having to do each hashtag as an individual Instagram hashtag search.

Instagram's business profiles can run up to 30 distinct hashtag searches within any given seven-day period.

Here's more details on how to configure search streams in order that you can keep track of several Instagram hashtags in one dashboard.

We wrote a full post about the benefits of social listening if you are interested in learning more about the way this works. Plus: download a no-cost checklist which outlines the exact steps that a fitness influencer has taken to grow from one to 600,000+ followers on Instagram without spending a dime and without expensive gear.

Instagram hashtag search: What is the best way to identify the most effective hashtags on Instagram to promote your business

Here's the truth. You could upload your photo onto one of the numerous Instagram hashtag generators available and get a bunch of hashtag suggestions that are free. But these suggestions aren't going to be as strategic and efficient as conducting the research yourself.

Here are some strategies to think of Instagram hashtags that will actually increase reach and engagement.

Look up the contest

It's not necessary to follow the strategy of your competitors in a way, but taking a some time to study the hashtags they're using can provide some useful clues about what's working in your sector.

Perhaps you'll find new hashtags to include in your collection. You may decide that you don't want the same amount of attention and in that case, you'll be able to search for other hashtags you could use.

Learn what hashtags your customers are already using

Since your customers are already using an exact hashtag and other users like them may be using it too. Discovering these active Instagram communities is a fantastic way to broaden your reach and reach the people who are likely to have an interest in your company.

Keep an eye on your top followers and see the hashtags they're using. The search feature on Instagram can provide you additional details about the hashtags that people you follow are most interested in. When you conduct an Instagram hashtag search, the tool will tell you whether anyone you follow follows the hashtag. (Note that this function only works on mobile, not on desktop.)

Utilize Instagram's Related hashtags feature

On any hashtag page, just above"Top" and "Recent," in addition to "Top" or "Recent" tabs, you'll find an array of hashtags that are related to each other which you can browse by swiping left.

This is an excellent way to find relevant hashtags which may be more specific than the typical keywords you initially searched for. That means a more targeted group of people with less content to fight with. These can be some of the best hashtags for Instagram brands looking to join people who are passionate about their communities.

Create a hashtag with a brand name.

The best hashtag for your brand may be one you develop by yourself. A branded hashtag is simply an image you design to promote your personal business or campaign.

You can let your audience know about your hashtag by including the hashtag in your Instagram bio, as well as highlighting it in your captions and Instagram Stories. You might also think about running competitions using a unique hashtag in order to spread the word about the hashtag and also collect content from users.

Make sure you follow your hashtag's branded hashtag inside the Instagram application as well as via a stream in your social media dashboard to monitor the use of your hashtag. Consider opportunities to reshare amazing content or to connect with influential members of your target audience.

To follow a hashtag within Instagram just tap the hashtag and then press the Follow icon located on the hashtag's page.

How to use hashtags on Instagram - 7 tips and tricks

1. Use Insights to see the tags that work best.

If you've made the move to an Instagram business profile, you're able to post analytics that inform you how many impressions you've received through hashtags.

  1. Select the post you want information on, then click View Insights below the post to the left.

  2. Tap to reveal all the insights for that post, including the amount of views from hashtags.

This data helps you figure out the best hashtags for improving impact.

2. Include hashtags on Instagram Stories

Hashtag pages include some sort of Instagram Story icon in the upper left corner. Click it and you'll find a variety of Stories posts that have been tagged by the hashtag of people with profiles that are public.

There are two methods to add hashtags to your stories. The first option is to use the hashtag stickers.

You can also make use of the text tool and the # symbol to type out the hashtag the same way as you would in a photo or video.

3. Avoid banned hashtags and the use of hashtags that are spammy.

If inappropriate content is linked with a hashtag, Instagram might ban that hashtag.

This doesn't mean that you cannot make use of it in any way. Instead, it means that when you click on the tag, you will only see top posts. There won't be any recent posts or any stories that are associated with the hashtag.

Here's what you can expect to see when you encounter the hashtag that's banned:

The only way to know the status of a hashtag is to check it before you make use of it. It is a good idea to follow each when you add a new hashtag to your repertoire. The use of banned hashtags could result in a drop in engagement, since your use of legal hashtags may also become less effective since you might be removed from the algorithm.

Even if they'ren't banned, you should avoid hashtags that shamelessly solicit likes and followers. Examples include #followme and #like4like. hashtags for likes, #follow4follow, and so on.

By using these, you will be attracting spammers, bots or other Instagram users with not the intention of engaging you in any meaningful manner. It also shows your followers that your brand is fine with engaging in spammy behavior. That's not a nice image.

4. Understand how hashtag pages work

Hashtag pages are a great method to showcase your blog to new audience, especially if you can be featured in the Top section.

Hashtag pages present all content related to the hashtag. If someone searches for a specific post and yours is the most recent associated with the hashtag that post will be the first item they see in the Recent section.

Of course, it's easier to stay at the top of the Recent section for hashtags that aren't as popular or even a more specific hashtag.

Be aware this: The Recent sections are sorted according to when each post was initially posted. If you later add hashtags by commenting or by changing the caption, it won't bump your post up for relevance.

5. Do not use unrelated or repetitive hashtags.

It might be tempting to duplicate and paste the same long list of hashtags on every post, but don't do it. Instagram's guidelines on community are clear that "posting repetitive comments or content" isn't permitted. If you use the same hashtags in every blog post, you is likely to be snubbed through the algorithm.

When you write a blog post, only utilize hashtags that make sense. If you tag a post using #wanderlust, for example your post must contain something that tourists would like to comment on, like, and share.

It's about not being noticed by a large number of people. It's about getting seen by the right people. It's how hashtags contribute to higher engagement and greater followers. Select and pick the most appropriate keywords for each post separately.

6. You must ensure that hashtags mean what you think it means

Hashtags are often an assortment of words snagged together. That can create some problems when it's unclear when one word ends and the next one begins.

One of the most infamous instances of this is the hashtag #susanalbumparty incident that occurred back in 2012. It was a party to launch the hashtag to celebrate Susan Boyle's debut album. However, read it slowly and you could pick up some words that clearly make the hashtag a bit... challenging.

Amazon used this type of hashtag mistake to promote Top Gear. This was intentionally done, but it would be an easy mistake to combine possessive "s" with the word "hit" through accident.

Brands sometimes also are too keen to hop onto an emerging trending hashtag without knowing the context. When the context is challenging it can result in an issue for the PR of the brand.

And often, a company does not check if a hashtag is already used before launching a whole campaign. Burger King was guilty of this in 2013 when they used the hashtag #WTFF to refer to "What The French Fry."

Because you know what WTF is It is likely that you know the reason this happened.

7. Save hashtags for use in the future.

If you frequently use the hashtags you are using, keep them in a notebook to avoid typing them in and over.

Wait, didn't we just advise you to not use the same hashtags for every post? Yes, you should not use the same hashtags. That said, it is still really useful to have an inventory of hashtags that are relevant to the various kinds of content you publish. You could even create distinct lists of hashtags related to the different kinds of posts you create.

Just create a list of hashtags in your notes appand add them the hashtags to posts.

It is then possible to pick and select hashtags that you can use for each post, rather than needing to remember hashtags, or find new hashtags for each post. This gives you time to check out the type of content that is already being posted for these hashtags, so that you avoid making one of the mistakes listed above.

Make sure that every one of the Instagram hashtags you use on the post must be in line with the post's content and shouldn't be too frequent. Do not copy and paste your entire saved list on each blog post.

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