Instagram Tips & Resources
By Monique Thomas
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Updated on November 12, 2021
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8 minute read
How many hashtags should you use on Instagram? We've got the answer.
Published November 12, 2021
“How many hashtags should I use on Instagram?” It’s a question that’s created much debate on social media.
Should you only choose a few niche hashtags? Use the allotted 30? Are they even worth it anymore?
Later analyzed over 18M Instagram feed posts (excluding Instagram Videos, Reels, and Stories) to find the answer.
How Many Hashtags Should You Use on Instagram?According to a recent post from Instagram’s @creators account, users should use between 3-5 hashtags.
Yes, it surprised us too – especially when Instagram allegedly told creators to aim for 8-15 hashtags earlier this year.
As Instagram continues to expand their discoverability and SEO tools, it makes sense that they want users to experiment with fewer, more relevant hashtags – this could help them accurately categorize and recommend your posts in suggested content streams, like the Instagram Reels feed or the updated hashtag search tabs:
It could also be a way for Instagram to streamline spammy hashtag use. At times, users include irrelevant hashtags to try to maximize the full allotted 30.
However, when we looked at how the number of hashtags impacts reach (after analyzing over 18M Instagram feed posts), we found that using more hashtags typically yields the best results.
As you can see, while posts with 20 hashtags receive the highest average reach rate, those with 30 hashtags are close behind.
We wondered if this trend had changed over recent years, and saw that the results were still pretty consistent in 2020:
And even more interesting: the average reach rate significantly increases as the number of hashtags increases beyond 5 per post – as reflected in the steeper curve graphs.
When it comes to average engagement rate, using 30 Instagram hashtags per feed post results in the most likes and comments:
Similar to reach rate, the average engagement rate grows significantly as the number of hashtags increases beyond 5.
The takeaway? Go big or go home when it comes to your hashtag strategy.
While using a few hashtags is good, using 20-30 relevant (and targeted) hashtags is even better for your overall reach and engagement rates.
Still, one size doesn’t fit all, so you’ll want to analyze the performance of your hashtags to gauge what is and isn’t working (more on that later).
And remember: hashtags are a longterm game and not a quick fix for reach or engagement. But mixed with valuable content and a consistent posting cadence, you can reach new, highly-engaged audiences.
FYI: With Later, you can schedule your Instagram posts in advance for free (and access our Hashtag Suggestions tool on any paid plan).
Sign up today!
Our data findings are clear: the more hashtags you use, the better.
However, using the right hashtags for your account is key. Every hashtag you use should be relevant to your content, audience, and business.
Later’s Social Media Specialist, Lindsay Ashcraft, agrees: “With the right hashtag strategy, you can increase your reach and build a community of people who’ll engage with your content.”
If you’re struggling with inspiration for which hashtags to use, it helps to break them into different categories and add more structure to your approach.
Here are five types of hashtags to consider:
Location-based hashtags, like #BryantPark or #LowerEastSide
Branded hashtags for campaigns or events, like #Later or #LaterCon
Industry hashtags that describe your niche, like #SocialMediaManagers or #WeddingPlanners
Community-focused hashtags to bring your community together, like #VanLifeLiving or #IAmASweatyBetty
Descriptive hashtags which describe the content of your actual post, like #WoodwickCandles or #SheaButterProducts
That said, finding new hashtags to use on Instagram can be time-consuming and takes some trial and error.
But don’t fret! There are some ways to streamline the process. Here are three ways to find the right hashtags for your brand:
Use a Hashtag Suggestion Tool like Later
Draw Inspiration from the Instagram Explore Page
Discover Tags Using Instagram's Search Tool
Later’s Hashtag Suggestion tool is an easy way to find hashtags based on the content of your post and similar hashtags in your industry.
To use it, type a hashtag into the tool’s search bar, hit “Suggest,” and it’ll immediately generate new hashtags, sorted by relevance:
“We use this feature to find new hashtags and keep our hashtag lists updated,” shares Lindsay. “It’s really handy! Make sure you’re typing in niche hashtags for the best results.”
Sign up for a Later account to find the perfect hashtags for your Instagram strategy – in just a few seconds!
#2: Draw Inspiration from the Instagram Explore PageThe Instagram Explore page is constantly evolving, with new topic categories and advanced search functionalities rolling out all the time.
For example, you can now search by keywords to discover relevant content. Let’s say you own a candle company, and want to see what other accounts are doing.
Type “candles” in the search, and tons of posts will appear:
You’ll have the option to discover "Top" posts, scroll through accounts that have "candles" in their Name Field, and see posts with a tag containing that keyword:
Using these filters will help you identify posts that are both similar to your business and performing well in Instagram's search results.
While we don’t recommend copy and pasting their hashtag strategy, you can gain valuable insights that’ll help you when choosing hashtags you’d like to experiment with.
TIP: Keep on top of your hashtag lists by adding them as Saved Captions in Later. You can curate multiple hashtag lists and add them to your captions in two taps!
#3: Discover Tags Using Instagram's Hashtag Search ToolWhen it comes to finding the best hashtags, post volume is a really important metric.
If a hashtag has already been used on millions of posts, the chances are your post will be drowned out amongst the masses.
On the other hand, if a hashtag only has a few hundred posts, it's likely that no one is searching for it on the Instagram Explore page.
With Instagram's hashtag search tool, you can type in a hashtag and discover others that start with the same keyword, along with their post volume.
In this example, we’ll choose #SelfCare (55M posts):
As you scroll down, you’ll be able to find hashtag variations that are still popular but have less competition (we recommend using these!), like #SelfCareIsForEveryone (61K posts) or #SelfCareFam (27K posts).
When you tap on a hashtag, you’ll be able to see the type of posts that get the most engagement (in the Top tab), and use them as inspiration for structuring your content.
TIP: Add up to 30 hashtags to a comment rather than your post caption – they still work in hashtag search results! Later’s First Comment tool lets you schedule a comment to go live at exactly the same time as your post – available on all paid plans.
A great hashtag strategy doesn’t happen overnight – it requires constant trial and error.
“We’re big on experimenting,” says Lindsay. “We’re constantly testing new niche hashtags, trying broad ones, and seeing what generates the most engagement.”
Analyzing the performance of your hashtags is one of the best ways to judge the success of your experiments.
Without analytics, you won’t know what’s working and what isn’t – potentially losing out on opportunities to adjust your strategy and engage with new audiences.
With Later's Analytics tools, you’ll be able to track key insights about your hashtags – including a breakdown of which are driving the most likes, comments, saves, and reach on your Instagram posts.
Implementing a hashtag strategy is not only great for discoverability, but can help you build a community and drive engagement.
So, how many hashtags should you use on Instagram?
While 20 is the magic number for reach, and 30 is the magic number for engagement, they need to be relevant to your brand, content, and target audience.
And remember: a great hashtag strategy takes time, so experiment and see what works for you!
Ready to start planning and scheduling your Instagram posts in advance? Join Later – the world's leading Instagram marketing platform, today.
Editor’s Note: Study based on analysis of 18.1M Instagram feed posts published via Later. Excludes Instagram Videos, Reels, and Stories. Data provided by Annie Yao, Nolan O'Reilly, and Barinder Thind.
About the Author
Monique is Later's Editorial Content Marketing Manager. You can usually find her sipping matcha or adding another book to her TBR list. Say hi on Instagram — @wordsbymonique
Category Instagram Tips & Resources
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Wondering how many hashtags to use on Instagram?
Instagram announced some confusing updates about using just a handful of hashtags. Maybe you tried their suggestions and were disappointed by the results!
Or maybe you heard from a friend, influencer, or study to use 11. Or 15. Or 30!
The advice changes depending on who you ask!
So, let’s dive into what Instagram has said, and what people find really works on the platform.
Twitter might have created them, but Instagram is the place where hashtags have come into their own.
Every post will have them, and people regularly use them to find new content. That means they’re a huge part of your success in marketing on the platform.
The first thing to note is that Instagram has given their own official advice about how many hashtags to use.
Their most recent advice came out in September 2021 – no updates since then (as of December 2022).
They posted on their @creators account and said the ideal number of hashtags per post was 3 to 5.
That was a bit of a shock to most Instagram marketers!
For a long time, they’ve advised to use between 8-15 hashtags.
And for the longest time, you could add up to 30 if you wanted to. That’s what I’ve recommended in my article on how to use hashtags on Instagram.
In the post, Instagram also gave a few more tips about hashtags that are worth considering.
Most are long-standing IG hashtag tips, such as:
They also reconfirmed some things not to do:
I completely agree with all of the above!
Finally, they also said not to add 10-20 more hashtags as this won’t help to get your content seen by more people.
True – or not?
There’s a case that 30 hashtags may be too many. This generally comes from studies of big brands, who tend to avoid using so many.
But are you a big brand that gets engagement and growth by word of mouth?
Well then, there are some clever ways to experiment with this number.
One idea is to place 3-5 in your caption. Then add more hashtags in comments.
Apps that auto post to Instagram, like Tailwind and Later, have the feature to post hashtags in the first comment automatically so you save time.
However, even with this, Instagram experts are saying to use no more than 15 hashtags
As with almost everything in marketing, there’s always an opposing view that contradicts the official advice.
And with how many hashtags to use on Instagram, there’s plenty of people who disagree with what IG tells us.
For example, Jenn from Jenn’s Trends is a firm believer that limiting hashtags to five or less will be detrimental to your account. In an Instagram post, she said:
If you have the right hashtags and aren’t flooding your posts with hyper popular hashtags that are essentially irrelevant, then there’s no need to limit your hashtags.
Remember, the point of hashtags is to get your content to show up in relevant hubs about that subject.
The more hubs, the more eyes on the post. The fewer hashtags, the less chance your audience will see your post and engage with it.
Many IGers in my Mediavine bloggers group confirm they still use the full 30, either in the post or in the comments.
What this all means is you need to devise a strategy and stick with it for a time.
So much for what IGers like – what actually works?
Well, Later ran a study of over 18 million Instagram feed posts.
Posts with 20 to 30 hashtags received the most reach, and posts with 30 hashtags had the highest average engagement rate by far (likes and comments).
The engagement rate of posts with 30 hashtags was 175% of posts with 5. Close to double!
The numbers don’t lie 🙂
The final important point about hashtag numbers is to optimize your strategy as you go. That doesn’t mean you should use different numbers for every post.
Been using 30 for a while? Note the date and screenshot your stats.
Now try another quantity for a while. Maybe 15 hashtags for 2 weeks, or for 30 days.
Then track your stats with analytics tools and make informed decisions on what you see for your account.
Tweak your hashtag list as well as the number of hashtags you are using. Don’t be afraid to do a hashtag search and find new options.
That way you can figure out what the best number of hashtags is for your audience going forward!
Look at trends on the social media platform and weigh the advice.
Use a certain number of hashtags for a set time, and see what the analytics show you.
Or try different numbers on different types of posts and see how they work.
The correct answer to how many hashtags for Instagram is what works for you!
But I suggest you try 30 😉
When it comes to the best place to place hashtags on Instagram (in a post or comment), the opinions of SMM experts differ.
37 216 views
To debunk hashtag myths, Socialinsider partnered with Quuu to analyze 649,895 posts from 6,784 business accounts with varying follower counts. The research report contains useful information for choosing the location of hashtags, their number and design, depending on the size of the accounts and the purpose of the post. nine0003
1. Most brands use hashtags in the text of the post
There is a perception that putting hashtags in the first comment makes a post neater and more engaging, while having hashtags in the post itself can look spammy.
It seems that not all brands think so.
2. Reach and number of impressions are higher when hashtags are placed in the text of the post
Posting hashtags in a post gets more impressions, regardless of account size. However, a detailed analysis reveals clear differences between accounts with up to 100,000 followers and more than 100,000.
How to use hashtags for maximum reach
nine0011 The use of hashtags in the text of the post gives more coverage for posts of small and medium profiles. However, for accounts with more than 100 thousand followers, the situation is different: the average reach of posts with hashtags in the text is lower (14.8%) than for posts with hashtags in the first comment (16.
9%).
Jenn Herman, social media strategist, notes: “It makes no significant difference to the algorithm where exactly you place your hashtags. The exception is the most frequent hashtags like #love. Using such a hashtag in a comment can lead to a drop in reach.” nine0003
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How to use hashtags to increase impressions
If the main goal is to make the post visible to the maximum number of users, while engagement is not important, impressions will be the key metric. In this case, hashtags should be placed in the body of the post, regardless of the size of the profile. nine0003
Unlike small and medium-sized accounts, the average number of impressions of a post of large Instagram accounts (more than 100 thousand followers) practically does not depend on the location of the hashtags.
Naturally, the result also depends on the number of hashtags.
3. Brands love extremes: if not 7, then 30 hashtags at once
Experts regularly try to determine the ideal number of hashtags in an Instagram post.
Some people think that the optimal number is up to 7, others - up to 11, others are sure that it is worth using all 30 hashtags (maximum on Instagram). And someone simply advises brands to “find your magic number.” nine0003
Socialinsider and Quuu experts also recommend doing your own experiments. Read more about this in the Instagram hashtag guide.
The recommendations below are based on how the analyzed brands use hashtags.
Among the brands that place hashtags in the text of the post, two extremes can be distinguished: either there are 7 hashtags, or their number is close to 30
These extremes are clearly visible on the graph:
Things are different with hashtags in the first comment - in most cases there are only two of them:
However, is this the best option?
Alex Khan, Social Media Coach: “I think A/B testing is always a must.
In my experience, there is no difference in where hashtags are placed. Since Instagram changes its algorithms regularly, it's much more important to constantly test what works best for you, use a variety of hashtags, and experiment with new ones."
4. Engagement depends on the number of followers, placement and number of hashtags
At first glance, it may seem that the placement of hashtags has little to no effect on user engagement rates.
A closer look reveals that engagement is affected by both the placement of hashtags and the number of followers.
So, where to place hashtags and how many should there be?
By segmenting profiles by number of followers and looking at each group individually, you can get a general idea of which posts are most successful. nine0003
Below are recommendations on the number and placement of hashtags for accounts with different numbers of followers (peak values are taken into account).
Ed. We would like to remind you that the recommendations are based on a specific study conducted in 2018-2019. These recommendations are not absolute - everything needs to be tested on your account and your audience.
Orange line - hashtags in the post, green line - in the first comment
Orange line - hashtags in the post, green line - in the first comment
Orange line - hashtags in the post, green line - in the first comment
Orange line - hashtags in the post, green line - in the first comment
Orange line - hashtags in the post, green line - in the first comment
Please note : While using a lot of hashtags doesn't necessarily lead to poor results, none of the posts with hashtags close to 30 tops, regardless of account size.
5. Posts with hidden hashtags have a higher engagement rate
Hashtags can be hidden to make the post look neater and not distract readers from the content.
This is very easy to do - just add empty lines (or more text) before the list of hashtags. This way, users won’t see the hashtag clutter until the full text of the post is expanded. nine0003
You can hide hashtags both in the post and in the first comment.
Traditionally, lines with one dot are used instead of empty lines. To make such a block, you need to prepare it in a text editor (since the Instagram editor still does not allow you to create new lines).
So let's see how hiding hashtags affects reach and engagement.
Shane Baker, Digital Strategist and Brand Consultant: “I prefer to have hashtags in a post because they are more credible.
We are marketers and using hashtags is a useful marketing tool, so don't be ashamed to hide them.
However, if you feel that too many hashtags make your posts trash, you can hide them so that only those who expand the post and read it to the end can see them.” nine0003
Note ed .
In the end, honesty pays off. If you want to put hashtags - put them and do not be ashamed.
6. On average, you can get 1-2 more comments on a post if hashtags are placed in the first comment
As a rule, the larger the account, the larger the brand, which means more budget for advertising and other paid promotion tools.
To understand how brands get comments naturally (organically), we calculated the median number of comments.
The placement of hashtags has little effect on the number of comments.
We can safely say that posts from accounts with up to 100 thousand followers receive 1-2 more comments if hashtags are placed in the first comment. nine0003
7. On average, posts with hashtags in the first comment get slightly more likes
Looking at the median number of likes, the scores are also higher for posts that had hashtags in the first comment.
True, you should pay attention to the exception: posts of accounts with 10-50 thousand subscribers have better results if the hashtags are placed in the text.
Posting hashtags in the first comment seems to get more likes for most accounts. nine0003
And what to do with all this? How to proceed in a particular case?
Ed. note . Let's be honest - in some cases, the difference between the hashtags in a post or comment was more than insignificant. But some points in the study still deserve attention.
It is worth trying both options in practice, and at different posts with different goals. Perhaps the strategies described here will work. And yes, still don’t do 30 hashtags in a post, such redundancy is just annoying. nine0003
When choosing a hashtag strategy, consider your KPIs and account size.
If the goal of a post is to convey information to the widest possible audience, then reach and impressions will be performance indicators. In this case, it is not so important whether users will interact with the post. For example, accounts with less than 100k followers should place hidden hashtags in the body of the post.
If user interaction with a post is more important to you, then pay attention to the recommendations for increasing engagement, reach and impressions depending on the size of the account:
Note ed . And remember, these recommendations are based on a large 2018-2019 study. in the western segment of Instagram. Any recommendation you want to apply needs to be tested, not taken as an absolute rule.
Main findings of the study
Download the original study (PDF).
The classic idea of site promotion looks like this: “This is when you drive in the phrase “buy Syzran wallpaper” and my site is at the very top.
”
Experienced professionals understand that now the conversation has turned to SEO promotion. And you won’t believe it, but Instagram also has a kind of SEO, using which you can attract subscribers to your account. And that's... Instagram hashtags. nine0003
If you are an active Instagram user, you have seen a large list of blue words written through the bars (written as #) at the end of user posts.
Clicking on any of them will take you to a page dedicated to this word with a list of publications in which it is mentioned. Those are the hashtags.
By the way, I highly recommend our article. There we told everything in detail what we needed and how we appeared.
But let's get back specifically to how hashtags work on Instagram. So let's go.
Hashtags In short, hashtags on Instagram are a special thematic tag that groups the content of different users into one group.
That is, in fact - keywords, thanks to which you can find publications on Instagram that suit you.
Important. Next, you will learn a super-method for selecting the most popular hashtags on Instagram, but first we will learn the basics so that logical relationships form in our heads. nine0003
Proper use of hashtags will help attract people who are interested in this topic to your page, that is, in fact, your future customers. All that remains is to sell them your product / service correctly. But this is a topic for another article.
It seems like you don't need a lot of brains to write hashtags on Instagram. You take the words that fit the meaning and write in a row. But if you want to get the maximum, then you should still know the basic rules of how to put hashtags on Instagram correctly. nine0003
It can also be a phrase. For example, the phrase “favorite Instagram” can be written as #favoriteinstagram or #favorite_instagram. From this follows the third rule... Chip. Where to put them? You can write hashtags in Instagram comments, more precisely, in the first comment, and not just in the post. nine0003
They will also be ranked. The quantity is the same - no more than 30 pieces. Below I will tell you how you can use it for your own purposes.
Remember I wrote that hashtags are keywords? The most interesting thing is that they, like keywords in contextual advertising and SEO, are distributed by frequency.
True, Instagram does not have the ability to view the frequency of a particular hashtag. But it is possible to see how many publications are issued by hashtag separately. This is how they share:
To make it more clear: here is an example of a high-frequency, that is, a very popular (read hackneyed) hashtag:
High-frequency hashtagsAnd to complete the lecture part, I will also tell you that hashtags are divided not only into types according to the frequency of their mention, but also into the types of their use:
g. followme) . Used to collect likes or followers. They give little effect. Use them sparingly and carefully; Important. Do not use ready-made lists of the best hashtags. They tacitly refer to the type of “Spam hashtags”, since there are almost no living or adequate people according to them.
nine0003
Ideally, your key task, if we are talking about the right approach to doing business on Instagram, is to assemble the semantic core of your future business profile along with the content plan for Instagram. Optimally, it should be 100-150 hashtags, close to what you do and what you will advertise on Instagram.
As advertising
And right away. If you want to collect only popular hashtags in the hope of always being on top, then I can upset you. This will not give the desired effect, since either bots or people who themselves want to sell something “scam” them. nine0003
Therefore, when forming the semantic core, be smarter and collect an equal number of high-frequency, mid-frequency and other types of hashtags.
This will increase your chances of attracting customers, not fake pages.
How to find hashtags? This can be done in three popular ways (bypassing spam lists of the best hashtags): manually, by “withdrawing” them from competitors, using special programs and services.
I still recommend using a service where everything is already thought out and there is analytics - Instatag. nine0003
Its beauty is that the hashtags are sorted by direction and there are even special classifiers like “hashtags for likes”. All you need is to go to the service and select the hashtags that you need.
InstatagDo not forget to carefully study our article. There we have collected the best services to promote your Instagram account!
Instagram is one of the few social networks where hashtags play a significant role.
And that is why experienced marketers, advertisers, and people of related professions are so actively using them and teaching how to make hashtags on Instagram correctly.
But either they themselves do not fully understand Instagram algorithms, or people do not attach any importance to this, when using hashtags they make a lot of mistakes.
Which negatively affect the promotion of their pages:
By the way, there can be 2 types of punishment for incorrect use of hashtags: complete deletion of the account (the worst) and “shadow ban”, this is when you see your publication, but the subscribers do not.
nine0003
In general, punishments are extremely rare, but I was obliged to warn.
If we are talking about the classic hashtag scheme that most users use, then it's just to write a list of all the words that come to mind and are more or less relevant to the posted publication.
This certainly has an effect, and little by little traffic will be attracted. But there are smarter approaches to put them more efficiently that I recommend using. nine0003
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First, you prepare hashtags for each post in the amount of no more than 20.
The ideal number is about 10. And at the end of the post, highlight them in a separate block from the text. Readers will perceive this more loyally for the perception of the main text. nine0003 Improved version
In the text of the post itself, you need to place several hashtags (preferably 2-4), scattering them along the entire length.
The remaining 7-10 hashtags, you post in the first comment. This is how we kill 2 birds with one stone: it all looks beautiful and users go inside the post to look at the comment.
Native variantThe main task of hashtags is to attract traffic to the site and help the publication to reach the TOP or up the user feeds. nine0003
Therefore, you can use the following trick, which is called the “like bomb”. In the post itself, you publish 30 hashtags, in the first comment, 30 more.
At the start, this will give a small increase in likes.
In addition, do not forget that you need to “give impetus”, that is, boost likes and comments with the help of special services, for example, TmSmm, Instaplus.pro.
Two moments. After a couple of days, don't forget to remove most of these hashtags, leaving only low frequency ones. Otherwise, Instagram will impose restrictions on you as a spammer. The second point - do not repeat such a thing often. Otherwise... you know the punishment. nine0003 Bomb version
That's all. To be honest, I gave away almost everything I knew.
Hashtags are a good way to attract customers if they are used correctly, and not mindlessly stamped, attracting people who work through mass liking.
All that is required of you now is to apply all the knowledge gained in your Instagram account. And then, do not stop and constantly work on updating them, because today you are doing well, and tomorrow your competitor is also doing well, and the overall effect is not the same.
