Instagram Hashtags, The Basics Of How Hashtags Work.

1. What is actually the point of hashtags?

Found mostly on Instagram and Twitter (and sparingly on Facebook and Pinterest), hashtags are a creative way to categorise what you’re posting about on social media platforms and get your content found. They’re also a great way to add your thoughts to a conversation online and feel connected to a community. 

2. Where should I even start with hashtags?

At the very beginning, we recommend you check out your favourite Instagram accounts or even some of your competitors and look at the type of hashtags they’re using – you’ll likely discover they use creative phrases, acronyms and a mix of popular and niche hashtags. This can be a great place to start when creating your own hashtag strategy

3. When should I post my hashtags?

Hashtags are directly related to the time of your image post, so you want to make sure you use your hashtags as close to posting as possible.

If you delete hashtags and repost them, or simply add hashtags a few hours later it won’t work. Best practice is to post your hashtags at the same time that you post your image.

4. Where should I post my hashtags?

On Instagram, you can put your hashtags in either in your caption, or in the first comment. While this was once a contentious issue in the social media, most experts now agree that in terms of the algorithm, it doesn’t matter where you post your hashtags — it shouldn’t affect the reach of your post. Putting the hashtags in the first comment can look tidier, but it can also make it harder to schedule ahead. Plus, if someone beats you to the first comment, the hashtags may not work.

5. How many hashtags am I allowed to use per post?

You can use up to 30 hashtags per post on Instagram, which can be combined in your image caption and within your own comments.

6. How many hashtags should I use on Instagram?

There are some strong opinions (oh we love the inter-web!) on how many hashtags is the magic number we should be using per image, but in our years of experimenting we’ve found the more hashtags you use, the more eyeballs you’re getting in front of – so we have no problem with recommending using all 30.

7. How do I find hashtags to use on Instagram?

The golden rule of hashtags is to use ones your target audience is *actually* searching for. But, how do you actually go about finding these? Well, you can do so without even leaving the Instagram app! Head to the search bar on your account and type in a sample hashtag — for example, ‘#cats.’ This will bring up a dropdown menu of other similar hashtags related to that search term, as well as how many posts they’ve been mentioned in. You can then also click on these suggested hashtags to see even more related hashtags. Another great way to find strong hashtags to use is to check out what others in your industry are using. Just be sure to not completely rip off hashtags from one of your competitors — just cherrypick a few to create your own unique collections

8. Why don’t big accounts use hashtags on Instagram?

These accounts have worked their butts off already, securing a loyal following and a high enough engagement rate that when they post they’re happy with their natural Instagram visibility and don’t feel the need to actively pursue hashtags.

9. What size hashtags should I use?

Not all hashtags are created equal. You want to make like Goldilocks and avoid hashtags that are too big, or too small — they need to be just right! When you’re looking at hashtags to put in your own collections, pay attention to how many many mentions they currently have. If you use hashtags that are too popular (think, over 500,000 posts, you risk your posts being swallowed up into the abyss. But on the other hand, if you use ones that are too niche or specific (say, only a few hundred posts) it’s likely nobody will be searching for it! Mid-size hashtags — say, around 10,000-50,000 tend to be the sweet spot for landing your content in the coveted ‘top posts. That said, don’t be afraid to also throw smaller or location-based hashtags into the mix if they’re super relevant to your content. 

10. Should I use my name as one of my hashtags?

Unless your business or your Instagram name is well known, we’d recommend holding off using your IG handle as a hashtag (unless you’re running a competition).

This is because unless people are actively searching for your name, they’re not going to come across your image and it might be worth a different one to get in front of your customers. 

That said, you’re not likely to do any harm using your name as a hashtag if you really want to (and who knows, maybe one day your brand might one day become a household name!)

11. Why do some websites suggest really popular hashtags like #f4f or #instagood?

To be completely honest we’re not sure, those two hashtags are horrible and you’re never going to be sure what you’re going to get! Eeep!

If you’re confused, #f4f means if you follow someone, they’ll follow you back instantly, ‘Follow for follow’, in the same way that #l4l means ‘like for like’.

It’s gross, spammy, and won’t give you any decent viewers (or customers) on your account.

12. What happens if I use a spammy hashtag on Instagram?

Not only can spammy hashtags attract the wrong types of people, but it can also compromise your Instagram account! Repetitive use of banned hashtags can get your account flagged as spam, which can lead to Instagram shadowbanning your content (ie. nobody will be able to see it) or in extreme cases, even getting your account removed. Just don’t do it, kids!

13. How do I know if a hashtag is spammy?

The big culprits that attract spammers are hashtags such as #instagood, #happy, #love and #followme to name a few. These hashtags should be avoided if you don’t want to be spammed to death with a whole lot of smiley faces or “follow me for free followers” comments. You can easily recognise the hashtags to avoid as they will have well over 100,000,000 posts on them. Checking how many photos have been posted on a specific hashtag not only helps you weed out the spammy ones, but also allows you to find those smaller to mid-range hashtags which will help you stand out.

14. Can I use a hashtag in a comment on someone else’s Instagram feed?

This is fine if you’re sharing a hashtag, making a witty comment, or think the other person should see the hashtag feed. But, if you’re hoping that the image will be added to the mix of that hashtag – it won’t work. So, theoretically, you can — but we don’t see why you would!

15. Should I use the same hashtags every day?

This is completely up to you. It’s your account!

The Instagram algorithm finds it easier to categorise what type of account you are (and recommend you to others) if you’re regularly using a few of the same hashtags.

We usually recommend using a few of the same tags, then get creative depending on the subject matter you’re posting about. After all, you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket and the more varied your hashtags are, the more different people who are likely to discover it.

16. How can I easily change up my hashtags?

With hashtag collections! In Plann, you can create smaller collections of hashtags, that you can easily pick and choose from every time you post to hit your total of 30.  You would have targeted hashtag sets saved in Plann within those categories that you easily copy and paste into your captions with the click of a button. Easy peasy!

17. How many hashtags should I have in a set?

We recommend using around 5-10 hashtags per set, in alignment with your strategy themes (which you can set in Plann’s ‘strategy’ section.) So, you might have a hashtag set for your thought leadership posts, another for inspiration, another for education and so forth! Or, say for example, you’re a beauty blogger and you have your own, personalized strategy prompts set up in Plann — such as beauty inspiration, natural skincare, acne positivity and so forth

18. Should I create a branded hashtag?

Yes! These can be an awesome way to build a sense of community around your brand and get your account seen through user-generated content. Take hashtags like #theeverygirl, for example. Started by its namesake blog, The Everygirl a few years back, the hashtag now has more than 3 million posts from people who have (inadvertently) helped spread the word about their brand. The secret is to make it catchy and memorable and relatable, so others want to use it. Also make sure to use it in your own posts and profile so that your account appears when others search it!

19. Should I put a hashtag in my Instagram bio?

Hashtags aren’t searchable within your Instagram bio. However, this can be a great way to showcase your branded hashtag and encourage others in your community to use it

ULTIMATE HASHTAGS CHEAT SHEET

Discover the best hashtags and number to use for maximum visibility.