Most popular hashtags right now

Ah, hashtags – those funny little characters at the bottom of everyone’s Instagram posts.  So popular, they’ve even made it into conversations offline now (in an ironic way, we hope).

But what are they, actually?

Back when (cast your mind back to ye olde 2007) social media was just a whisper on the marketing streets and hashtags merely lurked in the shadows. No one was particularly sure what they were, or how to use them.

They knew the hashtag sign (#) as a pound key (not this kind –  £). Sounds incredibly alien, right? People soon caught on that hashtags help to filter topics of conversations into streams on social media. 

For instance, you can click on trending hashtags like #food and see an aggregation of all of the posts on that channel about food (see image below and also say hello to 370 million pictures of food!). It’s almost like creating a chat room based on that hashtag and this is applicable to most social channels. 

But, are hashtags even still relevant in 2022?

Ya damn skippy they are! Instagram might have been through more changes than Madonna in her career, but one thing stayed the same – hashtags. They help people find your posts organically, which is great when you’re growing awareness and engagement for you or your brand. After all, you want people to notice and engage with what you’re posting – that’s why it’s called social media. Otherwise, it’s like having a conversation with yourself and you can do that alone at home (no judgement, we’ve been there too).

When you use hashtags (even just one),  you can drive up to 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag. Imagine what several would do! Now that’s a party.

And you might bring people to the party with hashtags, but you can also join their social soiree, by clicking on the hashtags and interacting with their posts which use it. The more interaction you do, the more you can grow your own audience. 

But, how does that work? 

Well, when you’re spreading love (authentic love, not just meaningless comments which could have been made by a ‘bot), then people are more likely to hop over to your profile and engage with your content. Tit for tat. But it has to be for real because people really see through disingenuous comments.

Ok, ok, but how do I use hashtags in 2022?

We are so glad you asked.

There are a few ways to use them:

1. On every post and Instagram Story. You can post up to 30 on your Instagram posts and 10 on your Story. Rule of thumb – post your hashtags in the first comment on your posts, so it looks tidier and doesn’t interrupt your genius caption. On Stories, you can reduce the size of Instagram hashtags so they’re not taking up the entire Story (you don’t want to distract from your selfie).

2. In your profile: you can use a few to showcase who you are and what you do, to make it searchable.

How do I even find the right hashtags?

If you want some ideas on what’s relevant for your brand, then see what your competitors are and influencers with an Instagram hashtags search.

The 100 most popular hashtags of 2022

So onto the exciting bit….(drum roll….) the trending top Instagram hashtags for 2022 are:

1. #love
2. #instagood
3. #photooftheday
4. #fashion
5. #beautiful
6. #happy
7. #cute
8. #tbt
9. #like4like
10. #followme
11. #picoftheday
12. #follow
13. #me
14. #selfie
15. #summer
16. #art
17. #instadaily
18. #friends
19. #repost
20. #nature
21. #girl
22. #fun
23. #style
24. #smile
25. #food
26. #instalike
27. #likeforlike
28. #family
29. #travel
30. #fitness
31. #igers
32. #tagsforlikes
33. #follow4follow
34. #nofilter
35. #life
36. #beauty
37. #amazing
38. #instamood
39. #instagram
40. #photography
41. #vscocam
42. #sun
43. #photo
44. #music
45. #beach
46. #followforfollow
47. #bestoftheday
48. #sky
49. #ootd
50. #sunset
51. #dog
52. #vsco
53. #l4l
54. #makeup
55. #f4f
56. #foodporn
57. #hair
58. #pretty
59. #swag
60. #cat
61. #model
62. #motivation
63. #girls
64. #baby
65. #party
66. #cool
67. #lol
68. #gym
69. #design
70. #instapic
71. #funny
72. #healthy
73. #night
74. #tflers
75. #yummy
76. #flowers
77. #lifestyle
78. #hot
79. #instafood
80. #wedding
81. #fit
82. #handmade
83. #black
84. #pink
85. #일상
86. #blue
87. #work
88. #workout
89. #blackandwhite
90. #drawing
91. #inspiration
92. #home
93. #holiday
94. #christmas
95. #nyc
96. #london
97. #sea
98. #instacool
99. #goodmorning
100. #iphoneonly

Psst…it’s important to note that popular hashtags doesn’t always equal the best for you to use. In order to get maximum reach with your content, it’s wise to use a mix of big hashtags like the above, mid-sized (think 10,000 to 50,000) and more niche in your industry. We also recommend changing up your sets of hashtags often, as the Instagram algorithm doesn’t look favorably upon using the same ones all the time.

You can use Plann’s hashtags collection features to save a few sets of your favourite hashtags. Then, with the click of a button, you can easily pick and choose from them every time you go to post!

Want more help with hashtags?

Grab our ultimate hashtags cheat sheet, where we hash out everything you need to know about growing with hashtags.

Grab your free hashtags guide

The big question on everyone’s mind: Are Instagram hashtags still a thing in 2022? 

Yes, they are!

Using the right Instagram hashtags can help you extend your reach, engage your audience, boost your brand, and even please the Instagram algorithm. In order to get each of these distinct benefits, however, you need to have specific strategies in place.

This is something that often has mystified brands, as it can be difficult to notice trends and patterns at first glance. Hashtag strategies aren’t one size fits all, which can cause even more confusion for businesses trying to figure it out for themselves.

Today, we're sharing how to create an effective hashtag strategy for your Instagram accounts, including hashtag research, how to implement and develop hashtag strategies, and even specific hashtags you should add to your roster based on your business’ goals. 

If you want to promote your brand or learn how to make money on Instagram, these tactics are for you. You can also check our guide on how to get followers on Instagram if you’re looking to build an audience.

Free Webinar:

How to Grow and Monetize Your Instagram Account

A free workshop with field-tested Instagram marketing tips. Learn how to grow your Instagram audience and monetize it with an online store.

How hashtags work on Instagram

Hashtags are attached to things you post on Instagram and become clickable phrases and topics. Any word or phrase can be turned into a working hashtag, as long as it has a # placed in front of it.

When users click on a hashtag, they’re taken to its discover feed, which shows all the public content attached to it. People will click on or search for hashtags they’re interested in as a way of finding content on Instagram.

Since hashtags are used with an intent to discover content, the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t connected with you before. Recognizing the importance of hashtags on the platform, Instagram has expanded the functionality of hashtags. Brands can now add clickable hashtags to the profile section of Instagram bios.

Instagram Stories have a hashtag sticker, which lets you place working hashtags on your Stories. When users click, they’ll be taken to the hashtag’s feed, just like they would if they’d clicked on a hashtag on your post.

Hashtags work on Reels similarly. It helps the Instagram algorithm categorize your content so it shows in a user’s explore feed.

Users can also follow hashtags they’re interested in, ensuring that content from those hashtags appears in their feed regularly.

Most popular Instagram hashtags of all time

1. #love
2. #fashion
3. #photooftheday
4. #beautiful
5. #photography
6. #picoftheday
7. #happy
8. #follow
9. #nature
10. #tbt
11. #instagram
12. #travel
13. #like4like
14. #style
15. #repost
16. #summer
17. #instadaily
18. #selfie
19. #beauty
20. #girl
21. #friends
22. #instalike
23. #me
24. #smile
25. #family
26. #photo
27. #life
28. #likeforlike
29. #music
30. #ootd
31. #makeup
32. #follow4follow
33. #amazing
34. #igers
35. #nofilter
36. #model
37. #sunset
38. #beach
39. #design
40. #motivation
41. #instamood
42. #foodporn
43. #lifestyle
44. #followforfollow
45. #sky
46. #l4l
47. #f4f
48. #handmade
49. #likeforlikes
50. #cat

Top Instagram hashtags in 2022, by category

There is a lot to consider when working with Instagram hashtags, so let’s regroup around a solid starting point. 

Below, you’ll find the best Instagram hashtags, sorted by categories like industry or event, that you can use to start the process of fleshing out your hashtag strategy.

Best hashtags for likes and follows

1. #likes 
2. #like 
3. #follow 
4. #likeforlikes 
5. #love 
6. #instagood 
7. #instagram 
8. #followforfollowback 
9. #followme 
10. #photooftheday 
11. #bhfyp 
12. #instalike 
13. #photography 
14. #l 
15. #instadaily 
16. #me 
17. #picoftheday 
18. #beautiful
19. #myself
20. #likeforfollow 
21. #fashion 
22. #smile 
23. #followers 
24. #likeforlike 
25. #followback 
26. #f 
27. #followforfollow 
28. #comment
29. #likesforlikes 
30. #bhfyp

Note: No promises made on the quality of the followers or likes you’ll receive, as these and other related hashtags are typically based on new Instagram users trading likes and follows.

Best fashion hashtags

1. #fashion
2. #love
3. #style
4. #styleinspo
5. #ootd
6. #outfitoftheday
7. #whatiwore
8. #shoppingaddict
9. #beautydoesnthavetobepain
10. #currentlywearing
11. #instastyle
12. #lookgoodfeelgood
13. #fashionblogger
14. #fashionista
15. #fashionstyle
16. #fashionable
17. #fashiongram
18. #fashionblog
19. #fashionaddict
20. #fashionphotography

Best food and beverage hashtags 

1. #food
2. #foodporn 
3. #foodie 
4. #instafood 
5. #foodphotography 
6. #foodstagram 
7. #yummy 
8. #instagood 
9. #love
10. #foodblogger 
11. #foodlover
12. #delicious 
13. #homemade 
14. #healthyfood 
15. #photooftheday 
16. #picoftheday 
17. #dinner 
18. #foodgasm 
19. #foodies
20. #tasty 
21. #cooking 
22. #instadaily 
23. #lunch 
24. #bhfyp 
25. #restaurant 
26. #healthy

Best travel hashtags

1. #travel 
2. #nature 
3. #photography 
4. #travelphotography 
5. #photooftheday 
6. #instagood 
7. #travelgram 
8. #picoftheday 
9. #photo 
10. #beautiful
11. #art 
12. #naturephotography 
13. #wanderlust 
14. #adventure 
15. #instatrave
16. #travelblogger 
17. #landscape 
18. #summer
19. #trip 
20. #explore 

Best pet hashtags

1. #pet 
2. #dog 
3. #pets 
4. #dogsofinstagram 
5. #cute 
6. #petsofinstagram 
7. #dogs
8. #cat 
9. #love
10. #puppy 
11. #cats 
12. #petstagram 
13. #animals
14. #animal 
15. #instadog 
16. #instagram 
17. #dogstagram 
18. #doglover 
19. #of 
20. #catsofinstagram 
21. #dogoftheday 
22. #doglovers 
23. #petlovers 
24. #doglife 
25. #instapet 
26. #catstagram 
27. #instagood 
28. #cachorro 
29. #catlover

Best tech and gadgets hashtags

1. #techie
2. #latesttech
3. #ilovemygadgets
4. #gadgetsgalore
5. #apple
6. #android
7. #applevsandroid
8. #wearabletech
9. #VR
10. #mobile
11. #makinglifeeasier
12. #tech
13. #technology
14. #technews
15. #gadgets
16. #instatech
17. #software
18. #innovation

Best wedding hashtags

1. #wedding 
2. #bride
3. #weddingdress 
4. #weddingphotography 
5. #weddingday 
6. #weddinginspiration 
7. #makeup 
8. #weddingplanner 
9. #prewedding 
10. #bridal 
11. #bridetobe 
12. #weddingphotographer 
13. #weddings
14.  #groom 
15. #engagement 
16. #party 
17. #weddingideas 
18. #makeupartist 
19. #indianwedding 
20. #casamento

Best fitness hashtags

1. #fitness 
2. #gym
3. #workout 
4. #fitnessmotivation 
5. #motivation 
6. #fit 
7. #bodybuilding
8. #training 
9. #health 
10. #lifestyle
11. #fitfam
12. #healthylifestyle 
13. #sport
14. #healthy 
15. #gymlife 
16. #life 
17. #crossfit 
18. #personaltrainer 
19. #goals 
20. #exercise 
21. #muscle 

Best holiday hashtags

1. #stockingstuffers
2. #christmasdecor
3. #spookyhalloween
4. #happyhalloween
5. #thanksgivingtable
6. #turkeyorham
7. #valentineformyvalentine
8. #happyfourth
9. #newyearseve
10. #newyearsresolution
11. #holidaycrazy
12. #holidayspirit
13. #kwanza
14. #hanukkahgift
15. #underthetree

Top hashtags for Instagram contests

1. #instacontest
2. #instagiveaway
3. #giveaway
4. #sweepstakes
5. #contestalert
6. #contestentry
7. #winit
8. #freebie
9. #winitwednesday

Instagram hashtags for photography

1. #photography 
2. #photooftheday 
3. #photo 
4. #picoftheday
5. #photographer
6. #model 
7. #photoshoot
8. #portrait 
9. #beauty 
10. #travelphotography
11. #canon
12. #selfie 
13. #landscape
14. #sunset 
15. #fotografia 
16. #portraitphotography 
17. #photographylovers 
18. #artist 
19. #nikon

Instagram hashtags for small business

1. #smallbusiness 
2. #supportsmallbusiness 
3. #handmade 
4. #shoplocal 
5. #shopsmall 
6. #smallbusinessowner 
7. #entrepreneur 
8. #supportlocal
9.  #business 
10. #localbusiness 
11. #businessowner 
12. #blackownedbusiness 
13. #art 
14. #explorepage 
15. #homedecor 
16. #covid
17. #startup
18. #entrepreneurship 
19. #womeninbusiness 
20. #motivation
21. #success 
22. #girlboss 
23. #entrepreneurlife
24. #handcrafted
25. #local 
26. #smallbiz 
27. #homemade 
28. #custom 
29. #smallbusinesssupport 
30. #shopsmallbusiness 
31. #handmadewithlove 
32. #supportsmallbusinesses 
33. #supportlocalbusiness

Instagram hashtags for music

1. #music 
2. #hiphop
3. #rap 
4. #musician
5. #singer
6. #musica 
7. #dj 
8. #rock
9. #dance 
10. #song
11. #guitar 
12. #viral 
13. #producer 
14. #newmusic
15. #musicvideo
16. #instamusic
17. #livemusic
18. #pop
19. #concert
20. #trap
21. #beats

Instagram art hashtags

1. #art 
2. #artist
3. #drawing 
4. #artwork 
5. #painting 
6. #artistsoninstagram 
7. #illustration 
8. #digitalart 
9. #design
10. #sketch

Instagram nature hashtags

1. #nature
2. #naturephotography
3. #sunset
4. #flowers
5. #wildlife
6. #mountains
7. #hiking
8. #explore
9. #outdoors
10. #naturelover
11. #beach
12. #forest

Top Instagram Reels hashtags

1. #reels
2. #reelsvideo
3. #reelsinstagram
4. #reelsindia
5. #holareels
6. #reelsbrasil
7. #reelsteady
8. #instagramreels
9. #reelsinsta
10. #instareels
11. #reelsofinstagram
12. #k
13. #music
14. #bhfyp
15. #disney
16. #tiktokindia
17. #videoftheday
18. #instareel
19. #foryoupage
20. #fyp

Top Instagram hashtag generators

Whether you’re shooting for six hashtags or 30, it can be time-consuming to enter in that many characters, especially since autocorrect won’t fix hashtag spelling mistakes. Ask any social media manager and they’ll tell you, it’s not our favorite thing in the world.

Fortunately, there are plenty of Instagram hashtag generators and hashtag search engines that can streamline the process. Some we recommend include the following. 

Best-Hashtags

Best-Hashtags is a simple browser-based hashtag research tool. Its algorithm calculates the best hashtags for your social content based on historical data. Simply type in your desired hashtag and Best-Hashtags will generate a list of hashtags across different categories like:

• Best related hashtags
• Top 10 hashtags based on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok popularity
• Low difficulty hashtags
• Exact hashtags

You can also discover new hashtags on its New Hashtags and Best Hashtags category pages. 

SISTRIX

The SISTRIX Instagram Hashtag Generator is another great tool to find successful hashtags, fast. This tool keeps it simple. Once you enter a hashtag or topic, it’ll automatically show you the best 30 hashtags to use. Get more recommendations by searching other hashtag variants related to your main search. 

The tool is completely free for up to 25 queries each day. If you want more searches, you’ll need to register for a SISTRIX account. 

Influencer Marketing Hub 

This Instagram hashtag generator is different. Rather than search for hashtags by topic, you upload a photo to the generator and it gives you hashtags to use. Notice in the following example, we placed an image from the Surreals NFT collection to see what hashtags would generate. 

Influencer Marketing Hub’s generator then reveals different keywords to explore. You can select up to five keywords. Once selected, the tool reveals a list of hashtags you can use for your post. 

Inflact

Inflact is another useful Instagram hashtag tool for feed posts, Stories, and Reels. The easiest way to use the tool is through keywords. For example, if you type “Paris” into the generator, it will reveal a handful of different hashtags that contain the keyword. Hashtags are broken down by frequent, average, and rare use cases. 

It’s AI search tool also reveals organic hashtags or those that are often written together in the same post. 

Most Instagram hashtag generators are free. If you aren’t willing to invest in a tool just for this purpose, the more affordable route may be to use a general social media tool. You can keep a document of different hashtags and use social media scheduling software like Agorapulse, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social. 

You can create the posts on your desktop, copying and pasting hashtags or groups of hashtags to the caption as needed. Since all of these tools can now post directly to Instagram for you, this can save you a few steps.

Types of Instagram hashtags

Understanding which hashtags you should use is a crucial part of developing a strong hashtag strategy that maximizes your reach and increases engagement. 

There are different types of hashtags that each serve a purpose, and any strong strategy incorporates a combination of them. Learn how to get verified on Instagram and use hashtags from your verified account to maximize your reach.

Branded hashtags

These should be listed in your profile bio and are exclusive to your specific store. They can be used to build brand awareness, and you can encourage users to share user-generated content employing them. Examples include Harper Wilde’s #LiftUpTheGirls, Shwood Eyewear’s #shwoodshop, and So Worth Loving’s #swlfamily. Use only one or two branded hashtags per post. 

Location-based hashtags

This won’t apply to all ecommerce merchants, but if you have products that would appeal to local audiences, use them to your advantage. Do you sell novelty mugs that feature different states? Use #FloridaLife or #NewYorkDrinks to connect with the right audience. You can also tag posts based on location to reach a specific audience in the area. 

Entertainment hashtags

These hashtags aren’t meant to grow your audience, they’re meant to expand on the relationship with the audience you already have. These phrases often have little to do with a brand itself and a lot to do with the situation in the specific post. In the example below, #shopitlikeithot and #getitgirl are both entertainment-focused.

Mass appeal hashtags

Mass appeal hashtags are general hashtags that can apply to almost any post. They’re frequently used, meaning they’re also frequently sought out. They can occasionally give your posts a significant bump in reach, putting them in front of established audiences. Examples of these include #instagood and #lovelife.

Occasion-based hashtags

Maybe you want to remind your followers that it’s OK to have a #caseofthemondays, or to appreciate that #summerrain. Timely hashtags can be related to a certain holiday, time of year, or even time of day. Users love timely content and are likely to seek out holiday and seasonal posts in particular. The example below uses the timely hashtag #sunsout to put a product—sunglasses—in front of an interested audience.

Trending hashtags

Hashtags go in and out of favor, just like styles of clothing and slang. Sometimes trending hashtags are just hashtags people are using at the time that have surged in popularity for some reason. In many cases though, they’ll have more to do with current events.

Maybe Apple has announced a new version of the iPhone, or it’s election day somewhere in the country. These hashtags won’t give you evergreen results, but they can yield meaningful returns in reach and interest when used correctly.

Niche hashtags

Certain products have audiences with niche interests. People who are buying their own virtual reality systems, for example, are likely to be interested in all the latest technology. Customers who are interested in healthy eating may search for phrases like #organic or #eatinggreen. Use niche-specific hashtags to connect with a highly relevant audience.

Bremont does this exceptionally well in the example below. It uses hashtags like #luxury and #watchoftheday, knowing that these niche hashtags could connect them with their target audience.

Special event hashtags

Sometimes hashtags can act like beacons that alert users to special events going on with your store. Are you about to host a contest? Hashtags like #contestalert and #instagiveaway can help you find an interested audience. Similarly, hashtags like #flashsale and #BOGO can both help you find bargain hunters and signal to followers you’ve got special deals for them online.

Which types of hashtags should I use?

Not all ecommerce businesses will benefit from every type of hashtag.

A merchant with national or international reach may not have a reason to use location-based hashtags, for example, and B2B merchants with a strictly professional voice may not use a lot of entertainment-focused hashtags. That’s fine. Adopt the ones that will work best for your brand and your audience.

From choosing your channels to figuring out what to post, fill in the blanks to think through how you can best use social media to meet your marketing goals.

Tips and best practices for using hashtags on Instagram

Be mindful of the number of hashtags you use

You can use up to 30 hashtags on a single Instagram post. That answers how many you can use, but not how many you should use, which can be quite different.

There’s lots of research on this topic and various findings. A fairly consistent takeaway is that you should definitely be using a few hashtags (as in, more than one) on every post. Instagram posts with hashtags receive 70% more likes, according to a study by Agorapulse.

As for precisely how many hashtags work best, the data is inconsistent. Some marketers swear by using just two hashtags, while others use all 30. In reality, the sweet spot for a single post may only be something you can uncover through testing.

Should my Instagram hashtags be visible?

Nobody wants to read through 30 different hashtags, or even six for that matter, just to get to the content. Big blocks of difficult-to-read text also look visually unappealing.

Because of this, many brands opt to hide the bulk of their hashtags by strategically placing them below the See More option. Some will even take this a step further, adding significant extra spaces outside of the See More in order to aesthetically remove large chunks of hashtags from the rest of the description. Other brands will add hashtags in a separate comment on the post, but this may cause the hashtags to lose effectiveness.

For most brands, the best option is simply to make sure that your hashtags are separated by at least one line from the caption and are hidden under the See More option. This keeps the focus on your caption, increasing the likelihood that it will be read. It also looks cleaner.

The exception is if you’re using one or two hashtags for branding or entertainment purposes. In this case, leave them above the fold, if necessary, and make sure they’re listed first or written in line in your Instagram caption. That way, users are more likely to read them.

Although you may see this happening, there’s no reason to use more than one line of separation for hashtags. If users click on See More, you don’t want them to have to scroll forever to get to the comments, because there’s a good chance they won’t continue and leave a comment of their own.

Conduct Instagram hashtag research

Hashtag research is a key part of distribution on Instagram. It can help you identify the most high-performing, popular hashtags, give you new ideas for hashtags you wouldn’t have thought of on your own, and help you to identify trending hashtags.

There are several different strategies you can use to conduct hashtag research, whether you want to grow your list or find new trending topics. Let’s take a look at each.

Scope out Twitter

If you want to look for trending hashtags or trending topics that are relevant right now, Twitter can give you an edge. It has a trending topics section, where you can see what people are sharing.

Note that hashtag usage on Instagram and Twitter is different, and trending Twitter hashtags are more heavily focused on news. Keep that in mind and use it for research purposes instead of copying and pasting hashtags blindly to Instagram.

Check out your competition

It never hurts to see what your competition’s marketing strategy looks like, and that includes their hashtag strategy. Look for trends in which hashtags they’re using and you might get a few ideas for phrases you want to add to your roster, too.

Monitor influencers

Influencers—including micro-influencers—are called influencers for a reason: they already have an audience and people actively look to them for advice, inspiration, or expertise. It’s not surprising that these Instagram profiles may have mastered their hashtag game and found the best performing terms out there. Take a look, and don’t be afraid to snag a few that you like.

Free Webinar:

How to Grow and Monetize Your Instagram Account

A free workshop with field-tested Instagram marketing tips. Learn how to grow your Instagram audience and monetize it with an online store.

Avoid banned hashtags

Did you know that there are such things as banned hashtags on Instagram? They aren’t even necessarily swear words or outright obscenities—though those definitely make the list.

Instagram routinely “bans” hashtags that it detects are used frequently alongside some sort of illicit content. Some of these aren’t surprising, like #nasty, but others like #fitnessgirls and #tgif could be used for perfectly innocent reasons. Instagram won’t post new content to a banned hashtag’s feed, if the feed even stays up at all.

Hashtags can be banned permanently or temporarily, and when you use them, your posts could be shadowbanned. This means that they may not show up in your followers’ feeds, and they may not appear when users search for other hashtags attached to the post. All in all, using a single banned hashtag can unravel all the work you did on a post.

When compiling hashtags that you want to use, check out the full list of hashtags that have been banned on Instagram.

Measure your Instagram hashtag strategy

All marketing efforts should be measured whenever possible, and that goes for hashtag strategies, too. 

Hashtags can be much more difficult to evaluate on your own, especially if you have groups of them on posts. This can make it difficult to know which are working and which aren’t pulling their weight. Fortunately, there are several ways to measure the impact of your strategy.

First, take a look at the overall growth of your channel. You can do this with Instagram’s analytics, though many third-party social management platforms will offer more detail.

See if impressions, reach, and likes go up for your profile and posts. Significantly, how many accounts have you reached through the Discovery channel? Are there big changes since you’ve adapted the new strategy? You should see month-to-month increases. If not, it’s time to adapt.

You should also be using hashtag research tools to monitor the hashtags you’re using regularly. Make sure their popularity is trending up over time and not decreasing. You can use tools like Keyhole to track your branded hashtag and to see the reach, impressions, and overall use from other profiles. This can help you evaluate how much your branded hashtag is helping you, and if it’s gaining traction organically.

Third-party tools can also provide data about your hashtag usage and their results. Sprout Social has excellent hashtag data, showing you the hashtags that yielded the best engagement and which you used most often.

Finding the best Instagram hashtags

Instagram hashtags are an essential part of Instagram marketing. If you combine your hashtag tactics with a strategy that focuses on how to get more Instagram followers, you’ll see an immediate lift in likes, comments, and followers. 

If you don’t have a strategy in place, your marketing may not be reaching its full potential on the platform. Use the tools and hashtag suggestions detailed in this post to form your own list of high-performing hashtags that will extend your reach and keep your audience engaged, and remember to switch them up based on your analytics tools for best results.

Illustration by Eugenia Mello

• #likes
• #like
• #likeforlikes
• #instalike
• likeforlike
• #comment
• #likesforlikes

• #love 
• #fashion 
• #photooftheday
• #beautiful 
• #photography
• #picoftheday
• #happy
• #follow 
• #nature 
• #tbt 

Use Instagram hashtags to put your posts, videos, or Stories in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t interacted with your profile before.

The maximum amount of hashtags you can use in a post is 30. But you may not need to use 30 hashtags for every post. Consider using a maximum of five or six to not look spammy.