Popular hashtags on Instagram can dramatically increase the reach of your posts and help you connect with other relevant accounts. Hashtags are commonly used across most of the top social media platforms. But the rules and best practices vary. So if you’re looking to grow your presence on Instagram, here’s a guide to hashtag usage and some popular Instagram hashtags to include in your own posts.
How to Use Hashtags on Instagram
The technical aspect of using popular Instagram hashtags is fairly straightforward. Simply upload a post and include a word or phrase after the # sign, either in the caption or comments. However, if you want to make the most out of popular hashtags on Instagram, here are some tips:
- Follow relevant accounts and hashtags in your niche: Increasing your reach on Instagram is only useful if the people finding your content are relevant to your brand. To find popular hashtags on Instagram that can actually drive results, sort through the list below for any related to your industry or content. Then connect with others in your niche or follow relevant hashtags to discover new content and hashtag options to include in future posts.
- Keep a running list: Constantly searching for hashtag options for each post can be incredibly time consuming. Instead, keep a running list on your phone or computer. Then select a few for each post. You may even break your list into categories to simplify the selection process. For example, a lifestyle brand may have a list to use for fashion posts, another when posting about food, and a third for home decor content.
- Make sure they’re relevant to each post: It’s tempting to just copy and paste the same list of 30 hashtags onto each caption. However, this will just push out your posts to the same people over and over again. And if some tags aren’t relevant to the specific audience following that hashtag, they’ll likely just overlook your posts. Plus, getting your content seen without any extra engagement can actually hurt your account long-term thanks to Instagram’s algorithm. It uses metrics like shares, saves, and comments to determine which content to push to more people.
- Don’t overshadow your content: A huge collection of popular Instagram hashtags can take up a lot of room in your caption. But this area can also be used to share valuable expertise with your audience. And all those tags can be distracting. Instead of adding hashtags immediately in the caption, write a well thought-out post. Then add the hashtags afterward, ideally with some space between. You can also comment on the post to add relevant tags.
- Track results: Even with a full mix of relevant yet popular hashtags, your Instagram account may not fully blossom overnight. Track which posts get the most engagement and note which tags were used effectively. You can also check your Instagram metrics on the app to see which ones bring you the most clicks and follows. Then use more of those going forward.
How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Instagram?
When posting photos or Reels to your feed, you can add up to 30 hashtags. And Instagram Stories support up to ten hashtags. For some, it’s beneficial to include the full amount of hashtags. But this only helps if all of them are actually relevant to each post. In fact, Instagram actually recommends just using three to five relevant hashtags. The exact amount may vary by post and account niche. Play around with different numbers to find the mix and strategy that works best for your brand.
How to Find More Top Instagram Hashtags
Aside from the popular Instagram hashtags listed below, the app itself is often the best place to find inspiration. Check your explore page and follow other creators in your niche to see which hashtags are popular with your target audience. You may click relevant hashtags in a creator’s post and find others to follow or use in your own content.
Why are Hashtags Important on Instagram?
Instagram basically uses hashtags to categorize content. Those who follow or are interested in a specific subject may use hashtags to find related content. Users can also follow hashtags. So they may come across your content again and again even if they don’t specifically follow your account. Stories, Reels, and feed posts all allow for hashtags, so no matter what type of content you produce, hashtags can help you reach more eyes and potentially grow your following and/or reach. From there, Instagram may even push more of your content to relevant users as its algorithm learns who interacts with specific hashtags and posts in your niche.
Popular Instagram Hashtags
The best hashtags for your Instagram strategy depend more on your niche and the content of each post than the exact number of people clicking each one. However, there is sometimes value in getting extra eyes on your content, as long as they’re relevant to your business in some way. So using popular hashtags on Instagram may increase your reach quickly.
Now that you know the importance of Instagram hashtags, here’s a current list of trending hashtags on Instagram.
1. #love
2. #cute
3. #art
4. #yum
5. #foodstagram
6. #fashion
7. #ootd
8. #inspo
9. #fitness
10. #wellness
11. #design
12. #shoplocal
13. #travel
14. #wanderlust
15. #athlete
16. #photooftheday
17. #instagood
18. #beautiful
19. #happy
20. #blessed
21. #tbt
22. #instadaily
23. #picoftheday
24. #nofilter
25. #photography
26. #instamood
27. #motivation
28. #sunset
29. #lifestyle
30. #fun
31. #handmade
32. #home
33. #holiday
34. #iphoneonly
35. #funny
36. #life
37. #igers
38. #smile
39. #nature
40. #outdoors
41. #enjoylife
42. #beautiful
43. #amazing
44. #follow
45. #like
46. #photo
47. #trending
48. #reels
49. #viralpost
50. #explorepage
The hashtags above may simply serve as inspiration or get you started finding the ones that are most relevant to your brand. For example, explore posts under the #fashion or #fitness hashtags and see what other tags popular posts are using. Then you can build a strategy that works for your brand over the long term.
Image: Depositphotos
