Ready to take your Instagram strategy to the next level? Let’s dive in and unlock the full potential of hashtags together!
By the end of this guide, you’ll be armed with the knowledge and tactics needed to stand out, captivate your followers, and make a lasting impression. Let’s get started on your path to hashtag mastery and Instagram success.
Top Instagram hashtag generators
1. Sistrix Instagram Hashtag Generator
The Sistrix hashtag generator tool offers user-friendly functionality, though its complimentary usage is capped for free accounts. With a free plan, you can conduct up to 25 queries daily before considering a premium upgrade. Given the substantial allowance of 25 queries, it’s possible to effectively utilize the tool without an immediate upgrade.
To generate relevant hashtags, input one or a few keywords in the text box and hit Enter/Return. Instantly receive a list of the top 30 hashtags associated with your initial search. Curate the most pertinent ones to enhance your post’s visibility and impact.
2. Keyword Tool
The Keyword Tool proves invaluable for brands seeking keywords across diverse platforms, including Instagram hashtags. This versatile tool even supports geolocation, ensuring the discovery of prime hashtags within specific regions—a distinct advantage for local businesses catering to a designated area. Additionally, language preferences for hashtags can be selected, enhancing customization.
To begin, input your primary hashtag or keyword, adjust filters as necessary, and then click the magnifying glass icon. While the results are somewhat restricted for free users—comprising a list of hashtags sans usage insights—upgrading to a paid plan offers more comprehensive information. Subscription plans commence at $69 per month.
3. Inflact
Inflact serves as an AI-powered hashtag generator, offering inventive hashtag suggestions derived from keywords, images, or existing Instagram posts. This proves particularly advantageous when unsure about the initial keyword or when you’re curious about the tool’s suggestions for your photo.
Upon entering your query, the tool furnishes hashtags divided into three usage-based categories: Frequent (challenging to secure top post placement), Average (moderate ranking likelihood), and Rare (simple to attain ranking). Furthermore, the tool provides a recommended allocation of hashtags from each category.
4. Toolzu
Much like Inflact, Toolzu offers comparable avenues to initiate your hashtag exploration. Enter your details—whether it’s a keyword, URL, or photo—then click “Generate Hashtags” to kick off the process. This tool calculates the hashtag’s post count and provides insights into its potential for attracting viewers.
Toolzu further enhances accessibility by providing iOS and Android apps, allowing you to effortlessly search for hashtags while on the move with your mobile device.
5. Display Purposes
Display Purposes furnishes an array of hashtags stemming from a designated starting point. Begin by entering a few hashtags into the designated text box. Each suggested hashtag is evaluated for its relevance to the query and its level of popularity.
In addition, Daily Purposes introduces another tool that scans your profile, subsequently suggesting hashtags aligned with the content you’ve previously posted. This proves to be a valuable feature, enhancing the overall functionality of the platform.
6. All Hashtags
All Hashtag is capable of producing hashtags derived from a solitary keyword. Decide whether you desire top outcomes, random outcomes, or results for presently trending hashtags. A compilation of the finest 30 hashtags corresponding to your query will be provided. The tool features a convenient “Copy” button, facilitating the swift copying of all 30 hashtags for seamless insertion into your caption or comment. Keep in mind the importance of restricting the number of hashtags per post to ensure optimal practices and meaningful engagement.
Types of Instagram hashtags
Various categories of hashtags exist, each carrying distinct advantages and uses that brands should be familiar with. Delve deeper into the realm of Instagram hashtags to explore the types that are essential for your strategic implementation.
Branded & product hashtags
Branded and product hashtags entail creating hashtags incorporating your brand and/or product name. These serve the purpose of collecting User-Generated Content (UGC) and enhancing brand visibility.
Consider the case of The Sill, a plant store, which employs the hashtag #PlantsMakePeopleHappy within its Instagram bio. This hashtag is supported by product videos, effectively linking content and brand.
Clicking the hashtag reveals a whopping 12 million posts in the results, underscoring its popularity and usage. Notably, these posts are aligned with The Sill’s content, allowing for potential collaborations and content features.
Campaign hashtags
Campaign hashtags, on the other hand, are crafted for specific marketing campaigns. These hashtags are integrated into campaign captions or post corners. For instance, the #EssenceFestxTarget hashtag was employed to promote a collaboration between Target and Essence Festival.
Campaign hashtags transcend mere product promotion. An illustrative case is REI’s #OptOutside initiative, encouraging people to embrace outdoor activities over Black Friday shopping, underscoring a commitment to values beyond purchases.
Community & industry hashtags
In practically every brand community and industry, there exists at least one hashtag that resonates. To uncover your niche hashtag, explore prominent influencer posts within the community and industry. Often, these hashtags are straightforward, and the ones that naturally come to mind tend to enjoy the highest usage.
Location hashtags
Location hashtags are quite intuitive in nature. For most brands, there’s a geographical anchor, and if your presence is physical, these hashtags become even more valuable. Pertinent location hashtags encompass your city along with relevant thematic hashtags, your neighborhood, the name of the mall you’re situated in, and other distinctive landmarks.
Themed or holiday hashtags
Getting involved in pertinent social media holidays can add a playful touch to audience engagement. Occasions like #InternationalSushiDay and #InternationalDogDay can prove highly effective for sushi restaurants and veterinary clinics to create content around.
Consider the example we highlighted: International Sushi Day, observed on June 18. On Instagram, this hashtag boasts a substantial presence with over 23k posts. Such a scenario provides an ideal avenue for sushi restaurants and businesses related to the sushi industry to share their content.
Daily hashtags
Daily hashtags extend beyond Instagram and their discovery is straightforward. These hashtags combine a designated day of the week with a specific theme. Broad examples encompass #MondayMotivation and #ThrowbackThursday. Virtually any brand can engage with these, as a multitude of niche subjects are encompassed.
These hashtags focus on specialized areas of interest and are observed on a daily basis. For instance, #MonsteraMonday sees plant enthusiasts sharing images of their monstera plants. While locating these daily hashtags might require some effort, following influencers in particular domains will naturally introduce them to your feed.
Trending hashtags
This category of hashtag presents a more challenging aspect of posting, as it requires staying current and effectively integrating them into your brand’s context.
For instance, consider a presently trending meme featuring Jennifer Lawrence from the Hot Ones wing-eating challenge, where she repeatedly asks, “What do you mean?” in a superimposed video. Exploring the hashtag #WhatDoYouMean reveals numerous brands and creators incorporating this meme into their content.
It’s important to note that memes and trends have a fleeting lifespan. To capitalize on their potential, early participation is crucial. Sharpening your trendspotting abilities in the realm of social media is essential for effectively leveraging memes and trends in a timely and brand-aligned manner that resonates with your audience.
7 Best practices for Instagram hashtags
The era of indiscriminately appending every trending hashtag to brand content is a thing of the past. Although there isn’t a single definitive method for using Instagram hashtags, adhering to best practices can significantly enhance performance. Here are some strategies to consider:
1. Experiment with the Number of Hashtags
Determining the ideal count of hashtags can be perplexing. When integrated into the caption, adhering to Instagram’s suggestion of 3 to 5 is advisable. If you intend to use the first comment section for hashtags, utilizing the full quota of 30 is acceptable. However, this doesn’t mean that 30 hashtags should be applied to every post. Which leads us to the next tip.
2. Place Hashtags in the First Comment
Excessive hashtags within captions can clutter your post’s presentation. Keep captions concise, reserving additional hashtags for comments. With tools like Sprout’s Compose box, you can schedule the first Instagram comment alongside your post and caption.
3. Identify the Most Relevant Hashtags
Uncover optimal hashtags for your brand through several methods. One approach is to observe the hashtags used by influencers and accounts you follow. Alternatively, brainstorm and enter hashtags into Instagram’s search bar. As you type, related hashtags will also emerge. For instance, in the case of #coffee’s prevalence, exploring more specialized alternatives further down the list could yield targeted engagement while mitigating spam.
4. Track Pertinent Hashtags
Instagram allows you to track the results of any hashtag. These posts populate your feed alongside content from followed accounts. This technique proves valuable for industry or community hashtags, aiding in monitoring trends. However, it’s less suitable for branded hashtags as it doesn’t guarantee full feed visibility.
5. Promote Branded Hashtags
Once your roster of branded hashtags is established, incorporate them into applicable posts consistently. Frequently used branded hashtags often feature in Instagram bios, accompanied by a call-to-action for audience participation. For instance, Grove Collaborative features #GroveHome in their IG bio, encouraging customers to use the hashtag when sharing brand-related posts.
6. Craft Hashtag Lists
Rather than replicating the same set of hashtags for every post, categorize them by topic. Education-related posts might warrant different hashtags than product announcements. Instead of creating a new list for each post, maintain diverse lists tailored to the various content themes you cover. Utilize tools like Sprout’s Asset Library to manage these lists efficiently.
7. Incorporate Hashtags into Stories
Despite their transient nature, Instagram Stories are not exempt from the hashtag’s potential. They appear in search results and can attract new followers. If you possess an abundance of hashtags for a Story, place them behind a gif or sticker to maintain a clean aesthetic.
Embarking on your Instagram hashtag journey Leveraging hashtags on Instagram can yield several brand benefits: increased brand recognition, heightened engagement, and deeper insights into competitor activities. Before diving into hashtags, familiarize yourself with the diverse types available and adhere to the suggested best practices.
Read more to discover the art and science of finding and using the best hashtags for maximum impact on your Instagram content.