Instagram hashtags continue to be one of the most effective marketing strategies to catch more people’s eyes and engagements on your Instagram posts in the upcoming year, 2022.
However, how to find the great hashtags for your Instagram account? Which hashtags are the most famous these days? And should you add hashtags in your caption or in the comments?
You can find all the answers to these questions in this guide to Instagram hashtags in 2022.
How Do Hashtags Work on Instagram?
Instagram hashtags are a method that helps to label and categorize your content. They then allow Instagram to show your posts to relevant users.
In their most simple function, the hashtags you use to fuel the search results on the Instagram Explore page:
However, it doesn’t end there. Hashtags are also used as a reference for the Instagram algorithm, so it can categorize your content and recommend it to the users it thinks will have a high interest.
Do Instagram Hashtags Still Work in 2022?
Hashtags have always been the heart of much debate, especially following Instagram’s recent recommendation to only use between 3-5 hashtags.
As Instagram slowly pivots towards semantic keyword search, it opens up a new world of possibilities in content discoverability – indicating that the words in your captions or the topics in your videos will become searchable too.
However, despite these major advancements, hashtags do still effectively work on Instagram. Paired with a strong content strategy, they can help yield impressive results.
The Most Popular Instagram Hashtags in 2022
Using ultra-popular hashtags isn’t always the most effective method for gaining engagement on your posts and stories, as they’re less likely to be seen.
That said, it’s necessary to know what’s trending on the app, so here’s an updated list of the top 50 Instagram hashtags suggested by Later:
- #love
- #design
- #instagood
- #interiordesign
- #fashion
- #inspiration
- #style
- #art
- #smallbusiness
- #shoplocal
- #motivation
- #foodie
- #homedecor
- #travel
- #halloween
- #photography
- #beauty
- #handmade
- #food
- #realestate
- #health
- #wellness
- #selfcare
- #fitness
- #lifestyle
- #home
- #photooftheday
- #shopsmall
- #nature
- #instafood
- #supportlocal
- #ootd
- #architecture
- #skincare
- #selflove
- #vegan
- #luxury
- #healthy
- #beautiful
- #foodporn
- #business
- #entrepreneur
- #linkinbio
- #fall
- #interior
- #foodstagram
- #healthylifestyle
- #adventure
- #homedesign
- #delicious
*Updated November 2021.
How Many Hashtags Should You Use on Instagram?
As we’ve said above, Instagram recently advised that creators should use only 3 to 5 hashtags on their posts, despite allowing up to 30 per post.
This goes against everything we’ve previously heard about how Instagram hashtags work. However, the truth is Instagram now focuses more on keywords and SEO, so it makes sense.
Instagram is launching more “suggested” content feeds – like the Instagram Reels tab. But in order to provide suggested content that truly is a “good match,” Instagram needs to be able to accurately categorize it. The theory? Fewer hashtags = more reliable self-categorization.
For now, using more hashtags is still one of the most effective strategies for gainning your reach and engagement on Instagram feed posts. However, as Instagram introduces more “suggested” content feeds, focusing on fewer, hyper-relevant hashtags could be a method worth testing.
What Are the Different Types of Instagram Hashtag?
Before choosing hashtags for your posts, it’s a great idea to think about the different types of hashtags you can add on your posts.
This will help ensure that you’re covering all the bases with your hashtag strategy.
There are five main types of hashtags to consider:
- Location-based hashtags, like #NationPark or #WestSide
- Branded hashtags for campaigns or events, like #Buildmyplays or #BuildmyplaysInstagram
- Industry hashtags that describe your business niche, like #SocialMediaManagers or #beautybloggers
- Community-focused hashtags to make your community come closer, like #VanLifeLiving or #IAmASweatyBetty
- Descriptive hashtags which describe the content of your actual post, like #WoodwickCandles or #CocoaButterProducts
There’s no secret formula for how many hashtags that you should add in one post, but keeping the different categories in mind can inspire you and help guide your strategy.
The Way to Find the Best Hashtags for Your Content Strategy
Adding 20-30 hashtags to your Instagram posts is the perfect way to boost your reach and engagement rates.
So how do you find these relevant hashtags for each post? Here are 3 different ways you can use to do it:
Tactic #1: Use a Hashtag Suggestion Tool
There are many hashtag suggestion tools available out there for you to choose.
Later’s Hashtag Suggestion tool is one of these tools. It’s an easy way to find hashtags based on your posts’ content and similar hashtags in your niche.
Tactic #2: Use the Instagram Explore Page
The Instagram Explore page is a great source of inspiration for your hashtag marketing strategy.
For the great outcomes, search for keywords that are related to your brand or content and check out the “Top” outcomes.
These posts are clearly performing well with the Instagram algorithm, so note down the different hashtags being used and whether they could work for your content.
Tactic #3: Check Hashtag Volume
When it comes to finding the best hashtags, post volume is a vital metric.
If a hashtag has already been used on millions of published posts, it’s hard for your post to be shown amongst the masses.
On the other hand, if a hashtag only has just a few posts, it’s likely that no one is searching for it on the Instagram Explore page. For a safe middle-ground, aim for hashtags with between 10K-200K posts.
To check a hashtag’s post volume, go to Instagram’s tag search tool on the Explore Page.
This is a good way to vet your hashtags, and can also provide valuable inspiration. For example, you might explore a more niche hashtag that starts with the same keyword but has a much healthier volume of posts.
Should You Use Hashtags in the Instagram Caption or Comment Section?
Instagram said that hashtags work effectively in both your post caption and the comments section. So, it depends on you about where you want to share them.
It is worth considering timeliness though. If you’re manually posting hashtags in the comments section, you should add this as soon as your post is published.
It’s good for you to keep your caption aesthetic clean, while still benefiting from all the added exposure benefits of a good hashtag strategy.
Build an Effective Instagram Hashtag Strategy in 2022 With Analytics
The best way to build your hashtag strategy?
Building from a solid foundation. When you’ve found the hashtags you want to use, it’s important to start testing and analyzing them.
Analyzing the performance of your hashtags is the perfect way to measure the success of your experiments, and will allow you to fine-tune your strategy over time.
It automatically compares the hashtags you use with post-performance over time – giving you an overview of what’s working, and what’s not, for your account.
Hashtags are a powerful way to reach new viewers and grow your account, but you need to spend time and effort to see big results.
Whether you use 10 or 30, a consistent hashtag strategy is necessary for growth on Instagram.