Best Hashtags Guide for Instagram Influencers

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Feb 15, 2024

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Instagram hashtags are still one of the most effective ways to get more eyes (and engagement!) on your Instagram posts.

Did you know 62% of marketers use between four to nine hashtags in an Instagram feed post? So, why are hashtags important? How many hashtags should you use? Our ultimate guide on Instagram hashtags in 2024 has all the answers to finding the best hashtags. Moreover, we will also introduce some hashtag generators for boosting your 2024 posts.

A sign saying #2024 beside two glasses and Christmas decorations on a table.

Why Use Instagram Hashtags?

Instagram hashtags are words, phrases, or numbers marked by the pound or hashtag symbol (#) within captions. This symbol categorizes your Instagram content, aiding in its discoverability on the app. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. However, it recommends using between 3 and 5 hashtags for best results. 

Your Instagram marketing plan would be incomplete without hashtags. There are lots of reasons to use them. Now, we’ll go over the five advantages that hashtags offer.

Increases Exposure & Discovery

The main reason people use hashtags is to get more visibility. On Instagram, when you click on a hashtag, a gallery that includes the most recent and popular posts opens.

You can then look at all the posts that are related to it on this page. Also, if you use the right hashtags for your business, users looking for those hashtags will find your posts.

Moreover, your audience can utilize branded hashtags to showcase their experiences with your products or services. This serves as a form of brand advocacy. Hashtags significantly contribute to overall brand awareness. Even clicking through one post on the search results page opens doors to discover similar content.

Encourages Audience Interactions

When you start a hashtag campaign around your brand, it encourages audience interaction. People use these branded hashtags to relate to your campaign and interact with you through their posts. 

Instagram saves the tagged feed posts in search results, and tagged story posts are active as long as the story lasts. However, if people use your hashtag in their posts, it stays on the hashtag page forever. This is until the person removes the hashtag from their post. 

Also, as your hashtag becomes popular, your campaign will grow. More people will discover posts with that hashtag and create a post of their own using the hashtag. This way, your audience interaction will continue to increase.

So, you can consider hashtags on Instagram as another way to connect with and get your customers’ attention.

Competitor Analysis

Do you wonder how much space your rivals occupy online? Hashtags offer insights into your social media share. Often, you’ll share hashtags with competitors, especially industry and local ones. By analyzing posts through a social media competitive analysis, you can gauge the share of voice, sentiment, and engagement.

Ideally, your posts and those tagged by your customers dominate hashtag search results. Explore relevant hashtag posts for inspiration and pinpoint areas where your brand might lag compared to competitors.

A person scrolling through the Instagram Explore page.

Content Research

Just like SEO keyword research, hashtags help in exploring diverse content ideas. Imagine aiming for a higher share of voice within #Summeroutfits, challenging with over 9.8 million posts under the hashtag.

But don’t worry. You won’t have to scroll through all 9.8 million posts to draw an idea. You can explore the ‘Top’ tab on the search results page to figure out what’s working for brands similar to yours. 

Are any trending styles or captions grabbing the audience’s attention? Take inspiration from such high-performing posts to create your post under that hashtag. 

A hashtag saying “be curious” is placed on the window of a shop.

Links Digital and IRL Campaigns

If you go shopping, you’ll likely find a marketing campaign linked to a hashtag. Be it their general brand tag or a specific campaign one, hashtags bridge the gap between digital and conventional campaigns.

A woman writing on the whiteboard with a hashtag in the center.

How To Find the Best Hashtags for Instagram

We know that hashtags can make our posts more successful. But the real question is, how do we know which hashtags would work better for our campaign? Which trending hashtags are more relevant? 

Are you wondering how to find the best hashtags for Instagram? Let’s discuss the 6 top tactics to find hashtags for Instagram. 

1. Use Mobile Apps

There are tons of hashtag generator applications available in the App Store for various social networking networks. Considering everyone uses Instagram on their phones, it makes sense to have most of these apps on mobile phones.

All of the mobile apps share the same basic features. You have the option to generate hashtags by entering keywords or searching for them by category. You can also sort how many times other posts have used the hashtags. This feature can be particularly useful as using popular hashtags can get you more engagement. So, you can turn to these apps if you’re looking for popular and relevant hashtags. 

2. Conduct Research on the Instagram Explore Page

If you are looking for ideas for Instagram hashtags, the Explore page is a fantastic place to start. Explore Page is powered by a complex algorithm. Everything from your reactions and followers to the accounts you’re following goes into this. This section displays content based on your interests. So everyone will have content unique to their interest on their explore page. 

Now, each of these posts will have niche hashtags in the description. You can start noting these hashtags to create your collection. But you will have to do this manually. So, it might not be a tough one, but it will definitely take a lot of your time. 

One of the best things about the Explore page is how it greatly increases your exposure to a wider audience. If you know how to read Instagram’s algorithm, you can attract a good amount of followers through this hashtag strategy. 

Among the criteria to determine whether or not your Instagram post appears on the Explore page are currently popular hashtags. So, while this strategy may be time-consuming, the results can be super amazing.

3. Check Instagram Hashtag Volume Using Instagram’s Tag Search Tool

Considering the number of posts that have already used that hashtag is crucial when determining the most effective hashtags. If a hashtag has millions of posts, your own might get lost in the crowd. On the other hand, a hashtag with only a few hundred posts might not attract attention on Instagram’s Explore page.

For a balanced approach, target hashtags with a post count ranging between 10,000 to 200,000. Navigate to Instagram’s tag search tool within the Explore Page to assess a hashtag’s post volume. This method helps evaluate your hashtags and offers valuable inspiration.

4. Check the Hashtag Autocomplete Feature

On Instagram, the search function allows users to explore accounts, audio, places, and hashtags aligned with their interests. As you type, the search engine displays similar, trendy hashtags. Moreover, it shows tags followed by the accounts you’re connected with.

It’s important to note that this feature often suggests exceedingly popular hashtags that boast millions of posts.

5. Follow Relevant Hashtags

All of us are familiar with how we can follow users on Instagram. But did you know that you can follow hashtags? Yeah, that’s right. When you follow a hashtag, the top posts associated with a hashtag will show up on your home page.

Open the description of the post that shows on your homepage and shortlist some of its hashtags for your posts. If those hashtags worked for this user, they might work for you, too. 

For that reason, it’s an excellent way to find trending and relevant hashtags. Besides this, you can also get access to a lot of content ideas for your post from here. 

Again, you need to keep in mind that this option is going to demand a lot of your time and mental energy. So, if you sign up for this strategy, be ready for that. 

6. Follow Relevant Influencers

On Instagram, influencers are the true trendsetters. So, why not keep a check on what hashtags they are using? You can also use hashtags in Instagram Stories. So, make sure you see Instagram stories, too.

But for this strategy to be effective, you would need to follow the right influencers. Check the kind of content they post. Is that what your audience would want to see, too? If so, then you’re in the right place, and you should start walking in the steps of this influencer. 

A desk featuring a lightbox alongside stationary elements tagged with #trend.

Which Are the Best Hashtags for Reels?

Instagram Reels is one of the app’s current star features. You can win audience engagement and reach by posting captivating Reels. However, mastering the art of making Instagram Reels requires more than pretty filters. It requires a savvy approach to hashtags.

Imagine having the perfect video—a trending audio clip, clever edits, a compelling message, and an entertaining filter that turns heads. But you didn’t do proper research on the hashtags. Without the right Reel hashtags, your masterpiece might never land in front of its deserving audience.

Here are some generic best hashtags for reels that can make your reels go trending. Get ready to boost your likes, followers, and shares by using the finest list of hashtags for Instagram.

  1. #art
  2. #amazing
  3. #beach
  4. #beautiful
  5. #beautytips
  6. #bhfyp
  7. #comment
  8. #comedySkits
  9. #creativecontent
  10. #dancechallenges
  11. #design
  12. #dogsofinstagram
  13. #entertainment
  14. #fashion
  15. #fashiontrends
  16. #fitness
  17. #fitnessinspiration
  18. #followers
  19. #followback
  20. #followforfollow
  21. #followforfollowback
  22. #followme
  23. #foryoupage
  24. #foodielife
  25. #foodporn
  26. #holareels
  27. #instadaily
  28. #instagood
  29. #instagramreels
  30. #instareels
  31. #instalike
  32. #inspiringstories
  33. #likeforfollow
  34. #likeforlike
  35. #likesforlikes
  36. #may2024
  37. #motivation
  38. #musicvideos
  39. #newtrends
  40. #nofilter
  41. #ootd
  42. #petlove
  43. #photography
  44. #photooftheday 
  45. #photo 
  46. #picoftheday
  47. #reelsoftheday
  48. #reelsexplore
  49. #reelsforyou
  50. #reelsinstagram
  51. #reelsitfeelit
  52. #reelslove
  53. #reelslover
  54. #reelsIndia
  55. #reelsbrasil
  56. #reelsvideo
  57. #reelsvideos
  58. #reelsviralvideo
  59. #reelsinsta
  60. #shortformcontent
  61. #smile
  62. #style
  63. #summer
  64. #travel 
  65. #tbt
  66. #trend
  67. #trendingnow
  68. #trendingreels
  69. #videooftheday
  70. #viralvideos

A desk that has a paper with #Hashtag Campaign printed on it 

How To Choose Hashtags for Instagram Through Best Hashtag Generator

Are you short on time and want to use the greatest hashtags across all of your social media? If you’re wondering how to choose hashtags for Instagram, there’s news – you can use a hashtag generator. All of these tools will allow you to search relevant hashtags around your target subject. So, if you want to explore hashtags for your post, use one of the best hashtag generators on this list. 

Path SEO Instagram Hashtag Generator

Within Path SEO, an Instagram marketing toolkit, you can find a hashtag generator offering the following features:

  • Provides analytics and the best selection of hashtags relevant to #legoleaks.
  • Displays the number of posts using the hashtag.
  • All features are free to use.
  • Indicates posts per day and its impact on exposure.
  • Rates difficulty level for ranking at the top (rated from 0 to 100).
  • Analyzes new post-activity.
  • Offers a unique AI for generating effective hashtags.
  • Allows clicking on hashtags to add, with a maximum count of 30.

Constraints: Doesn’t have a mobile app. 

Toolzu Instagram Hashtag Generator

Toolzu, an Instagram marketing tool, presents a hashtag generator akin to Inflact’s. Here are some of its features:

  • Mobile app accessibility.
  • Single-keyword, URL, or photo-based hashtag generation.
  • Display of hashtag difficulty and content volume associated with it.

Constraints: The free version showcases restricted capabilities.

CopyAI Hashtag Generator

Copy.ai employs AI to recommend pertinent content to its users, including hashtags. Its hashtag generator includes the following features:

  • Generates up to 50 hashtags simultaneously.
  • Provides an array of AI-powered copywriting tools.
  • Enables direct copying of hashtags into your posts.

Constraints: The free version offers limited capabilities and requires signing up for access.

A girl holding a book with #girlboss written on it.

Instagram Hashtags Not Working

Are your Instagram hashtags not working? Are they failing to deliver the expected results? Did you craft perfect #OOTD, collaborate with your favorite photographer, and time the elusive #GoldenHour, all for that ‘gram moment?

However, it seems that despite your efforts, it didn’t quite hit your Instagram followers or perform as expected. It’s a sign that your Instagram hashtags aren’t functioning properly, which is concerning.

The reason behind your hashtags not working might stem from several factors. This includes inconsistency in posting, repetitive use of the same hashtags, or mismatch between content and hashtags.

Simply peppering Instagram with attractive-sounding hashtags won’t cut it. There’s more to it than meets the eye. While your initial thought might be that you’ve used banned hashtags, that might not necessarily be the case.

But fret not! There are fixes available to ensure your Instagram hashtags perform optimally. Let’s walk you through some of these solutions.

Commit to a Posting Schedule

Stick to a consistent posting schedule, whether it’s thrice a week or five times, and stick with it diligently. This not only informs your followers of your content’s regularity but also boosts the likelihood of their engagement.

Match Content With the Hashtag

On Instagram, there’s a dedicated explore section specifically tailored for browsing through individual hashtags. Within this space, you’ll discover posts that share common visual themes and veer into related topics, indicating the hashtag’s popularity.

Before getting into content creation for your Instagram followers, spare a minute or two to explore this Instagram section. It’s a valuable exercise to comprehend the content resonating with the followers of your chosen hashtag. This simple step can expand your target audience reach, elevate engagement, and prevent issues with Instagram hashtags not functioning.

Avoid Using the Same Hashtags

Let’s assume you’ve taken our advice from the first two points. So, now you’re maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Moreover, you’re also delivering content your Instagram followers crave within a specific hashtag.

However, there’s one more thing that you need to make sure of. Avoid using the same cluster of hashtags repeatedly. Infuse variety into your hashtag choices to keep your audience engaged. It will also prevent Instagram from penalizing you for potential spamming with a recurring set of hashtags. 

A person seeing an Instagram post on their phone.

Leverage the Right Strategies To Boost Your Visibility With Path Social

Hashtags are the lifeblood of an Instagram influencer’s success. Don’t take these words preceded by a sign for granted. They’re powerful tools that shape visibility, engagement, and community on this social media platform.

If you want to win more Instagram audiences, you need to understand the nuances of hashtags. The trick is not aiming for the most popular ones but finding the perfect blend that resonates with your audience.

To gain authentic growth and steer clear of spammy shortcuts. Craft diverse hashtag collections and leverage niche and relevant tags. Remember that getting likes and comments is not the true goal. The actual goal is to build meaningful connections that last—wondering how you can do that.

Partner with Path Social and unlock the potential of Instagram tools to amplify your Instagram influence today!

Whether you’re struggling to find the best hashtags or creating the right reels, Path Social can help you with the best strategies. Our AI-generated algorithm and tools like hashtag generator and analyzer will help you gain engagement and grow your following. Path Social’s results are unparalleled, building lasting Instagram communities. So, what are you waiting for? Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!