How To Find Popular Instagram Hashtags Trending Today

Millions of posts go up on Instagram every single day. Even if you have the funniest Reels or prettiest photos, they can easily get lost in an ocean of content. One way to ensure they still get the spotlight is by using Instagram hashtags trending today.

Hashtags are amazing at pushing your content into the limelight and getting it on your target audience’s screens. But how do you find the trendiest and most hip and happenin’ tags on the platform? Keep reading to see our top tips for finding trending Instagram hashtags at any given moment.

Are Hashtags Still Relevant on Instagram Today?

Hashtags have been around for almost two decades, so many people think they’re dinosaurs in the social media world. However, using hashtags still plays a huge role in getting more followers and likes for Instagram creators everywhere. 

HubSpot data from 2023 shows that 85% of IG marketers follow a stringent hashtag strategy. And 80% of them say the hashtags are still super effective.

Hashtags help “categorize” posts on Instagram, ensuring that people interested in that tag see the content underneath it. They make content discoverable to audiences looking for posts in specific communities and lifestyle topics.

But you can’t just use the first hashtags you think of on every single post. You need to be purposeful and strategic with the tags you use in your content. And the very best hashtags you can use are those that are timely, relevant, and trending. That way, you can shine in communities talking about hot topics and cultural moments.

How To Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram in 6 Ways

Hashtags make a huge difference in your post’s visibility and engagement. But to really reap the benefits of a hashtag strategy, you need to do thorough hashtag research. That way, you can find the tags that are taking the world by storm and can catapult your content to relevance. 

Here’s how to find trending hashtags on Instagram in six different ways.

1. Use Instagram Search To Find Popular Hashtags Related to a Keyword

The first way to find trending hashtags is to use Instagram search’s autocomplete feature of Instagram searches. Here’s how to do it, step by step:

1. On the Instagram app, tap the magnifying glass icon to go to the Explore page.

2. In the search bar, type a keyword related to your niche.

3. Head to the Tags section of the search results.

The “Tags” section shows you the most popular tags related to or mentioning that keyword. The results are arranged according to the number of posts that use that hashtag. So, the ones that are trending will likely appear at the top.

2. Look Through the Captions of Posts on the Explore Page

Another trick is to go through the top posts on the Explore page to see what hashtags people use today. All you have to do is choose one of the posts related to your niche and check on the caption. If it’s quite long, tap “More” to see the entire caption. There, you’ll see a list of hashtags they might have used.

See, to successfully get on the Explore page, your content has to be incredibly engaging and drive immense reach. The posts on that page are likely high-quality content that utilizes hashtags to drive that reach and engagement. By peeking into the captions of these posts, you can get an idea of what hashtags work well currently.

3. Find Current Trending Hashtags on Instagram on Influencers’ Posts

Influencers are another great source of current trending hashtags on Instagram. Remember, influencers and brands make trends explode on social media. So, if you want to know the hottest tags right now, take a look at what popular creators are posting.

Head to the profile of a creator you admire and look through their content, focusing on the high-performing and engaging ones. Check on content about their expertise to get a sense of trending niche hashtags. Look through sponsored posts or user-generated content to check on popular branded hashtags. “Borrow” these tags and include them in your hashtag strategy.

4. Follow Hashtags Related to Your Niche Topic

Another way to get a feel of trending tags in your niche is to follow popular hashtags related to your industry. When you follow these tags, Instagram will push out top-performing, relevant content that mentions them on your feed. The trick is to check all the other hashtags they used in the captions. Those tags are probably also very high-performing and trendy today.

This is a great way to find trending community hashtags in your niche. For example, let’s say you’re a book reviewer. Following the #books or #bookstagram tags is probably a no-brainer since they’re among the most popular tags in the niche. But check on content that uses these, and you’ll find niche community tags like #readersofinstagram and #authorsofinstagram.

5. Generate a List of Relevant Hashtags With a Hashtag Generator

Don’t want to look for trending hashtags manually? Let a third-party hashtag tool do it for you! Plenty of websites specialize in generating lists of hashtags surrounding your niche topic. From there, it’s as easy as copying and pasting those tags into your post caption.

Want to try using a trusted tool? Check out the Path Social Hashtag Generator. It’s a must for any creator who wants to generate a string of hashtags relevant to their content quickly.

All you have to do is type in a keyword related to your content’s theme or topic. Then, we’ll generate a list of hashtags associated with that niche. You will also see all the topline data about the keyword you put in. See info like the tag’s total number of posts and how difficult it is to rank in its top posts!

6. Check on Current Trending Topics Around the World

Many trending hashtags are born out of trending topics. So, it’s important to stay in the loop about hot issues and cultural moments people are buzzing about. The more you stay tuned to global trends, the easier you’ll find hashtags related to them.

There are plenty of sites where you can check on the world’s top trending topics. Google Trends’ “Trending Now” feature allows you to see what people are looking up online at any given moment. It also shows you the search volume for those keywords and whether it’s an active trend.

You can also check out Trndgtr, a similar site that shows the trending topics in major cities around the globe. Also, if you love finance, this site is for you. As a bonus, it shows the top stocks of each day!

Another way to see what people are talking about online is to invest in social listening tools. These tools show you the top keywords and hashtags people use on online platforms and forums.

More Tips To Help You Perfect Your Hashtag Strategy

Finding Instagram trending hashtags is super important, sure. But at the end of the day, it’s all about how you use those popular hashtags in your content strategy. If you don’t know how to incorporate it smoothly into your content, you won’t reap their many benefits.

Looking to perfect your list of daily hashtags or run the best hashtag campaign your brand has ever had? Here are some golden rules about implementing your hashtag strategy on Instagram to really get the most out of it:

• Add hashtags at the end of the caption or in the first comment of your post. These placements give your actual caption better readability and time to shine since the tags are arranged at the end. Posting tags in a comment makes your caption look even cleaner while still giving you the benefit of boosted visibility.
•  Use a different list of hashtags per post. Avoid using the same exact hashtags for every single post you publish. This can make your posts look spammy and unmeaningful. Plus, it might even flag the Instagram algorithm that you’re merely repeating hashtags and keywords. If that happens, there’s a chance they could shadowban your page.
• When choosing hashtags for your post, combine popular tags with more niche hashtags. It’s difficult to rank on the really popular tags. Including lesser-known yet still relevant tags increases your chances of showing up on the Explore page.
• Don’t use banned hashtags that might be considered inappropriate for the platform. These are typically the tags that are racy, shame others, and glorify certain body types. Steer clear of them, as they can decrease your visibility on the platform. And that’s exactly the opposite of what you want your hashtags to do for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Boost Your Post Visibility by Using Instagram Hashtags Trending Right Now!

Mastering the art of incorporating trending IG hashtags into your content strategy is a must to maximize reach and engagement. It helps expand the audience who sees your content and gives you a chance to shine on the Explore page.

Sure, it takes extra time and effort. But painstakingly researching the most popular tags in your niche and using them in your captions will always pay off.

Overwhelmed at the thought of researching Instagram hashtags trending at the moment? Don’t worry; there are still other ways to grow organically on Instagram—like through Path Social. We use promotional strategies—never bots and automation—to boost your content’s visibility. Just tell us your target audience, and we make sure they discover your content.

We’ve helped creators like Margene Beaver gain over 11,000 followers and skyrocket engagement by 363%. And we want to see those whopping numbers for your account, too! Get active, authentic followers and find success on Instagram with Path Social today.