How Many Hashtags Should I Use On Instagram?

Hashtags are a tool to help social media accounts gain popularity. A strategic hashtag could be the difference between an unnoticed account and making an impressive income. 

So, How Many Hashtags Should You Use on Instagram? 

It depends. Three to five hashtags are usually best, but a lot more should be weighed before you decide what number is right for you. There are several factors and details to consider. Read on to learn what type of hashtags will get the likes you want.

#areyouready 

Why Hashtags for Instagram Matter

Hashtags have a significant role in attracting attention to your posts and your brand. A hashtag is a word or phrase with no spaces and a # mark ahead of it. For example:

#learnabouthashtags or #hashtagschool

When people use hashtags in their content or comments on Instagram, the Instagram algorithm uses these to categorize content and make topics easier to find. 

When you click on a hashtag you see on a story or post, it will immediately take you to an Explore Page with a feed showing posts using that hashtag. If you include hashtags in your posts, you could show up on other people's Explore Pages or in their search results.

Why Should I Use Hashtags?

When you include hashtags in your post, you can help boost your content in four main ways.

• Increased Discoverability: Hashtags allow your content to reach anyone who searches for the hashtag, so you're likely to pop up on more Explore Pages.

• Targeted Reach: Carefully crafted hashtags will ensure your brand and message reach your specific target audiences.

• Community Building: Hashtags can build a sense of community. When people see others who share interests, they feel like they’re part of a special group.

• Brand Awareness: Branded hashtags can help your brand become more recognizable and increase your likelihood of increasing sales or Instagram likes.

   

 

Instagram's Hashtag Limits and Guidelines

 

Just because hashtags are an effective way to gain popularity and attention doesn’t mean you can add thousands. In actuality, there are rules about how many hashtags you can include. 

• Instagram Post: You can have up to 30 hashtags. 

• Instagram Bio: You can have as many as you want, but your bio only allows 150 characters or less. 

• Instagram Stories: You can include up to 10 hashtags.

​​Instagram does have guidelines and rules regarding inappropriate hashtags. If a hashtag goes against Instagram's Terms of Use or Community Guidelines, the post could be deleted or your account could be shadowbanned (when Instagram limits your content’s reach without notifying you). 

Some examples of banned hashtags include obscenities and offensive or sexual terms. Regularly review banned hashtags so you don’t accidentally use something that could harm your chances of gaining viewers.

 

Finding the Magic Number of Hashtags on Instagram

Just because Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use that many. In fact, Instagram recommends you only use three to five hashtags on your post to boost the likelihood of getting the most engagement from viewers. Instagram says, “Adding 10-20 hashtags will not help you get additional distribution.” 

Fewer hashtags make it easier for the Instagram algorithm to categorize posts and get them to viewers.

The idea of only using a select number of hashtags is directly related to quality vs. quantity. The more punchy and interesting your hashtags are, the more likely they’ll champion the algorithm and get new likes. 

Finding Your Ideal Hashtag Number

 

While it’s a good idea to follow Instagram’s recommendation, you can experiment to see what works best for you. The effectiveness of hashtags will vary based on the audience, the niche, and the purpose of your content.

Run an experiment. 

• Step 1: Create three different posts. On one, use Instagram's recommendation and stay between three and five hashtags. On the second, use between 10 and 20, and on the third, use 30. 

• Step 2: Wait a week, then compare the posts and see which received the most views, likes, shares, and comments. 

• Step 3: You can keep repeating this experiment to find the sweet spot for your brand. 

Whatever number of hashtags regulalry brings in the most interaction and attention, that's the number you should continue to use.

What Types of Hashtags to Use

We’ve mentioned it's important to have quality over quantity when it comes to hashtags, but what exactly makes a hashtag “quality”? Before you start attaching hashtags to your posts, take some time to explore the four common types of hashtags.

Popular Hashtags

Trending hashtags are a good idea because they tap into an area where people are currently searching. Unfortunately, thousands of other people are also using popular hashtags and your post may get lost in the vast sea of others. 

Niche Hashtags

Niche hashtags will attract a specific audience and make your content easy for them to find. The drawback, however, is that niche hashtags aren’t as likely to be discovered by others. Only those looking for them will see your post, so your audience will stay relatively small.

Branded Hashtags

Branded hashtags are when you use your specific brand name or unique brand phrases in a hashtag. For example:

#Superviral

These help people discover your brand and can gain you followers or customers. They also allow your fans to use your branded hashtag and expand your reach. However, this will only work effectively if your brand gains popularity through viral posts or leverages other hashtags on your post to get views.

Community Hashtags

There are many communities on Instagram. The book community, crafting, fashion, cooking—there are endless communities you can become a part of. Community hashtags are a bit more general than niche hashtags but still target specific audiences. 

Community hashtags on posts often encourage more interaction and engagement, as people are excited to comment about something they know and love.

 

Strategic Hashtag Usage

Some strategies you can easily implement are sure to boost your reach and increase engagement on your posts. 

Research

Before you use hashtags, it’s important to do your homework and find the best ones. Look at competitors’ pages and see what hashtags they’re using. 

Use Instagram analytics to see how many posts have certain hashtags—search the hashtag on the Instagram search feature and the number of hashtag uses will pop up. If one hashtag already has millions of uses, it probably won't help your content be found. If a hashtag only has thousands of uses, it’s more likely to appear on an explore search page. 

Mixing Hashtag Types

When you add hashtags, use a variety to reach different audiences. Try using a community one and a branded one, then throw in a popular one. Having different types of hashtags will improve your chances of reaching many different audiences.

Customize Each Post

Even if your content on every post is similar, you shouldn’t use the same exact hashtags. Instead, have a list of similar hashtags that you can cycle through. Try targeting different audiences with different posts and tailor your hashtags to match.

Monitor and Analyze Performance

Instagram has analytic tools that will help you measure the performance of your posts and see if your hashtags are doing their job. Review which posts perform best to see which hashtags are worth another use and which aren’t. If posts targeting a certain audience do better, lean in and target that audience more often.

 

Common Hashtag Mistakes to Avoid

 

Even with the best intentions, hashtags don't always do what you hoped. There are some common practices to avoid to increase your likelihood of gaining followers and likes.

• Don't use too many hashtags: This could bog down the algorithm and make your posts less likely to be seen.

• Don't use unrelated hashtags: If you use a hashtag about cooking but your post is about nail art, then using that hashtag could harm your credibility.

• Never use banned hashtags: You could get your account shadowbanned.

 

Remember that consistency is key. Don’t make one post with 30 hashtags and then another that only uses two. Try to keep your posts consistent and use a similar amount of hashtags. 

 

Leverage Hashtags to Gain Followers and Likes

Hashtags are the key to gaining followers and likes for every one of your posts. Using between three and five hashtags will help you gain followers and even convert many into customers. 

Take the time and experiment to see what hashtags work and how many will help your brand.

Want an extra boost? Superviral is here to help you gain popularity and get your content noticed! With our services, you can gain more likes for your posts. The more likes you get, the more likely the algorithm will push your posts to the top of Explorer Pages—gaining you more recognition and followers. 

When you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, use Superviral to gain views and grow your social media accounts.