Best hashtags for instagram in 2024: Boost Your Reach

In recent years, Instagram continues to be one of the most powerful platforms for brands and individuals to reach a wide audience. However, standing out in a sea of content requires more than just great visuals or compelling captions. Using the right hashtags can significantly boost your reach and visibility, helping you connect with your target audience more effectively. This guide System SocialZ will explore the best hashtags for Instagram in 2024, offering insights on how to leverage them to maximize your presence and engagement on the platform.

What are hashtags on Instagram?

Instagram hashtags are keywords, phrases, or numbers preceded by the hashtag symbol (#) that help categorize your content on the platform. When you use hashtags in your captions, they make your posts more discoverable to users searching for or following those specific tags. This increased visibility can lead to higher engagement and attract a relevant audience to your profile.

What are hashtags on Instagram?

Why do people use hashtags on Instagram?

Good hashtags for Instagram serve as a tool to organize content on Instagram. They can either be widely-used tags that allow you to group your posts with similar content from others, or they can be specific, niche hashtags that businesses create to generate interest and organize posts related to a particular product or campaign.

For many Instagram users, growing their follower base is a key goal. However, gaining followers who share your interests is far more valuable than random ones. By using relevant hashtags, you ensure your content reaches people who are genuinely interested in the same topics. When they find your posts appealing, they’re more likely to follow you in anticipation of more content related to those interests.

Even if someone doesn’t follow you, they may still appreciate and engage with your posts when they search for a specific hashtag. By utilizing hashtags, you’re helping Instagram categorize your content, ensuring it reaches an audience that finds it meaningful.

Should you use Hashtags when posting?

How to use hashtags on Instagram in 2024?

Using the best hashtags for Instagram strategically can significantly grow your account and keep your content organized. However, hashtags aren’t a “set it and forget it” tool. You need to regularly track which hashtags are driving the most engagement and adjust your approach accordingly. Here are four tips on how to use great hashtags for instagram effectively:

Research relevant and trending hashtags for your brand

Start by identifying the best hashtags for Instagram that relate to your content and target audience. You can do this by exploring posts within your industry, analyzing the hashtags used by competitors, and utilizing Instagram’s search tool to discover trending and related hashtags.

Using best hashtags for instagram will help you gain more followers

Combining both broad and specific hashtags is crucial for success. Popular hashtags can boost your visibility, while more targeted ones help attract a highly engaged audience. For instance, if you own a Chicago-based restaurant, you might pair a broad tag like #restaurants with more specific ones like #chicagorestaurants or #glutenfreechicago to capture a focused following.

Place hashtags in the caption or first comment

You can include the best hashtags for Instagram either within the caption of your post or in the first comment. Both placements perform similarly regarding reach and engagement, but some users prefer to keep captions clean by placing hashtags in the first comment. Test which option works best for your content.

Using hashtags in your posts will help your posts get more attention.

Use the right number of hashtags

Although Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, using too many can lower engagement. Aim for 3-5 of the best hashtags for Instagram that are relevant to your content, ensuring a mix of broad and niche tags (as mentioned in tip #1).

Monitor and adjust your hashtag strategy

Using the best hashtags for Instagram on your posts can help optimize your posts.

Consistently review how the best hashtags for Instagram are performing by checking Instagram insights and analytics. Identify which tags are generating the most reach, impressions, and engagement. Use this data to fine-tune your hashtag strategy for better visibility and interaction.

5 Benefits of hashtags on Instagram

Hashtags should play a key role in your Instagram marketing strategy. There are various ways to use them, and they offer a range of benefits. Let’s explore five key advantages that the best hashtags for Instagram can provide:

Boosts exposure and discovery

One of the primary benefits of using hashtags is their ability to increase your post’s visibility and discoverability. They are powerful tools for enhancing overall brand awareness. Think of the best hashtags for Instagram as digital bridges that connect your content to a wider audience, beyond just your followers. By using relevant and trending hashtags, users searching for those topics are more likely to come across your posts. This increases your chances of gaining new followers and, ideally, converting them into customers.

Encourages audience interactions

Using the best hashtags for Instagram is a powerful way to drive engagement and interaction. When users discover your content through relevant hashtags, they are more likely to interact with your posts by liking, commenting, or sharing. This engagement not only increases the visibility of your posts but also helps foster a stronger connection with your audience, creating a sense of community and loyalty.

Using hashtags for your instagram account will get you significant attention.

Branded hashtags, which are custom tags designed specifically for a brand or campaign, can act as a rallying point for both the business and its followers. When you incorporate branded Instagram hashtags, you encourage users to share their experiences with your products or services, transforming them into brand advocates.

Competitor analysis

Want to know how much digital space your competitors are occupying? Using the best hashtags for Instagram helps you analyze competitor activity, especially if you’re both using similar industry or location-specific tags. Through social media competitive analysis, you can measure their share of voice, sentiment, and engagement across different posts.

By tracking the hashtags your competitors use, you can get insights into their content strategies—what they post, how frequently, and the engagement levels they receive. This valuable information helps you identify trends and effective content strategies, allowing you to refine your own approach and better cater to your audience’s interests.

Content research

Content is also one of the important factors to help you increase your followers.

Nice hashtags for Instagram aren’t just marketing tools; they provide important performance indicators. By monitoring the reach, impressions, and interactions associated with your chosen hashtags, you can gather key insights into what resonates with your audience.

Similar to SEO keyword research, hashtags can guide you in exploring content ideas that are working well for others in your industry. Are there specific styles, captions, or themes trending? This data-driven approach allows you to fine-tune your hashtag strategy, optimize your content calendar, and tailor your posts to better engage with your followers.

Connects digital and in-real-life (IRL) campaigns

Hashtag campaigns often bridge the gap between digital and real-life experiences. Whether shopping online or in stores, you’re likely to encounter hashtag marketing efforts that connect both spaces. The best hashtags for Instagram can be a way for brands to engage with customers in-store, encouraging them to share their experiences online. It’s important to make sure that the incentive to talk about your brand positively is visible both on and off Instagram.

Top the best hashtags for Instagram in 2024

If there’s one golden rule for using the top instagram hashtags in 2024, it’s to ensure they are always relevant to your business and the content you’re sharing. While it’s crucial to stay aligned with your niche, there’s no harm in utilizing popular hashtags within your industry. To help you with this, we’ve compiled a list of the best hashtags for Instagram in 2024 across various industries.

For those looking to discover hashtags specifically for Instagram Reels, be sure to check out our dedicated article on the best Instagram Reel hashtags.

Top 50 Instagram hashtags in 2024

#love (2.1B)
#instagood (1.8B)
#instagram (1.3B)
#fashion (1.1B)
#photooftheday (1.1B)
#art (1.1B)
#photography (1.1B)
#livebeautifully (1.1B)
#nature (827M)
#reels (809M)
#travel (754M)
#picoftheday (734M)
#follow (735M)
#happy (722M)
#instadaily (710M)
#cute (683M)
#style (675M)
#trending (665M)
#tbt (588M)
#summer (570M)
#repost (568M)
#followme (557M)
#beauty (557M)
#instalike (555M)
#fitness (551M)
#food (531M)
#photo (515M)
#like4like (478M)
#music (479M)
#me (459M)
#life (464M)
#family (456M)
#friends (454M)
#selfie (451M)
#smile (445M)
#girl (431M)
#motivation (403M)
#design (385M)
#model (379M)
#handmade (374M)
#lifestyle (370M)
#artist (344M)
#sunset (338M)
#likeforlike (325M)
#dogsofinstagram (325M)
#beach (304M)
#drawing (3010M)
#cat (299M)
#instamood (294M)
#amazing (288M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for B2B

#work (153M)
#smallbusiness (145M)
#business (124M)
#entrepreneur (109M)
#sale (105.5M)
#marketing (86M)
#branding (48M)
#digitalmarketing (40.5M)
#ecommerce (17.4M)
#b2b (3.6M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for fashion and beauty

#fashion (1.1B)
#style (675M)
#beauty (557M)
#ootd (446M)
#makeup (415M)
#hair (254M)
#fashionblogger (171M)
#shopping (162M)
#outfit (160M)
#fashionista (140M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for fitness

#fitness (551M)
#gym (286.5M)
#workout (232M)
#fit (199M)
#health (174M)
#training (153M)
#fitnessmotivation (157M)
#bodybuilding (145M)
#fitfam (125M)
#gymlife (85M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for food, beverage and restaurants

#food (531M)
#foodporn (310M)
#foodie (259M)
#instafood (244M)
#yummy (205M)
#delicious (154M)
#foodstagram (126M)
#foodphotography (117M)
#foodblogger (90.1M)
#foodlover (83.2M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for technology and software

#technology (30.5M)
#tech (23M)
#innovation (18.5M)
#engineering (17.2M)
#programming (7.8M)
#coding (7.4M)
#electronics (7M)
#software (7M)
#developer (5.9M)
#technews (2.4M)

Top 10 Instagram hashtags for travel

#travel (754M)
#explore (691M)
#travelphotography (247M)
#travelgram (183M)
#vacation (161M)
#wanderlust (155M)
#adventure (153M)
#instatravel (131M)
#traveling (96.4M)
#travelblogger (91.3M)

Top 10 Instagram Hashtags for Beauty and Skincare Industry

#beauty (557M)
#skincare (126M)
#skincareroutine (30M)
#skincaretips (13.9)
#beautytips (13M)
#beautybloggers (10M)
#skincarecommunity (4.5M)
#beautymakeup (3.7M)
#beautyphotography (3.2M)
#skincareblogger (2.6M)

Top 10 Instagram Hashtags for Running a Contest or a Giveaway

#contest (12M)
#contestalert (2M)
#sweepstakes (2M)
#freebies (2M)
#freebie (2M)
#freebiefriday (241K)
#WinItWednesday (226K)
#freebiealert (76K)
#sweepstake (57K)
#speekstakesentry (49K)

Top 10 Instagram Hashtags for Reels

#trendingreels (307M)
#foryou (249M)
#reelsvideo (127M)
#foryoupage (98M)
#reelvideo (18M)
#reelsviral (54M)
#reelsinsta (27.8M)
#reel (22.8M)
#reelvideo (18M)
#foryourpage (11M)

Top 10 Occasion-Based Instagram Hashtags

#christmas (207M)
#birthday (165M)
#happybirthday (134M)
#friday (85M)
#birthdaygirl (40M)
#mothersday (39M)
#valentineday (6M)
#tuesdaymotivation (4M)
#birthdaywishes (3.1M)
#occasion (1.8M)

Top 10 Event-Based Instagram Hashtags

#halloween (126M)
#thanksgiving (24.9M)
#newyearseve (11M)
#superbowl (9M)
#Cannes (5.8M)
#coachella (5.6M)
#comiccon (5.3M)
#eventdesign (4.8M)
#mardigras (3.2M)
#grammys ( 2.9M)

Is it better to use hashtags in the caption or in the comments?

You can optionally insert hashtags into comments.

Instagram has confirmed that hashtags are effective in both your post caption and the comments section — so it’s your choice on where to include them.

It is worth considering timeliness though. If you’re manually posting hashtags in the comments section, you’ll want to do this as soon as your post is published.

This is a great way to keep your caption clean, while still benefiting from all the added exposure perks of a good hashtag strategy.

How can I find the most relevant Instagram hashtags for my brand?

While the internet is filled with Instagram hashtag generators, the reality is that you’ll achieve the best results by doing some research yourself. This involves a few key strategies:

Study your competition

Analyze your opponents carefully to find the right direction.

You don’t want to copy your competitors, but there’s always something valuable to learn by observing them. What’s working for their hashtag strategy? Are they connecting with specific community groups through their tag choices? What hashtags should you avoid? Tools of System Socialz are super helpful for analyzing competitors and scoping out industry trends. By focusing on the best hashtags for Instagram, you can refine your approach without imitating others.

Observe your audience

Rather than “spying,” think of it as listening to your audience. If they are using certain hashtags to identify themselves as part of a community or to join conversations, these might be the best hashtags for Instagram to try for your own posts.

Let Instagram guide you

When you enter a keyword into Instagram’s search tool, you’ll see a list of related terms that can help broaden or narrow your reach. For example, tagging your crochet post with #crochet is great, but Instagram might also suggest hashtags like #crochetaddict, #crochetlove, and #crochetersofinstagram—specific community-driven tags that could increase your engagement. These suggestions can often lead you to the best hashtags for Instagram within your niche.

Create your own branded hashtag

Don’t forget to create your own Hashtag

One of the most powerful strategies on Instagram is to create a unique hashtag that promotes your brand or a specific campaign. In other words, the highest hashtag on instagram might be one you create yourself! Promote it through captions, Stories, and even in your bio to encourage your audience to engage with it. Run a contest or collect user-generated content to boost visibility.

Explore the page

While Instagram’s algorithm can be a bit of a mystery, posts featured on the Explore page made it there for a reason—they’re engaging. Take note of the hashtags these successful posts use and see if any patterns emerge. You might find inspiration for the best hashtags for Instagram that could work for your own content.

Use AI hashtag suggestions

While we’ve been skeptical about hashtag generators, but AI tool is an exception. It analyzes your captions and images to recommend the most relevant tags, offering you a unique combination of the best hashtags for Instagram.

You can refer to AI tools to find suitable hashtags

Types of Instagram hashtags

There are several types of hashtags that every brand should be familiar with, each offering unique advantages. Understanding how to use the best hashtags for Instagram is key to maximizing the impact of your content. Here’s a breakdown of the various hashtag categories you’ll want to incorporate:

Branded hashtags

These are hashtags unique to your company or campaign, often featuring your brand or product names. Using the highest hashtag on instagram in the form of branded tags helps build a community around your brand and encourages user-generated content. A great example is Grove Collaborative’s hashtag, #GroveHome, which they feature in their Instagram bio to invite followers to share their experiences with their products.

Campaign hashtags for Instagram

Campaign hashtags are designed for specific marketing initiatives, such as promotions, contests, or product launches. These tags help track engagement and participation over a limited period. For instance, #EssenceFestxTarget was used to promote a collaboration between Target and Essence Festival. However, campaigns like REI’s #OptOutside show that they don’t have to be sales-driven—this hashtag encouraged people to enjoy the outdoors rather than shop on Black Friday.

Best hashtags for instagram don’t forget Campaign hashtags

Product or service hashtags

These hashtags directly describe your offerings, such as #EnterpriseSoftware or #MarketingSolutions. Using the best hashtags for Instagram in this category makes your posts easily searchable by users interested in your products or services.

Community hashtags

Most brand communities are united by at least one common hashtag that connects users around a specific topic. These hashtags tend to be broader than branded ones, helping you reach a wider audience. For example, craft beer brands can leverage community hashtags like #CraftBeerLover or #CraftBeerLife to engage with beer enthusiasts.

Location hashtags

For brands with a physical presence, location hashtags can help attract a local audience. Whether tagging a city, neighborhood, or venue, location-based best hashtags for Instagram are valuable for establishing a regional presence. An example is #ChiEats, which is ideal for food-related posts in the Chicago area. Additionally, check out branded hashtags created by local tourism boards to gain more exposure.

Using location Hashtag helps your account increase followers significantly

Holiday or daily hashtags

Engaging with social media holidays like #InternationalSushiDay or #InternationalDogDay can bring fresh and fun content opportunities, especially for relevant industries. Daily hashtags like #MondayMotivation and #ThrowbackThursday are easy for brands to participate in and can help you connect with a broader audience.

Niche hashtags

Niche hashtags are powerful tools to target specific audiences. For example, #VeganRecipes appeals to those interested in plant-based cooking. Using niche-specific most common hashtags instagram will help attract a highly engaged audience within your particular market.

Event hashtags

Event hashtags, such as #SDCC for San Diego Comic Con, allow you to connect with attendees and increase visibility for posts related to specific festivals, conferences, or workshops. These tags help you gain traction during key events.

Trending on Instagram hashtags

Trending hashtags are tricky because they require you to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and apply them creatively to your brand. However, using trending best hashtags for Instagram can expose your posts to a wider audience. Last year’s viral meme of Jennifer Lawrence crying during the Hot Ones challenge, tagged with #WhatDoYouMean, is a great example of how brands leveraged a trending meme to engage their audience.

It’s important to remember that trends are often short-lived, so it’s essential to jump on them quickly to capitalize on their visibility.

Don’t miss out on trending hashtags on Instagram

Different kinds of Instagram hashtags

When choosing hashtags for your Instagram posts, it’s important to consider the various types of hashtags you can use. This ensures you’re leveraging the best hashtags for Instagram to create a well-rounded hashtag strategy.

There are five key types of hashtags to think about:

Location-based hashtags: Tags like #BryantPark or #LowerEastSide that specify a particular place.

Branded hashtags: These are used for campaigns, events, or brand identity, such as #LifeAtLater.

Industry hashtags: Tags that describe your niche or field, like #SocialMediaManagers or #WeddingPlanners.

Community-focused hashtags: These bring together people with similar interests, such as #VanLifeLiving or #IAmASweatyBetty.

Descriptive hashtags: Tags that describe the content of your post, like #WoodwickCandles or #SheaButterProducts.

There’s no set formula for how many of each type you should use, but keeping these categories in mind can spark inspiration and help you select the famous hashtags for Instagram to enhance your posts.

Tracking and analyzing Instagram hashtags

With your list of hashtags ready and your new social strategy in place, the next step is to monitor how well these hashtags are performing. Tracking your hashtag analytics is crucial to ensure you’re using viral hashtags on instagram effectively. If certain hashtags aren’t delivering the results you expect, it might be time to look for better options.

As you continue using your hashtags, pay attention to changes in engagement and the type of comments you receive. To ensure you’re selecting the most effective hashtags, use a social media tool that provides detailed Instagram hashtag analytics.

If you analyze hashtags well, it will help your account attract more attention.

For instance, System SocialZ Instagram Business Profiles Report can offer insights into how your audience interacts with your content. The Outbound Hashtag Performance Report, specifically, tracks all the hashtags used in your posts during a specific period and compares them to those that generated the most engagement. By analyzing these metrics, you can identify which best hashtags for Instagram are driving the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly.

How to Find the Best Instagram for Hashtags

System SocialZ’s hashtag report reveals that using 20-30 hashtags in your Instagram posts is often the best way to boost your reach and engagement rates.

But how do you identify the most relevant hashtags for each post? Here are three strategies to help you find the popular hashtags on instagram today

Conduct research on the Instagram explore page

The Instagram Explore page is a valuable resource for refining your hashtag strategy. Search for keywords related to your brand or content and examine the “Top” results. These posts are highly favored by Instagram’s algorithm, so observe the hashtags they use and consider whether they could be effective for your own posts.

Check Instagram hashtag volume using Instagram’s tag search tool

Finding the best hashtags for Instagram involves considering the post volume of each hashtag. A hashtag with millions of posts may cause your content to get lost in the crowd, while one with only a few hundred posts may not attract enough attention. Aim for hashtags with a post volume between 10K and 200K to strike a balance. Use Instagram’s tag search tool on the Explore Page to assess a hashtag’s popularity and gain valuable insights.

By employing these tactics, you can discover both broad and niche hashtags that are well-suited to your content and audience, ensuring your posts reach the right people.

How many hashtags should I use on Instagram?

You should not use more than 30 hashtags per post.

For optimal results, limit your Instagram posts (including Stories and Reels) to just 3 to 5 hashtags. While Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, using too many can appear spammy and potentially diminish your reach.

This recommendation is supported by Instagram’s own guidelines, and our own experiment confirmed that sticking to 3 to 5 hashtags is indeed effective. (Check out the full details of our Instagram hashtag experiment here!)

Additionally, keep in mind that Instagram’s search tool also analyzes the content of your captions. Therefore, while choosing the best hashtags for Instagram is important, crafting informative and keyword-rich captions is also crucial for maximizing your social SEO impact.

9 tips for how to use hashtags on Instagram.

Want to get more exposure for your Instagram posts? Hashtags are the key to reaching millions of users. But how do you choose and use the best hashtags for Instagram? Check out these 9 simple yet effective tips to optimize your hashtag strategy right now!

Use the right amount of hashtags

Limit yourself to 3 to 5 hashtags per Instagram post. While you can use up to 30, we’ve found that a smaller number of well-chosen hashtags will generally yield better engagement and reach.

Study your analytics

Review your analytics to see which hashtags are performing best for you. Tools like Hootsuite Insights provide valuable analytics that help you understand which tags are driving success and which aren’t.

Incorporate your hashtags at the end

Place your hashtags at the end of your caption (or in a comment) rather than integrating them into the main text. This helps keep your content accessible for text-to-speech readers and maintains a clean appearance.

Pick the best hashtags, not just the most popular ones

Focus on hashtags that attract quality followers rather than just a high volume. A hashtag like #followme might have millions of posts, but it’s unlikely to attract your ideal audience. Opt for hashtags that genuinely reflect your brand, such as #bookstore or #bookloversofinstagram, and aim for a mix of broad and niche hashtags relevant to your brand and audience.

Choose the hashtag that suits your account.

Search for multiple Instagram hashtags efficiently

The Instagram app isn’t ideal for searching multiple hashtags at once. For better results, use Google to search “site.com” followed by your desired hashtags. This method will show posts tagged with all the hashtags you’re interested in.

Avoid repetition

Reusing the same long list of hashtags for every post can lead to penalties from Instagram’s algorithm. To avoid this, vary your hashtags to keep your content fresh and engaging.

Check the hashtag’s meaning

Ensure that your hashtags don’t have unintended meanings. Proofread them to avoid any accidental offensive language or misinterpretations, especially if they include slang or acronyms.

Check the meaning of hashtags to match your post.

Hide your hashtags (If desired)

If hashtags distract from your caption, you can hide them by placing them several lines below the caption or in a separate comment.

Choose Diverse Hashtags

Instead of using variations of the same theme (#dogs, #puppies, #doggos), select diverse hashtags that cover different aspects, such as location (#boston), community (#dogmoms), and branded contests (#staceyssummerdogfashioncontest).

Avoid Banned Hashtags

Be cautious of hashtags that are banned or hidden by Instagram. Some tags are restricted due to misuse, and using them might negatively impact your visibility. Always double-check your hashtags to ensure they’re active and effective.

Instagram Hashtags FAQs

FAQs cùng với System SoicalZ

What is the Hashtag Symbol?

The hashtag sign, #, also referred to as the number symbol or pound sign in some countries, gained its popularity on social media thanks to Chris Messina. In a 2007 tweet, he suggested using hashtags for grouping content, writing, “How do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?” Initially, Twitter dismissed the idea, calling it “for nerds,” but today, it has become essential in categorizing posts and boosting visibility on platforms like Instagram.

What Are the Best Hashtags for Instagram?

The popularity of Instagram hashtags fluctuates frequently, depending on trends and location. As of the time of writing, some of the best hashtags for Instagram included #love, #instagood, #photooftheday, #explorepage, #viral, #tbt, and #likeforlikes. To stay updated, you can use Instagram hashtag tools to find the best and most relevant tags for your content.

Do Hashtags Work for Instagram?

Yes, hashtags are a powerful tool for Instagram. Whether used in posts, Reels, or Stories, hashtags help categorize content, expand your reach, and encourage user-generated content (UGC). Tracking the best hashtags for Instagram using tools like All Hashtag, which updates its Top 100 Hashtags daily, can help you stay on top of trending tags and refine your hashtag strategy.

Several tools can help you identify the best hashtags for Instagram, including Hashtagify, BrandMentions, BuzzSumo, and RiteTag. Each of these platforms offers insights into trending and popular hashtags, making it easier for you to target the right audience and boost engagement.

What are the top 10 hashtags on Instagram?

The top 10 current trending hashtags on instagram on Instagram include:

#love (2.1B)

#instagood (1.8B)

#instagram (1.3B)

#fashion (1.1B)

#photooftheday (1.1B)

#art (1.1B)

#photography (1.1B)

#beautiful (849M)

#nature (827M)

#reels (809M)

What are the best hashtags for Instagram?

How do I find the most popular hashtags?

What is the most popular content on Instagram?

Given Instagram’s focus on visuals, one effective way to discover popular content is to search for images or videos under the best hashtags for Instagram. Posts featuring user-generated content, behind-the-scenes shots, DIY projects, influencer collaborations, and motivational quotes are all proven to perform well on the platform.

Conclusion

Elevate your Instagram with System SocialZ. Effortlessly schedule and publish posts, engage your audience, track performance, and manage all your social media profiles from a centralized dashboard. Discover the best hashtags for Instagram to maximize your reach and engagement.