In the dynamic world of Instagram, where millions of photos and videos are shared daily, standing out from the crowd can be a daunting task. One of the most effective ways to boost your visibility and engagement is through the strategic use of hashtags. These seemingly simple words or phrases preceded by a # symbol are more than just trendy add-ons—they’re powerful tools that can significantly enhance your content’s reach.

The right hashtags can catapult your posts to a wider audience, attract new followers, and foster a community around your brand. Whether you’re a seasoned influencer, a budding entrepreneur, or just someone looking to grow your personal brand, understanding the best Instagram hashtags is crucial for optimizing your social media strategy.

But how do you choose the right hashtags? What makes some hashtags more effective than others? And how can you leverage them to connect with your target audience? In this article, we’ll delve into the art and science of hashtags, exploring their origins, the psychology behind their use, and practical tips for selecting the most effective ones. We’ll look at how to balance popular hashtags with niche ones, how to keep up with trending tags, and how to use hashtag analytics to refine your strategy.

Ready? Let’s hop right into it.

What Is a Hashtag?

As the story goes, it was Twitter user Chris Medina who proposed using hashtags in 2007, and subsequently, they became popular on all forms of social media, including Instagram.

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the pound sign (#) used on social media platforms to categorize content and make it more discoverable. By identifying the topic, theme, or subject matter of a post, hashtags help categorize content, allowing users to find posts related to a specific topic by searching for that hashtag. Clicking on or searching for a hashtag reveals a collection of posts that include the same hashtag, facilitating content discovery and connection with like-minded individuals or communities.

To create a hashtag, place the # symbol directly in front of a word or phrase without spaces or special characters (e.g., #TravelTips, #MondayMotivation). Hashtags can be used in various parts of a post, including captions, comments, and bios, depending on the platform. On Instagram, hashtags are clickable, and clicking on one takes the user to a page displaying all posts tagged with that hashtag.

Using hashtags offers several benefits. Posts with hashtags are more likely to be seen by users searching for or following that hashtag, increasing the reach of your content. Hashtags can boost engagement by connecting your content with users who are interested in that topic, leading to more likes, comments, and shares.

More elaborately, here are some statistics on Instagram hashtags:

• 4.2M+ hashtags are used on Instagram daily. (Mention)
• Posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement. (Socialinsider)
• Most engagement happens in the first hour after posting, when hashtags boost visibility. (Later)
• Branded hashtag campaigns result in a 37% higher comment rate per post. (ExpertVoice)

Custom hashtags can be created for branding purposes, helping to build a community around a brand or campaign (e.g., #JustDoIt by Nike). Additionally, hashtags are useful for promoting events and allowing attendees to share their experiences under a common hashtag (e.g., #SXSW for the South by Southwest festival).

Instagram Hashtags Popularity

Instagram hashtags have surged in popularity due to their effectiveness in increasing visibility and engagement on the platform. By categorizing content and making it more discoverable, hashtags allow users to reach a broader audience beyond their followers. Trending hashtags, often linked to current events or viral topics, can propel posts into the spotlight, attracting more likes, comments, and shares.

Brands and influencers, too, leverage hashtags to build communities, promote campaigns, and drive user-generated content, further amplifying their reach. The strategic use of popular and niche hashtags can significantly enhance an Instagram presence, making it a crucial tool for social media success.

Most Popular Instagram Hashtags

We’ve looked at the history of activity on Instagram hashtags to make our list of the most popular hashtags on Instagram.

The top hashtag is #social. This is so understandable because human beings are social animals. We form many relationships with each other; without these relationships, we are less happy. Many in-depth scientific research papers support this concept.

Here are the hashtags that get tons of traffic on Instagram, according to TwelveSkip.

Category	Hashtags
Popular	#instagood, #iphonesia, #photooftheday, #instamood, #picoftheday, #bestoftheday, #instadaily, #igdaily, #instagramhub, #instacool, #me, #photo, #follow, #tbt, #like, #igers, #love, #summer, #beautiful, #happy, #cute, #selfie, #fun, #friends
Fashion	#style, #swag, #fashion, #pretty, #instacool, #instamood, #iphonesia, #fashionista, #picoftheday, #beauty, #ootd, #outfitoftheday, #likeback, #shopping, #dress, #fresh, #instafashion, #outfit, #fashionblogger, #whatiwore, #lookbook, #fashiongram, #instafashion, #ootd, #wiwt, #stylediaries, #fashiondiaries
Travel	#travel, #vacation, #wanderlust, #explore, #travelgram, #instatravel, #trip, #travelblogger, #wanderer, #travelling, #traveltheworld, #travelphoto
Photography	#photography, #photos, #photooftheday, #instapic, #photoshoot, #pic, #capture, #photobombed, #photoshoot, #photographe, #camera, #photogram
Couples	#us, #statigram, #home, #best, #sweet, #jj, #perfect, #loveyou, #lovehim, #loveher, #bestoftheday, #amazing
Best Friends	#bestfriend, #bestie, #best, #us, #jj, #a, #friend, #instagramer, #goodtimes, #likeback, #jj_forum, #to, #cute, #sisters, #friendship, #bestoftheday
Selfies	#selfie, #me, #i, #a, #instagood, #ig, #iphonesia, #jj, #likes, #party, #f4f, #igers, #picoftheday, #photofotheday, #cute, #follow, #follow4follow, #bestoftheday, #instalove
Techies	#iphone, #techaddict, #tech, #technology, #tagsforlikes, #photooftheday, #nerd, #techie, #gadgets, #device, #instagood, #instatech, #photooftheday, #picoftheday
Parties	#drunktexts, #partyhard, #crazy, #craycray, #partypeople, #happy, #fun, #smile, #photooftheday, #cute, #friday, #drunk, #beer, #tgif, #saturday, #nightlife, #lifeisgood
Food	#food, #yummy, #foodie, #delicious, #happy, #instagood, #foodoftheday, #follow, #tagsforlikes, #foodgasm, #tweegram, #instago, #tflers, #yum, #dessert, #statigram, #instalike, #instamood
Animals/Pets	#cat, #dog, #puppy, #kitten, #pet, #pets, #dogs, #dogsofinstagram, #catsofinstagram, #ilovemydog, #catlovers, #dogstagram, #doglife
Lifestyle	#home, #homedecor, # interiordesign, #diy, #organization, #project, #inspiration, #decor, #interior
Quote	#quotes, #quotestoliveby, #lifequotes, #truth, #wisdom, #saying, #quoteoftheday, #inspirationalquotes, #motivation, #wordstoliveby, #words
Engagement	#like, #follow, #comment, #tbt, #instagood, #igers, #shoutout, #s4s, #likesforlikes, #photooftheday
Campaign	#contestalert, #sweepstakes, #giveaway, #offer, #discount, #sale, #promo, #freeshipping, #coupon
Fitness	#fitfam, #instafitness, #beastmode, #gym, #instafit, #fitnessaddict, #active, #bestoftheday, #instadaily, #fitnessfreak, #health, #healthylife, #eatclean, #fitspo, #abs, #foodgasm, #lifestyle, #diet, #instahealth, #wellness, #getmoving
Inspirational	#quote, #quoteoftheday, #goodvibes, #quotes, #inspire, #igers, #instalike, #instadaily, #all_shots, #tweegram, #repost, #instagood, #motivation, #inspiration, #determined, #quotestagram, #realifequotes, #dreams
Truthful	#truth, #pinquotes, #advicequotes, #reality, #quoteoftheday, #quotes, #quote, #quotesdaily, #quotestoliveby, #instadaily, #reminder, #instaquote, #lifeiswhatyoumakeit, #staystrong, #igers
Lyrics	#lyricsquote, #lyrics, #quoteoftheday, #inspire, #music, #lyrics, #songoftheday, #lifequotes, #tagsforlikes, #typography, #instaquote, #statigram, #photooftheday, #words, #igers

The variety of hashtags in use on Instagram is phenomenal. This short list gives an example of how many possible hashtags there are. The hashtags follow trends and go in and out of popularity with breaking news, celebrity gossip, and consumer interest in television shows, movies, fashion, and other items from popular culture. The certain one is that Instagram posts that use hashtags are likelier to be opened and shared.

For instance, Kylie Jenner upstaged the Kardashian sisters by hitting 30 million Instagram followers in June 2016. That means there was a great chance of getting an Instagram opened and shared during that period by simply using the hashtag #kyliejenner. Instagram would need some relevance to the audience, but that is pretty easy. Just think of the kind of pizza Kylie would or would not eat and take a photo of one to make an Instagram.

It is important for the web marketing efforts of any organization using Instagram to use hashtags for their postings on Instagram and to pick the most popular hashtags for the best category to get social media users’ attention. If you have any more questions about the best Instagram hashtags, contact our social media agency team – where we can support you with campaigns or digital training for you and your business.

The following list of popular Instagram hashtags contains many things that users find interesting, such as:

• Cute babies, dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens
• Compromised friends in party settings
• Stuff you do not want your mom to see
• Stuff your dad will not expect
• Stuff that might prevent you from getting a good job
• Stuff that could get you fired
• Events and great food
• Wonderful sayings
• Abnormal and extraterrestrial things

Effective Hashtag-Optimized Captions

In order to optimize your hashtag strategy, you must first understand Instagram handles tagging. For instance, hashtags improve discoverability. Posts can appear in tagged hashtag feeds and Instagram’s “Top” and “Recent” sections. Highly-engaged hashtags may even be featured on the Explore page, driving more visibility.

Niche hashtags with moderate popularity can help reach very targeted audiences. Using banned or spammy hashtags can trigger shadow-banning and reach limits

Now, to incorporate hashtags in your captions, make sure you

• Putting most hashtags at the end for better visibility
• Mixing a few broad popular tags with niche-relevant tags
• Finding the hashtag sweet spot – around 7-11 total tags ideal
• Being selective – only choose hashtags closely related to the post content
• Creating branded hashtags to promote campaigns, products, etc
• Spacing out punctuation and tags to look cleaner when reading
• Using analytics to identify and double down on top-performing tags

Some brands that have leveraged hashtags successfully include:

• Nike: Created motivational branded tags like #justdoit and #nikerunning that users actively adopt.
• Starbucks: Uses localized hashtags like #starbucksnewyork to engage regional audiences.
• GoPro: Curates user-generated content with hashtag campaigns like #GoProOfTheDay.
• TOMS: Mixed broad and niche tags like #TravelTuesday and #TOMSPartner to maximize reach.
• Red Bull: Developed branded campaign hashtags that spread organically, like #RedBullStratos.

Conclusion

Hashtags continue to evolve as an integral tool for discovery and engagement on Instagram. By optimizing hashtags as part of an overall social media strategy, brands can expand their reach to new audiences, highlight user-generated content, and participate in trending conversations.

The most effective hashtag balances broader tags with niche-targeted tags relevant to each post. Monitoring analytics and honing in on top-performing hashtags that resonate with your followers is key. With a data-driven, flexible approach to incorporating relevant tags, companies can utilize Instagram’s robust tagging system to fuel growth and interactivity.

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