Hashtags are a social media platform’s most important means of boosting the visibility of posts, and Instagram is no exception.

Hashtags, which made their debut in 2007, have become an integral feature of Twitter and Instagram content discovery strategies.

No one seems to be getting rid of hashtags any time soon, so it’s probably a good idea to learn how to use them properly.

Although Instagram lets you include up to 30 hashtags in each post, that doesn’t imply you should always do so.

You risk making your account look spammy or desperate if you use so many hashtags. However, you won’t reach enough people with your material if you don’t use enough.

Is there a magic number of hashtags that always seem to get the most likes and comments on Instagram?

Here are five guidelines to help you find the optimal quantity of hashtags for your social media posts.

What happens if you employ too many will also be discussed. Let’s start now!

What Are Instagram Hashtags?

Hashtags, such as #NoFilter, are sequences of characters followed by a hash sign (#) used to categorize social media content.

They help organize information and make it easier to find.

Tags can be accessed using a clickable link. When you search for a hashtag on Instagram or click on one, you’ll be taken to a page that aggregates all the posts tagged with that hashtag.

Why Do Instagram Hashtags Matter?

Instagram Hashtag

If you utilize Instagram hashtags properly, you can boost your visibility on the app.

Using hashtags, you may increase your exposure and connect with people interested in what you have to say.

Instagram users actively seek out and follow particular hashtags to keep up with the latest content related to those topics.

Because of it, accounts that don’t use hashtags will likely miss out on many high-quality leads.

Using branded hashtags is a great way to increase exposure for organizations and marketers on Instagram.

They are useful in user-generated content (UGC) promotions for monitoring mentions of your brand on social media.

Using hashtags on Instagram is a great way to express yourself.

Using a humorous or interesting hashtag can increase engagement and give you a unique trend to connect with your followers beyond just expanding your audience and strengthening your brand.

How Many Hashtags Should I Use On Instagram?

Although Twitter created hashtags, Instagram is where they truly shine. They’ll be present in every article and are a popular way to discover new reading material.

This means they play a crucial role in the success of your product’s marketing efforts.

The first important point is that Instagram has officially recommended a certain number of hashtags.

With a posting on their @creators account in September 2021, they recommended using no more than three to five hashtags for every post.

Most Instagram advertisers were taken aback by it. They have long recommended that you use between 8 and 15 hashtags.

Also, for a very long time, you could count up to 30 if you wanted to. 

How Many Hashtags On Instagram Can You Use?

You are now limited to no more than 30 hashtags per Instagram post.

Is it best to try multiple hashtags to get more people to follow you? Experts are split on whether or not this is true; some think it is, while others advise using fewer hashtags for more practical effects.

How do you decide?

The first thing we recommend is that you try new things. Create several distinct groupings to see which one of your hashtags performs better.

3-5 Hashtags Per Post (Instagram’s Recommendation)

Instagram recommends using 3-5 hashtags, which may surprise you.

This modest quantity is deliberate, encouraging users to employ more pertinent and higher-quality hashtags to reduce spam. Simply put, less is more.

Test this technique by coming up with the initial set of three to five hashtags you’ll use for the posts you’ll be making on Monday, for instance.

5-15 Hashtags Per Post

The second set of 5–15 hashtags should be compiled. You’ll utilize this second group for Monday’s posts to evaluate how the first group did in comparison.

The Maximum: 30 Hashtags Per Post

The last step is compiling 30 hashtags to be used exclusively on Wednesday’s updates.

The first group will again participate in the experiment on Thursday, followed by the second group on Friday, and so on.

By implementing this rotation strategy over a month, you will be capable of assessing the results from each trial and settling on the best approach regarding the number of hashtags to employ.

How To Improve Your Instagram Hashtag Strategy

Always keep these guidelines in mind when you create your Instagram hashtag strategy.

 1. Mix Up Your Hashtag Rotation

There’s a temptation to recycle the same tired hashtags instead of spending the time to come up with new ones.

However, publishing repetitive descriptions or comments is against Instagram’s Community Guidelines.

There’s a good chance that repeatedly using the same hashtags in a list won’t get you banned from the platform, but it could hurt your organic reach.

To get the most out of your hashtags, it is best to switch up your usual strategy every so often.

2. Avoid Banned Or Overused Hashtags

As much as possible, you want your hashtags to expand rather than diminish your exposure. Instagram, on the other hand, filters out posts that include what it believes to be spammy hashtags.

Identifying restricted hashtags and deleting them from your list is simple when you utilize a research tool such as RiteTag.

Additionally, Instagram allows direct searches. The platform has likely restricted its use if you cannot find a hashtag in a search.

3. Balance Trending And Unique Hashtags

Avoid low-activity hashtags, as you already know what to do. However, what about trending or viral hashtags?

However, the volume of traffic on trending hashtags means that your post will likely be buried on the page soon after it’s published.

Try instead to find hashtags that are widely used but not too trendy.

To find that sweet spot, you may, for instance, give hashtags with 100,000 only about 1 million Instagram posts more weight.

Put a famous hashtag into Instagram’s search bar, and then scroll down to view suggested accounts that have garnered similar attention.

How To Avoid Shadowbanning On Instagram

Instagram Hashtag

Following these guidelines can help you stay out of Instagram’s Shadowban. In order to keep your account in good standing today, here is a brief summary:

  • Stay away from hashtags that have been previously banned or are now unusable in your caption or comments.
  • Stay away from apps that go against Instagram’s rules of use.
  • Don’t go on Instagram posting binges (ex., liking or commenting with bots)
  • Instagram users should avoid getting reported by other users by uploading only appropriate content.

The Final Thoughts

If you were wondering how many hashtags you should use on Instagram, we hope this post helped! Hashtags are essential to expand your audience, boost your content’s discoverability, or promote marketing, but only if you use the right ones at the right times.

Consider the recommendations while keeping social media trends in mind. 

Experiment with using a predetermined number of hashtags for a predetermined amount of time and reviewing the results.

You might also test with various post counts to see what results you get.

This guide will help you better use Instagram hashtags, allowing you to apply them more efficiently and accomplish more of your marketing plans.