How To Hide Instagram Hashtags In The Caption:
You can also use hashtags within the caption itself without them being super-visible.
Why Are Hashtags Important
Hashtags are essentially Instagram’s sorting process. With around 95 million photos posted on Instagram every day, it’s difficult for Instagram to efficiently deliver the right content to the right people. Hashtags help your post get discovered by viewers most interested in seeing it.
Krystal Gillespie, HubSpot’s Social Media Community Manager, explains the importance of hashtags this way: “Hashtags are like a funnel. For instance, #marketing is incredibly broad and attracts all types of posts. We’ve found #digitalmarketing or #marketingmotivation gives us a more specific, targeted reach. The audience searching for these hashtags are also trying to narrow their search to what we offer related to marketing, so we’re actually reaching more of the right people.”
Essentially, hashtags are a better way to categorize your posts. They help you reach a target audience, and more importantly, they help your target audience find you. These users are more likely to engage with your post because it is exactly what they were looking for.
Whats A Good Size Hashtag Density
To attract people who are really interested in your posts, we recommend that you find Instagram hashtags that have under 500,000 posts on them . And dont be shy of including some that are 20,000 or under these can really be the sweet spot for super-engaged users.
Another reason to find Instagram hashtags sitting in the mid-range and smaller hashtags is visibility. When someone does a search on Instagram, the most popular photos sit in the Top Posts section. The rest of the photos reside in chronological order in Most Recent, as shown in the photo below.
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The 20 Most Popular Instagram Hashtags
I know, I know: This entire post Ive been discouraging you from using the most popular hashtags. Why? Standing out in a crowded space can make you unnoticeable. So instead of focusing on the popular tags, the best way to achieve hashtag success is to find niche hashtags that are only popular among your very selective target audience.
So why are we going over the most popular Instagram hashtags now? Well, just because Im discouraging you from using these exact hashtags below does not mean you cannot draw inspiration from them. For instance, take #love. Why not make a hashtag about #love that incorporates your brand. #WordstreamLove sounds pretty catchy to me!
Or lets take #instagood, for example. If you run a new restaurant, then this hashtag could not make more senseso why not try it with a hint of localization to show your tasty food around your city? Just take a look at the #instagood hashtag vs. #instagoodboston. The #instagood has a whopping 979,097,201 POSTS.
But the #instagoodboston hashtag has just 389 posts that are all food/restaurant related. Clearly, people following #instagoodboston are passionate about trying new restaurants in their city!
Without further ado, here are the 20 most popular Instagram hashtags:
Remember, the best way to use these hashtags is for inspirationnot for hashtag stuffing.
What Are The Different Types Of Instagram Hashtag
Before selecting hashtags for your posts, its a good idea to consider the different types of hashtags you can include.
This will help make sure youre covering all the bases with your hashtag strategy.
There are five main types of hashtags to consider:
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Location-based hashtags, like #BryantPark or #LowerEastSide
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Branded hashtags for campaigns or events, like #Later or #LaterCon
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Industry hashtags that describe your niche, like #SocialMediaManagers or #WeddingPlanners
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Community-focused hashtags to bring your community together, like #VanLifeLiving or #IAmASweatyBetty
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Descriptive hashtags which describe the content of your actual post, like #WoodwickCandles or #SheaButterProducts
Theres no secret formula for how many of each of these hashtags you should include, but keeping the different categories in mind can provide valuable inspiration and help guide your strategy.
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How Many Hashtags Should You Use For Each Social Platform
Marketers know the value and power of hashtags on social media. Hashtags are best known for their ability to connect posts and conversations through clickable links and show your content to others’ feeds, even to those who donât follow you â yet.
Now that we’ve established the importance of hashtags, how do you know the right number of hashtags for each social media platform? There seems to be no definite guide about this, so we created one â and youâre reading it now.
In this guide, we will cover all major platforms and discuss how many hashtags you can use and where you can use them.
Dont Use Too Many Hashtags
You should not use too many hashtags. The reason behind it is again the intent of Instagram to reduce inaccurately tagged content.
Keep in mind that you should not use more than thirty Instagram hashtags per post, and eleven would be best.
So, by using the right ones, you contribute to increasing your visibility in search, and thus reaching new people. Ideally, use two to three relevant hashtags, or four to five if you think they are particularly valid for your post.
This type of content creates ineffective hashtags feeds that are deterring users from being a part of the Instagram family.
ONLY USE HASHTAGS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO YOUR POST AND CONTENT.
Be precise, insightful and clear, and think about your target audience and the types of hashtags they are likely to explore.
The Instagram algorithm also follows the number of hashtags on a post to weed out spammers. The higher the number of hashtags, the more likely that the post is not accurately described.
If you copy-paste hashtags and use too many irrelevant ones your content can be shadowbanned. Trust us, YOU DONT WANT TO BE SHADOWBANNED.
What is Shadowbanning?
If your account is shadowbanned, this means that when you use Instagram hashtags on your post, they will not be public.
Only people who already follow you will be able to see them and they wont be selected to be top posts.
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How Many Hashtags Can You Use On Instagram
Instagram Bioâ
As you may know, Instagram limits bio characters to 150, which means you have limited space to add hashtags. After writing the description, if you see that youâre left with some space, add your campaign or branded hashtags there.
Letâs take a look at the official Instagram page of Michael Kors. Note that the company added its branded hashtag, #MichaelKors, to the bio.
Another interesting example is from Adidas, which obviously believes its bio is best reserved for its campaign hashtag, #ImpossibleIsNothing.
Instagram Reels and Posts
When youâre hashtagging on Instagram Reels and posts, the maximum number of hashtags you can use is 30. The same is applicable to comments.
While some believe 11 hashtags should be the maximum, weâve seen many posts and accounts that do well and achieve higher engagement and views with 30 hashtags.
Instagrammers are accustomed to seeing hashtags so there is no problem if you use all 30.
Instagram Stories
You can use up to 10 hashtags in Stories.
How To Optimize Your Instagram Hashtag Strategy
The final important point about hashtag numbers is to optimize your strategy as you go.
That doesnt mean you should use different numbers for every post.
Been using 30 for a while? Note the date and screenshot your stats.
Now try another quantity for a while. Maybe 15 hashtags for 2 weeks, or for 30 days.
Then track your stats with analytics tools and make informed decisions on what you see for your account.
Tweak your hashtag list as well as the number of hashtags you are using. Dont be afraid to do a hashtag search and find new options.
That way you can figure out what the best number of hashtags is for your audience going forward!
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Keep Hashtag Lists For Easy Access
Instead of copying and pasting the same set of hashtags for every post, divide them up into topical ones. For example, your education posts might have different hashtags than a new product announcement post. Instead of generating a new list for each post, keep different lists handy for the various types of content topics that you post.
Instagram Hashtags: 3 Or 30
Look at trends on the social media platform and weigh the advice.
Use a certain number of hashtags for a set time, and see what the analytics show you.
Or try different numbers on different types of posts and see how they work.
The correct answer to how many hashtags for Instagram is what works for you!
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How Many Hashtags Can You Use On Twitter
, you can add up to 2 hashtags per tweet. However, there is no restriction if you want to add more. Just keep in mind there is a character count limit of 280 chracters.
We hope this article has helped you better understand how social media hashtag rules differ from one platform to another, and how many hashtags you should use on each platform.
Now, search the relevant hashtags and run time-bound experiments with different sets of hashtags, collect data, and then decide what works best for your account.â
If you donât know which hashtags are best for you to bring in new followers and engagement, leave that job to Hashtag Expert. It is, by far, the best hashtag generator tool. Hashtag Expert is a one-stop-destination for hashtags on all social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
What Are Instagram Hashtags
A hashtag is a combination of letters, numbers, and/or emoji preceded by the # symbol . They are used to categorize content and make it more discoverable.
Hashtags are clickable. Anyone who clicks on an Instagram hashtag or conducts an Instagram hashtag search will see a page showing all the posts tagged with that hashtag.
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Search The Instagram App
What better way to find hashtags than going straight to the source? Open the Instagram app and head to the search bar. Select Tags, then type the overarching theme your content is about. The algorithm will then show popular hashtags alongside the number of posts already using it:
Found one you want to use? Click the hashtag and scan through posts using it in their caption. Chances are, the account has already done most of the legwork in finding and using relevant hashtags. Heres an example of using #marketingtips alongside a handful of other similar tags:
Its also worth doing a quick glance over on the Explore page. This is Instagrams curated collection of posts they think youd be interested in. Scroll through the recommended posts and make a note of the hashtags being used. Since each of these posts have been recommended, they should also be relevant to the subject matter of your content too.
Do Your Hashtag Research
First and foremost, it is important to realize that the art of hashtagging is much more than simply adding the hash sign in front of words you think of. To use hashtags in your Instagram content in a meaningful and effective way you need to do your research. So where to start? Here are a few ideas
- Use online tools: There are tons of Instagram hashtag generators out therelike All Hashtag, Ingramer, and Sistrixthat will generate relevant hashtags and give you some data on what hashtags are popular.
- Start searching: Type hashtag ideas into the Instagram search bar and see what autofills.
- Check your competitors: See what your competition is doing, as well as brands and account that your target audience is likely following. Getting inspiration from other accounts can be super helpful to gain an understanding of what hashtags are trending .
The key to selecting good hashtags is to ensure they are on target with your target audiences interests, and popular but not overly popularyou dont want to get lost in the clutter. You know the kid in school who wasnt considered popular, but was well-liked and known amongst many groups? You want that to fall into a similar arena with your hashtag game.
Weve noticed that the more niche the topic, the more conversations users are having around it, so it pays off to really hone in on a topic or theme, says Benjamin Chacon from Later.
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Hashtag Strategy For Social Media Platforms In 2022
Hashtag strategy has been around for more than a decade now, and most of us follow the ritual of adding hashtags after captions.
But do you know how this practice came into existence?
Surprisingly, hashtags are older than most social media. It dates back to 2007 and was first used on Twitter by Chris Messina.
His idea behind using a pound symbol was to segregate groups to initiate topic conversations.
And the rest is history! A hashtag strategy is still sensational and relevant to date. You can find them stuffed up everywhere.
And why not? They come with an excellent set of benefits!
So Why Does Instagram Now Recommend Only 3
While you may be relieved by the idea that you no longer need to come up with 30 hashtags per post, other users are freaking out right now about the potential impact reducing the number of hashtags may have on the performance of their content.
And rightly so.
Each hashtag is an opportunity to be discovered, is it not? So surely reducing the number opportunities to be found is an issue?
There may be more to this recommendation than meets the eye.
Many accounts use hashtags wrong – filling their quota with random tags that are completely unrelated to their post topic, account niche or audience.
Remember, the primary goal of hashtags is to ensure that the right content is served to the right people – i.e. those who want to see it and who will interact with it.
When content is categorised incorrectly , search results turn up hundreds of unrelated posts and your feed is filled with content you have zero interest in seeing.
This seriously taints the user experience. A great user experience is key to keeping people on the app for longer .
By reducing the recommended number of hashtags, Instagram is encouraging users to be more considered with their selections and use only the most relevant hashtags in their posts.
This will improve the user experience by ensuring fresh content appears in feeds and by helping the right posts show up in search results.
free guide
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Only Use Relevant Hashtags
As we have mentioned before, if you do not want your Instagram posts to be flagged, only use relevant hashtags. Even if your post does not get banned, dont do it. There is no reason for it. When people are looking at the Explore page, they will not be tapping on photos that they are not interested in.
You should also take notice of your followers. Use your hashtags efficiently and strategically to give your audience what they need. With irrelevant hashtags, your users might be annoyed. No one likes to read too many hashtags, especially when they are not about the topic.
Use specific hashtags to narrow down your topic. The more niche hashtags they are, the more engagement you get from your target audience.
Create Your Own Instagram Hashtag Strategy Today
Theres no doubt that Instagram hashtags help grow your reach, engagement, and follower count.
Whether youre a small business owner or social media influencer, use this strategy to find different hashtags your target audience is following. Look for the terms your own Instagram followers are using, find popular tags on the Explore page, and double-check that hashtags on your shortlist havent been banned by Instagram.
Looking for an easier way to communicate with your new Instagram followers? Start using Instagram Automation by ManyChat today.
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How Many Hashtags Can I Use On Instagram
Thirty hashtags are the maximum number you can use.
The average is eleven, with half of Instagram accounts using between one and three. You can use more or less depending on your Instagram marketing goals. More doesnt necessarily mean better. In fact, users include no more than three to five hashtags per post.
How Do I Hide Hashtags In The Caption
Dont want to post the hashtags in a comment? No worries.
You can hide the hashtags in the caption by either 1) writing a caption thats more than three lines long or 2) adding 3 to 5 line breaks with a punctuation mark.
To add a line break, place the text cursor at the end of your caption and hit Return. Dont forget to add either a period, a dash, an asterisk, or a tilde to ensure that line stays there.
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Finding The Best Instagram Hashtags
Purely using the top 30 hashtags in your niche can be a risky strategy . Whilst these hashtags have the widest reach, they also have the most competition, reducing your chances of reaching new audiences.
To first discover where to find the most suitable hashtags on Instagram, you need to understand how their algorithm works.
Instagram rank hashtag posts on their Explore page using two metrics:
#1: The level of engagement: How many times the post has been liked and commented on.
#2: The speed at which the engagement was attained: How quickly your post received its likes and comments.