How to Choose Hashtags for Instagram

Choosing the right Instagram hashtags can feel like playing a guessing game, but there’s a repeatable strategy behind it that can dramatically boost your reach and get your content in front of the right people. This guide breaks down exactly how to find, choose, and use hashtags to grow your account organically. We'll cover the different types of hashtags you need, a step-by-step process for finding them, and the common mistakes to avoid.

Why Instagram Hashtags Still Matter (A Lot)

In a world of evolving algorithms, it’s easy to wonder if hashtags still have the same impact. The answer is a resounding yes. Think of hashtags as Instagram's own internal search engine and filing system. When you use a hashtag like #smallbusinessowner, you're telling the platform, "Hey, this post is relevant to small business owners."

Here’s what a good hashtag strategy does for you:

• Increases Discoverability: People follow and search for hashtags they're interested in. Using the right ones puts your content directly in their feed, even if they don't follow you yet. This is one of the most powerful ways to reach a new, targeted audience.
• Contextualizes Your Content: Hashtags give Instagram's algorithm direct clues about your post's topic. This helps the algorithm show your content to users who have previously engaged with similar topics, leading to higher-quality engagement.
• Builds Community: Using niche and community-specific hashtags helps you connect with like-minded creators and followers, building a stronger and more engaged community around your brand.

When used correctly, hashtags aren't just an afterthought - they are a critical part of a successful Instagram strategy.

The Different Types of Hashtags: Your Recipe for Success

The biggest mistake people make is using only huge, generic hashtags like #marketing or #business. The secret to an effective strategy is to use a balanced mix of different hashtag types. Think of it like a pyramid: you'll use a few broad tags at the top, but the real power comes from the smaller, more specific tags at the base.

1. High-Volume Hashtags (100k - 1M+ posts)

These are broad, popular tags that lots of people use and follow. Think of terms like #socialmedia, #digitalart, or #fitnessmotivation.

• Pro: They have the potential for massive, immediate reach. A post that performs well can briefly appear in the “Top” posts for that tag.
• Con: They are incredibly competitive. Your post will be buried in the "Recent" feed within seconds, making sustained visibility nearly impossible.
• How to use them: Use only 1-2 of these per post. Think of them as lottery tickets, they might hit, but you shouldn't rely on them for your entire growth strategy.

2. Niche Hashtags (10k - 100k posts)

This is where the magic happens. Niche hashtags are specific to your topic, industry, or vibe. Instead of #marketing, you might use #contentmarketingtips or #socialmediamanagerlife. Instead of #art, you'd use #procreateillustration or #watercolourbeginner.

• Pro: You're reaching a highly relevant and engaged audience that is actively looking for content just like yours. Competition is lower, giving you a real chance to rank in the "Top" posts section.
• Con: They have a smaller audience size, so you won't get a massive viral spike just from these.
• How to use them: These should make up the bulk of your hashtag strategy. Aim for 10-15 of these per post.

3. Community-Centric Hashtags

These hashtags center around an existing community on Instagram. They connect people based on shared interests, movements, or identities. Examples include #creatorsontherise, #smallbusinesscommunity, or local groups like #dallascreatives.

• Pro: Using these signals that you're part of a community, which is fantastic for networking and organic discovery by passionate users.
• Con: You need to fully understand the community's vibe and content style before using their tag to avoid looking out of place.
• How to use them: Add 2-3 of these when your post genuinely contributes to that community's conversation.

4. Branded & Campaign Hashtags

A branded hashtag is unique to your business, like #postbase or Coca-Cola's #ShareACoke campaign. It's a way to categorize your own content and encourage user-generated content (UGC). When a customer shares a photo using your product, they can use your branded hashtag.

• Pro: It creates a living gallery of your brand's impact and strengthens brand loyalty. It’s also ownable.
• Con: It takes time and effort to build enough momentum for people to start using it.
• How to use them: Include your primary branded hashtag in almost every post, and promote it in your bio. Create campaign-specific hashtags for launches, events, or contests.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Quality Hashtags

Now that you know the different types, how do you find the right ones for your specific account? Here’s a simple research process you can follow.

Step 1: Get Inside Your Audience’s Head

Before you even open Instagram, think about your ideal follower. What terms would they be searching for? Don't just think about what your product is, but what problem it solves.

For example, if you sell handmade ceramic mugs, your hashtags shouldn't just be #ceramics and #pottery. Your ideal customer might be looking for:

• #cozyhomedecor
• #morningcoffeeroutine
• #handmadegifts
• #slowlivingstyle

Brainstorm 5-10 core “pillar” keywords that describe your content topic, your target audience, and the aesthetic you want to convey. These will be your starting points for research.

Step 2: Use Instagram's Search Suggestions

Instagram itself is your best research tool. Here’s how to use it:

1. Type one of your pillar keywords into the Instagram search bar.
2. Tap on the "Tags" tab.
3. Instagram will show you a list of related hashtags along with their post counts.

This list is a goldmine. Pay attention to the post counts. Your goal is to find a good mix from the different sizes we talked about - a few big ones, a lot of medium-sized niche ones, and a few small, super-specific ones.

Step 3: Analyze Competitors and Influencers

Identify 3-5 accounts that have a similar target audience to yours. These can be direct competitors or larger creators in your niche. Don't just copy and paste their hashtag lists. Instead, analyze their approach:

• Tap on their recent posts. Click "view insights" if you have a creator/business account, and you can sometimes see the reach that came from hashtags. For other accounts, pay attention to which posts got the most engagement.
• Look at the hashtags on their best-performing posts. Are they using niche tags you hadn't thought of? Are they tapping into community tags you missed?
• Notice which tags they use consistently. This can help you identify a core set of relevant hashtags for your niche.

This isn't about stealing, it's about learning what's already working in your space so you can adapt it to your own strategy.

Step 4: Create Hashtag Sets for Your Content Pillars

You shouldn’t use the exact same block of 30 hashtags on every single post. That can appear spammy to the algorithm and limit your reach to new audiences. Instead, create curated hashtag "sets" or "groups" based on your content pillars.

For example, a social media manager might have these content pillars and hashtag sets:

• Pillar 1: Instagram Tips
  Set 1: #instagramtipsandtricks #growthhacks #contentstrategy #socialmediagrowth #reelstips...
• Pillar 2: Day-in-the-Life Content
  Set 2: #socialmediamanagerlife #freelancelife #communitymanager #solopreneur #workfromanywhere...
• Pillar 3: Client Acquisition Advice
  Set 3: #getclients #businessstrategy #marketingforcoaches #servicebasedbusiness #growyourbusiness...

Keep these sets in a note on your phone or a spreadsheet. When you create a post, you can grab the most relevant set and then add a few unique, ultra-specific hashtags tailored to that specific post.

Common Hashtag Mistakes You Should Avoid

Building a great strategy is also about avoiding the common pitfalls that can hurt your reach.

1. Using Banned or Broken Hashtags: Some hashtags have been flagged or restricted by Instagram because of inappropriate content. Using one can make your post invisible to anyone who doesn't follow you. Before adding a new, unfamiliar hashtag to your list, search for it on Instagram. If it doesn't show a full gallery of top and recent posts, it might be restricted. Avoid it.

2. Using Irrelevant Tags: Don't try to piggyback on trending but unrelated hashtags like #superbowl or #newyears just for visibility. The algorithm is smart. It knows what your post is about, and showing it to an audience that isn't interested will lead to low engagement, which signals to the algorithm that your content isn't very good.

3. Forgetting about Location Tags: If you're a local business or provide services in a specific area, location-based hashtags are extremely powerful. Use tags like #austincoffee, #nyphotographer, or #londonflorist to attract local customers who are actually able to buy from you.

How Many Hashtags to Use (And Where to Put Them)

Here’s the final piece of the puzzle: quantity and placement.

How Many? Instagram lets you use up to 30 hashtags. While you don't have to use all 30 every time, it's generally better to use more rather than less. Think of each hashtag as a doorway for someone to discover your content. Using 20 relevant hashtags gives you 20 chances to be found. Using 5 gives you just 5. Aim for a healthy mix of 15-25 high-quality, relevant hashtags on each post.

Where to Put Them? You have two options: in the caption itself or in the first comment immediately after posting. Instagram has confirmed that there is no difference in reach or performance between these two placements. It's purely an aesthetic choice.

• In the caption: Puts everything in one place. You can hide the block of hashtags by adding a few line breaks (using dots or dashes) after your main caption text.
• In the first comment: Keeps your caption looking clean and less "salesy." This is a popular method among many creators for a minimal look.

Experiment with both and see what feels best for your brand's style.

Final Thoughts

Developing a strong hashtag strategy is a process of testing, learning, and refining. It's about being intentional instead of just grabbing whatever is trending. By building a thoughtful mix of high-volume, niche, and community tags, you shift from hoping for discovery to strategically creating it, getting your content in front of the people who will value it most.

Of course, organizing your hashtag sets can feel like a chore, especially when you're managing multiple social profiles. At Postbase, we built our tool to solve exactly this kind of everyday friction. You can create and save your categorized hashtag groups directly within our scheduler, making it easy to add the perfect set to each post with a single click. It streamlines your entire workflow, saving you from the hassle of jumping between spreadsheets or notes apps, so you can focus on building your brand.