250 Trending Hashtags For Instagram: 10X Your Engagement!

The Importance of Hashtags on Instagram

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Hashtags aren’t just trendy add-ons. They’re powerful tools that boost the discoverability of your content.

Here’s why they’re indispensable:

• Visibility: A relevant hashtag ensures your content surfaces when users search for that topic.
• Engagement: Hashtags can increase likes, shares, and comments, promoting more interaction with your content.
• Community Building: Using popular and niche hashtags can help you tap into specific communities and engage with like-minded individuals.

How Hashtags Work

Imagine hashtags as the signposts in the vast city of Instagram. Without them, your content might end up in a remote alley, unnoticed.

1. Discoverability: Instagram’s algorithm picks up content with relevant hashtags and shows them in users’ Explore sections.
2. Trending Topics: Frequently used hashtags, especially those gaining traction quickly, can make your Reel feature in trending sections, exposing your content to a larger audience.
3. Content Categorization: Hashtags categorize your content. For instance, a food blogger might use #FoodieFridays to segment their Friday-special posts.

Hashtags are a way of organising content. Like tags on WordPress, you can use hashtags to tell the Instagram algorithm that your post is about X topic. 

Once you’ve tagged your post accordingly, it’ll be organised and – based on engagement – shown inside the search results for that hashtag inside Instagram. 

The key point here is to choose your hashtags wisely. A hashtag like #veganfood is going to have A LOT more searches and visibility than  #MakingVeganFoodForMyCousinLarry. Specificity is the name of the game. 

Instagram makes it easy to find trending hashtags too, as does X. Just open up the app, select search, and then type in your topic – let’s do Phones for this example. 

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As you can see, there’s a load of relevant and trending hashtags related to phones, so if your post is about phones or smartphones or something related, you’ll want to use one or a combination of these. 

That’s the basics, but now we come to the slightly more complex issue of “types” of hashtag. Let’s now unpack this useful advanced hashtag technique… 

Types of Hashtag: From Branded Hashtag To Location-Based (And Why You Need To Use Them)

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Branded Hashtags

Unique to a brand, these hashtags promote brand identity, products, or campaigns. They encourage community building and help track user-generated content (UGC). Examples include #JustDoIt (Nike) and #ShareACoke (Coca-Cola).

Community Hashtags

Used to connect with specific interest groups, these hashtags increase post discoverability and engagement. They help you reach like-minded people and grow your network. Examples: #Foodie, #Bikers, #Travelgram.

Hashtags for Cultural Movements

These hashtags, like #BlackLivesMatter and #Pride, are used to support and raise awareness for social issues. They can help express your brand’s stance on important cultural topics.

Trending Hashtags

Related to popular or current events, holidays, or viral topics, these hashtags increase visibility by tapping into widespread conversations. Examples: #WorldCup, #ThrowbackThursday.

User-Created Hashtags

Created by consumers, these hashtags feature unsponsored and authentic content about your brand. They offer a genuine look at how customers interact with your products.

Location-Based Hashtags

These hashtags, like #NYC or #SXSW, are used to target specific geographic areas. They help users find local content and engage with local communities, enhancing regional reach.

Can You Use Too Many Hashtags?

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In the quest to increase visibility, there’s a temptation to stuff as many hashtags as possible. But is that beneficial?

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but bombarding your audience can look spammy and insincere. It’s essential to strike a balance.

• Relevance is Key: Instead of using all 30, focus on 5-10 highly relevant hashtags. This ensures your content reaches the right audience.
• Avoid “Banned” Hashtags: Instagram occasionally bans hashtags due to misuse. Using one can limit the visibility of all your other hashtags.

Best Practices for Hashtag Optimization

1. Research Regularly: The trendiness of a hashtag can wane. Keep your list updated.
2. Combine Broad and Niche Hashtags: While #Food might have millions of posts, #VeganChocolateCake targets a specific audience. Use both types for maximum reach.
3. Use Analytics: Track which hashtags bring the most engagement and refine your strategy accordingly.
4. Engage with Others: Don’t just use hashtags. Engage with content under those hashtags to foster community relationships.