There’s a lot (and I mean a lot) of talk around hashtags on Instagram.
Are they dead?? Are they useless? Are they the secret key to getting your posts to go viral?? Literally anyone and everyone has their two cents to add about hashtags, and it’s causing more confusion than anything else.
Meaning that even if hashtags are still relevant on Instagram, most people aren’t using them at all, are using them (but wrong), or flipping back and forth every other post just trying to figure it out.
So, here’s everything you need to know about hashtags on Instagram – and if you should use them (or not).
What Are Hashtags (More Specifically, Hashtags on Instagram)?
A hashtag is a way to categorize a post on Instagram (like tagging or categorizing your blog posts in WordPress, adding tags to a YouTube video, or tagging in Pinterest) that usually consists of a word or phrase starting with the pound symbol (#).
Exhibit A:
Hashtags show up blue in Instagram captions because they’re clickable. AKA if someone reads your caption and clicks on a hashtag, they’ll be taken to the Instagram search bar to find other posts using the same hashtag.
This makes it easier for people (your audience) to search for posts like the one they’re on and find creators, business owners, and professionals in the same category (like you).
Okay, But How is This Any Different From Before?
The whole reason you’re here and reading this is because you want to know if hashtags are still relevant. Not as a whole — but like, now, RIGHT NOW.
But for you to get why they’re still relevant, you have to know a little bit about how hashtags used to function – and why so many people (business owners and Instagram strategists alike) are convinced “hashtags are dead.”
Mainly, that back before December 13th of 2024, Instagram users could find and follow hashtags. Meaning that if your post contained that hashtag, it would have the potential to show up in a user’s feed — regardless of whether they were following you or not.
Add this to the ever-growing list of retired Instagram features that let hashtags do a lot of the heavy lifting in your visibility, and vóila, the (incorrect) belief that hashtags no longer matter on Instagram.
And yes, I’m fully aware that even Mosseri (the head of Instagram) claims hashtags don’t really impact reach. But the fact that they help categorize content means they inherently help with showing up in the right place in search results → which means that yes, they do, in fact, impact reach.
How Instagram Hashtags Actually Work
To put it simply, hashtags work by allowing users to find content based on their interests.
Hashtags can be created — for example, you can go to Instagram and create and hashtag for your brand name (#yourbrandnamehere) and it’ll create a feed for that hashtag. But that also means if your post is the only one with that hashtag, it’s the only one that’ll show up.
Which could be great for your brand awareness (I mean, technically there’s a #homegoods and #tjmaxx) — but it also means that unless your competitors use your brand name, it’s not helping you reach NEW people.
But, the real visibility is in showing up for hashtags — and thanks to hashtags — that people are already using!! (Which is also why I’ll forever recommend them for interior designers)
When someone clicks on a hashtag, it looks a little something like this:
And, thanks to Instagram leaning into their own IG SEO (search engine optimization), hashtags play a role in search even when a user isn’t technically searching via a hashtag.
When searching for a phrase (not a hashtag), posts with identical hashtags and close variations show up in the first nine spots on screen!!
So, Are Hashtags Still Relevant?
Yes, hashtags are still relevant (and very much so).
Even if the impact on your visibility is less than prior years, it still increases your reach anywhere from 15.9% to 36% depending on your account size, industry, and the hashtags you use.
The character length of your hashtags can even impact your reach – tags between 21-24 characters perform 20% better than their shorter alternatives (sound familiar? It should!! It’s the same for traditional SEO on your website, long-tail keywords perform better and are easier to rank for than short!).
On a more casual, less statistic-y note, even when working with clients and interior designers in my membership SMM on Speed Dial get DMs, inquiries, and even book clients FROM THEIR HASHTAGS.
How Does This Apply to YOU?
First of all — if you’re not incorporating hashtags into your Instagram marketing strategy, now’s a pretty good time to start!!
And, of course, here’s a few extra tips to help out:
- Pick hashtags that best match your interior design business AND the post you’re publishing.
- Only pick a handful of hashtags for each post (there’s no reason to publish 30 hashtags for every single post you make).
- ROTATE. ROTATE. ROTATE. While avoiding spammy hashtags is a must, rotating the hashtags you use will also help you avoid Instagram’s hashtag filter.
Lastly, hashtags are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to Instagram. Even the best hashtags won’t carry a post that doesn’t connect with your audience!!
Loved learning about hashtags, but want more support (and strategy) for your Instagram? Join SMM on Speed Dial, my community for interior designers who are ready to set and achieve their goals on (and off) social media!!
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