In the constantly evolving world of Instagram, your hashtag strategy could be the difference between gaining meaningful visibility and seeing your posts lost in the crowd. As Instagram itself updates its algorithms and offers new guidance, it’s crucial to stay ahead by adapting your approach – especially in 2023. This article breaks down Instagram’s latest hashtag recommendations and practical tips to unlock your growth potential this year.
1. Use Relevant Hashtags That Truly Reflect Your Content
Instagram’s official creators’ account (@Creators) recently emphasized the importance of relevance when choosing hashtags. It’s no longer effective to scatter hashtags that don’t relate to your visual or message. For instance, if your post is about skiing, avoid inserting unrelated tags just to chase views. Instagram’s algorithms have become sophisticated enough to analyze your visuals and assess whether your hashtags appropriately represent what’s shown.
Key takeaway: Always select hashtags that directly align with the theme and the actual content of your post. Using unrelated hashtags is more likely to harm your reach rather than help it.
2. Research Hashtags Your Audience Actually Uses
Understanding your audience is a cornerstone of any successful marketing or communication plan. Instagram urges creators to look closely at which hashtags their followers and potential fans are engaging with regularly. This knowledge heightens the likelihood your content appears in front of the right eyes.
Action step: Spend time exploring the hashtags your community interacts with – this will sharpen your targeting and boost genuine engagement.
3. Mix Hashtags by Reach: Broad, Medium, and Niche
A well-rounded hashtag strategy involves a blend:
- Broad hashtags: Popular and widely used tags can expose your post to a large audience but are highly competitive.
- Medium-range hashtags: These have a moderate following and better chances of discovery.
- Niche-specific hashtags: Smaller, highly focused tags related to your brand, products, or services that connect you directly with interested users.
Balancing this mix increases the discoverability of your posts without diluting your message in overwhelming competition.
4. Create and Promote Your Own Custom Hashtags
Having a unique, branded hashtag is fundamental. It not only helps current fans find your content easily but also builds community around your brand identity. Customized hashtags link your posts and encourage followers to use them, further amplifying your reach.
5. Limit Yourself to 3–5 Hashtags Per Post
This recommendation might surprise many — traditionally, users often stuff their posts with the maximum of 30 hashtags allowed, or at least between 10 and 15. However, Instagram now advises using only 3 to 5 highly relevant hashtags per post.
Why such a drastic change? Too many hashtags, especially irrelevant or generic ones, can dilute your content’s impact and potentially harm your post’s performance. Since Instagram’s AI can interpret your image and text content real-time, excess or mismatched hashtags don’t add value and may even penalize distribution.
Important: Quality beats quantity. Pick a few hashtags that genuinely describe your content and audience rather than a laundry list thrown on haphazardly.
6. Avoid Overusing Highly Competitive, Generic Hashtags
While it’s not forbidden to use popular hashtags, avoid overusing them since your content risks being lost among millions of posts. Instead, incorporate a balanced number of niche and moderately popular tags to maximize your chances of visibility.
7. Use Technology To Verify Hashtag Relevance
One innovative tool to check the appropriateness of hashtags relative to your visuals is Google’s Cloud Vision AI. This tool analyzes an image and identifies labels and elements the AI detects. For example, it may recognize smiling faces, types of clothing, objects, or landscapes.
You can test your post images on Cloud Vision to ensure your chosen hashtags align with the image’s detected content. Aligning your tags with the AI’s interpretation supports Instagram’s algorithm in correctly categorizing and recommending your content.
8. Beware of Text on Images
Instagram’s AI now also reads text in images—such as on T-shirts or signs. If the text is irrelevant or inappropriate, this could negatively affect the reach of your post. Therefore, ensure any visible text matches your intended message and audience expectations.
Summary: How to Implement These Insights Today
- Audit your current hashtag list and keep only those relevant to your content and brand.
- For each post, select 3–5 hashtags: one broad, one medium, and one niche/custom hashtag.
- Study your audience’s hashtag preferences; use tags they are familiar with and follow.
- Use tools like Google Cloud Vision to validate hashtag-image alignment.
- Keep text visible on images appropriate and consistent with your overall message.
Instagram is moving towards smarter, context-driven content discovery. By refining your hashtag strategy with these expert recommendations, you’ll position your posts for success and sustainable growth on the platform in 2023 and beyond.
Embrace a strategic, focused hashtag approach today, and watch your Instagram presence flourish!
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