20-Second Summary
Do hashtags still work on Instagram? This is a question that many still ask.
Instagram hashtags were playing a key role in getting maximum following, engagement and account visibility, but today many other factors have become important than them.
But this does not mean that the impacts of the hashtags have been zero. They still matter to get traction on your new Instagram profile.
There are specific procedures to follow and some mistakes that one needs to avoid in order to get maximum benefits out of using the hashtags on Instagram.
Unlike outdated advice, this guide shares what works now. This blog post will provide Instagram growth tips to stay ahead in 2025, using hashtags, and mistakes you should avoid to gain account growth in 2025.
What Are Instagram Hashtags?
Any word or phrase that is preceded by the symbol # is referred to as the hashtag. By using the hashtags, one can become discoverable to the audience that is following the topic mentioned with the keyword or the phrase that is being used as the hashtag.
The users who are searching for a specific category based on the hashtags do not really need to follow you, which shows that using the hashtags, you can get in reach of the people who are your non-followers, and if they find your content and like it, they may start following you and become a potential lead as well.
Do Hashtags Matter A Lot in 2025?
Back when they were introduced in the year 2011, they were really helpful in going viral till the year 2017, but with later changes in the algorithm and more focus on quality content and SEO, they now have low to moderate impact on going viral, and you really need to use them strategically to help them provide such benefit to you along with engagement and increased following.
Instagram explore feed now relies on factors like content type, user behaviour, and SEO keywords.
The hashtags on Instagram now act as tools to classify or categorize your content.
In 2025, they can be used to aid in content discoverability, niche targeting, and building a community, rather than focusing on content virality.
Let us have a breakdown of the history of the Instagram hashtags to see their impact on the virality, growth, engagement and following of the content/account and how much they should be used and what their impact will be in 2025.
Algorithm vs. Audience discovery
An Instagram hashtag strategy can help you in two ways in 2025. You can help the algorithm understand your content, and you can also reach your audience based on your niche-related hashtags.
Even though they are not the direct driver of content reach, they can help you categorize your content and reach an audience that is interested in the same content. Audience can discover your page when looking for similar content, and if your content provides value, they might follow you and become your potential client as well if you are offering products or services.
Similarly, when you use the hashtags that are relevant to your niche and topic, so the Instagram algorithm in 2025 can better categorize your post. and push it to the audience that is relevant to your content, helping you reach the target audience, get the right engagement, and follow for your organic growth on the platform.
But ensure using these hashtags in combination with Instagram SEO, which can be done by using the target keywords within the caption of the video or post, along with the strategic use of hashtags.
Instagram Hashtag Strategies
There are different expectations for growth on Instagram for each person. Some are seeking more likes, some seek more followers, while some are interested in boosting their reels’ reach.
And there are different strategies for each.
Let’s explore how to use hashtags on Instagram effectively, with the best Instagram hashtag strategy for different needs.
For likes & followers
If you really want to increase your Instagram followers and likes on your Instagram profile, then the hashtags strategies that we recommend are as follows:
Use the hashtags that are specific to your niche. This will only attract the users who are interested in your topic, increasing the chances of likes and following. Examples include: #DiyHomeDecor #veganRecipesForBeginners.
Combine your low competition target audience hashtags with the high competition keywords. Example: Combining Fitness with Women over 30 and creating a hashtag out of it like #WomenOver30Fitness.
Do not use keywords like #FollowMe or #Follow4Follow. These may hurt your brand name and reach.
Although Instagram allows the use of 30 keywords per post, for gaining more likes and followers, we would suggest using four to seven keywords, or you may go up to 11, too, if you like.
Make sure to use a few hashtags with your brand name, too. When you grow in the future, you and your community can use this brand hashtag to search for content related to your brand, either by you or your followers.
By using these hashtags for followers, you can increase your chances of attracting users who genuinely like your content and will engage with it.
For engagement
For better engagement on your content, use the following hashtag strategies:
Add community-related hashtags to your posts. These could be related to the mutual interests or values. For example, #SaveTheTrees #Mompreneurs.
You can also incorporate the call-to-action within your hashtags to get more responses from the people who are interested in such topics. Example: #ShareYourStory #CommentForFreebies.
You could also use hashtags in combination with polls within the post. The hashtags will bring in the target audience interested in the same content type and upon reaching the poll will help to make them engaged.
Use your analytics to see the availability of your audience. Post with relevant hashtags with the above-mentioned strategies at the times when most of your audience is online, this way you can get maximum engagement on your posts.
For Reels
Reels were introduced in 2020. They now play an important role in increasing the reach of Instagram accounts, though we cannot say they are the sole reason for growth and boosting.
Reels do not rely on hashtags to go viral, but just like posts, engagement and likes from the right audience. For reels, we also need to categorize to help the algorithm understand our page content and push it to the right audience, or the audience searching for the same content reach our account with the help of the right keywords.
The hashtags strategies for reels include the following:
Use 4 to 8 topic-relevant hashtags. Example: # ExerciseMotivation #EasyBreakfastRecipe.
Avoid using hashtags like #ForYouPage or FYP.
Ensure that your hashtags match the intent and niche of your reel video. It will be ideal if they match your caption and voiceover, too.
Using the Instagram analytics, monitor the performance of your hashtags and exclude the ones that are not performing in the upcoming reels.
How to Test Hashtags
To test the hashtags, first, you need to identify your target audience and the target niche.
Next, you need to search for the trending hashtags within your niche, along with the hashtags that are generally used by the accounts in the same niche.
Create a set of hashtags based on the performance, and also create some combinations using the niche keywords with your brand and trending keywords mix.
The ideal way to not make a mistake and ensure you make the right decision regarding the hashtags from day one is to consider investing in a good hashtag generator. These specialized tools help you find popular and relevant hashtags.
If you are selling products and services based on regional areas, targeting a specific city or country population, then consider using the local hashtags for such a specific community.
Try to use these on a regular basis for a few days.
Once your analytics have enough data, you need to evaluate the performance of your hashtags to identify what is working for your brand and niche and what is not.
Upon analysis, identify the hashtags that are performing really well and provide the best results. Track their growth and see if they still perform well.
Also, look at the user analytics to see if the target audience of the right age group and the right gender is coming to your page with the used hashtags.
The next thing is to analyze the engagement of your audience by looking at the comments, likes, shares, and saves. Also consider looking at the comments to see what the reviews of your audience are, whether they are positive or negative, and if they are mostly negative, you need to figure out what you are doing wrong that needs to be corrected.
On the basis of the the analysis of these metrics, you can optimize your hashtag strategy and improve your results if needed.
How To Mix Hashtags
In 2025, mixing the hashtags matters the most. The two major reasons for that include the following:
If you use only popular hashtags, generally the ones that have 1 million plus views, there are less likely chances for your content to stand out, as it may get buried under the top-performing accounts’ posts and reels.
If you use only low search volume hashtags, then reach can be limited, and it may take you months to achieve the goals of required followers and reach.
In order to get a relevant and balanced reach, you must mix the hashtags and use them in combination, which will not only help the right audience to find you, but also let the algorithm understand your content and boost it in the explore feed for the right audience match.
The Strategy for mixing the hashtags includes 4 to 10 or even 11 hashtags by combining the high volume hashtags with the medium and low volume hashtags.
High-volume hashtags usually have one million or more posts on them, and they give the content an initial boost. You need to combine these with the medium-volume and low-volume hashtags.
The medium-volume hashtags have almost 50k to 500k posts and make your posts more discoverable. Combining them with the high-volume hashtags makes them more discoverable with the help of the boost from high-volume hashtags.
Then come the low-volume hashtags, which have under 50k volume of posts using them. These have low competition and may give you an edge to target the niche audience for those hashtags before your competitors. In combination with the above two types, they become a competitive advantage for you.
Another important tip for mixing the hashtags includes adding your brand name to a few of the hashtags in order to create your own community hashtags.
This can be used in the future to see the engagement around them and how your audience is using them while reviewing your products and services. This will aid in building your brand image and community too.
Tools and Generators
There are several Instagram hashtag tools that help creators pick top Instagram hashtags and keywords smartly.
There are tools that you can use to search for the ideal hashtags based on your niche and industry. Some of the best Instagram hashtags in 2025 can be discovered using the tools we have provided below.
These are the top five tools that you can use to grow your Instagram account.
Flick
Flick is the number one tool that is recommended by the experts and has been widely used by content marketing creators and agencies.
It is a paid tool, but it provides a free trial.
It has a data accuracy of 95 per cent.
Its best features include AI-Powered hashtags, analytics dashboard, and competition scoring.
It will also alert you about banned hashtags. Now, if you ask what are banned hashtags? The simple answer is that these are not allowed to be used because they follow community guidelines.
Later
Later is on the second number recommendation, as it is frequently cited as the Meta-partner tool and content marketing uses it a lot.
It is a freemium tool that comes with some paid features.
Its data accuracy is up to 90%.
It provides smart suggestions related to the hashtags, it has a visual planner, scheduling and provides performance insights integration as well.
Inflact
Inflact has been mentioned by the marketing blog as the best hashtags-related tool, which is used by niche content creators.
It is a freemium that also comes with a subscription for various features.
The accuracy percentage is almost 88%.
It provides Multi-input hashtag search, difficulty & popularity categorization, and multilingual support as well.
All Hashtag
It is a tool that has been frequently referenced in free tool roundups and for beginners.
The data accuracy is up to 80%.
It gives an instant batch generation for up to 30 hashtags and also provides basic analytics.
It is a free tool, but a pro version is also available.
Instagram Hashtag Mistakes
There are many chances of one making a mistake while using hashtags in their content, and this should not be taken lightly at all. These mistakes can cause a bad impact on your growth and may target the wrong audience.
Below, we have listed the common hashtag mistakes that you need to avoid:
Even though Instagram allows one to use a maximum of 30 hashtags, it is always recommended not to use them all. We recommend using 4 to 5 hashtags that are relevant to your post. You may take them up to 7 or eleven, but more than that might not help you a lot, and may make your content look spammy.
Never use hashtags that are irrelevant to your niche and industry. These hashtags can confuse the algorithm of Instagram, and you may not reach the right audience, and it may also make you look spammy to the algorithm, which could harm your account.
Always do proper research about your niche, top Instagram accounts, and see the hashtags they are ranking for, and only then create your own strategy rather than using random hashtags.
Use a combination of hashtags to get a wider reach. Do not just rely on high-volume or low-volume hashtags only.
Do not repeat similar hashtags on all the posts; change them on alternate days.
Forgetting to use local hashtags if you are targeting a special geographical area might be another mistake you should avoid, as you may lose the local potential leads by not using the local hashtags.
The hashtags should be blended into the search engine optimized captions and look like a part of them, and not be the only thing in the caption for your posts and reels. A good caption sets the hook for you, while the hashtags help you reach the right categories and audience for them.
Consistently analyze your hashtags to see what is working and what is not working. This will help you to eliminate the ones that are not working and replace them with better ones to boost your growth and reach.
Even though many people claim to get growth on Instagram without any hashtags, we still recommend not making the mistake of using no hashtags at all. You can benefit from categorizing your content and reaching the right audience fast.
Final Remarks
There was a time when hashtags could get any account viral alone. But after years, today in 2025, the hashtags and their use require a proper strategy for growing on Instagram.
Today, you need to focus on using the hashtags that are relevant to your niche category, as a combination of high, medium, and low keywords, and ensure that you analyze and monitor their performance regularly to see how they are working for you. Exclude the ones that are not performing well and include the ones that provide long-term impact.
Even though hashtags are not going to make you viral alone, it is recommended not to ignore them in your captions, and use at least 4 to 5 hashtags for a better reach and engagement.
For more such useful marketing-related content, keep visiting The Digital Advice, because we keep providing updated information regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ideal number of hashtags to use on Instagram in 2025?
If you ask how many hashtags should I use, It is recommended to use 4 to 11 high-quality hashtags relevant to your niche. It will be more ideal to use niche-specific keywords, but with a combination of high-volume and low-volume keywords with the brand or community-specific keywords for better reach and engagement.
Do hashtags still work for Instagram growth in 2025?
Yes, hashtags, along with the combination of high-quality images and videos, and a good optimized caption, help you to reach your target audience through the Instagram explore page to achieve better results.
How do I select the most effective Instagram hashtags for my niche?
You can use tools like Flick, Later, or All Hashtag for finding the keywords that are relevant to your niche, and can provide you with an edge over your competitors.
Can using banned hashtags hurt your Instagram reach?
Yes, using the banned hashtags can actually harm your account’s reach or cause your posts to be shadow-banned.
Should I use the same set of hashtags in every Instagram post?
No, it is not ideal to use the same hashtags in all of your posts, as they might become too repetitive. We recommend using different hashtags for different posts for better engagement, and you might also need to switch them for targeting a new audience or exclude the hashtags that are not working anymore.
