New Study Looks at Optimal Hashtag Usage in Instagram Feed Posts, Based on 18m Examples

What number of hashtags must you add to your Instagram posts to maximise engagement?

The recommendation varies – earlier research have proven fewer is healthier, whereas Instagram itself says that you ought to look so as to add 3 to five extremely related hashtags to achieve the best communities. 

Actually, as with all issues social media, a variety of it relies on your particular viewers and focus. However including just a little extra consideration into the combination, the staff from Later just lately performed an evaluation of greater than 18 million Instagram feed posts, particularly (not together with video, Reels or Tales) so as to measure optimum hashtag utilization for driving engagement and attain.

Their key discovering? Extra hashtags is certainly higher, on each fronts.

First off, on attain – Later’s examine reveals that posts with 20 hashtags see the very best common attain charge, whereas these with 30 hashtags will not be too far behind. 

That’s in keeping with Later’s earlier analysis, as you possibly can see on this comparative graph.

By way of engagement – i.e. driving extra likes and feedback – Later discovered that 30 hashtags generated one of the best outcomes.

So, in opposition to Instagram’s personal recommendation round extra restricted hashtag use, Later’s examine really discovered that extra was so much higher. Which is sensible, with respect to maximizing discoverability by getting your posts into extra Discover feeds and listings. However it may possibly additionally make your posts look extra cluttered – although the insights right here would recommend that this isn’t as large a consideration for customers because it might appear.

So what must you go together with? Properly, there’s no definitive reply, as, once more, it is going to largely come all the way down to your distinctive viewers and what they reply to, and what you’re attempting to realize along with your posts.

Should you’re attempting to attach with very area of interest communities, it could be that fewer hashtags is healthier, because the curiosity you may doubtlessly get from broader tag use may not lead to precise site visitors to your website. However then once more, possibly extra is healthier, as broader attain would imply that you simply’re more and more more likely to get your updates in entrance of extra of the best individuals, even in case you attain extra uninterested customers as properly.

It’ll require experimentation to find out what works for you – and as evidenced by the various suggestions, there’s possible nobody proper reply for all. However on this occasion, based mostly on a broad vary of feed posts (once more, not together with video, Reels or Tales), it could seem that extra is healthier for engagement.

It could possibly be value testing, and analyzing your personal outcomes – and in case you’ve prevented including too many tags prior to now, possibly you don’t want to carry again as a lot.

You’ll be able to learn Later’s full Instagram hashtag examine right here.