I want to talk to you about #hashtags. Instagram hashtag strategy to be specific!

Have you heard this about them before?

❌  Hashtags can make or break your Instagram strategy

❌  They’re the most important part of any post

❌  You need to spend tons of time finding the perfect hashtags

There’s a lot of confusing information and conflicting tips floating around about using hashtags on Instagram.

So what IS the truth about hashtags? Let me break them down for you.

✅  Hashtags are just a small part of your Instagram strategy

Hashtags are important—there’s no doubt about that—but they are not the MOST important thing you need to worry about on Instagram. First & foremost, you need to be creating content that adds value for your followers and is genuinely serving them. 

I can promise you your hashtags will not matter if you aren’t posting Reels & Carousels that your audience actually wants to see!

✅  Hashtags won’t make any major difference to your posts on their own

It’s important to include hashtags along with your posts, but they will not make a huge, huge difference to your engagement. They’ll help you reach new people & a broader audience, but you still need to be creating quality content, engaging captions, and including a call to action if you want the best results. 

Hashtags are like the icing on the cake. They make your posts better, but they are not going to do any heavy lifting on their own. 

✅  Hashtags don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming

It can be easy to give up on hashtags if you’re thinking they’re super complex and will take you forever. I get it! But, friend, that’s not the way they have to be! They can be super simple & easy to add to your Instagram strategy if you know what to do. 

Keep reading for my tips to help you use hashtags for your posts and how to save time creating them!

#1 Do Not Just Copy & Paste

If you want to be using hashtags effectively, make sure that you are not just copying & pasting hashtags from someone else’s post. Instagram does NOT like this & considers it spammy and inauthentic when you do this. Plus, you are using hashtags that are right for someone else, but might not be right for your ideal audience.

#2 Mix Up Your Hashtags on Every Post

Another thing you need to be doing if you want the best results with hashtags is to mix things up. Make sure you’re not posting the same hashtags every single time. Instead, you want to include fresh, new terms each time you upload. 

#3 Avoid Spam & Banned Hashtags

There are certain words and hashtags that are banned and seen as spammy by Instagram. It’s important to avoid these in your hashtag lists because the hashtag will be hidden by Instagram and it can affect engagement & visibility on your post, too. 

#4 Use Some Broad & Some Niche Hashtags

You don’t want to include only hashtags that have millions of hits because your post will get lost and you won’t actually reach any new people. But, you also don’t want to include only specific, niche hashtags with a handful of posts because they won’t really help you get seen by new people, either. It’s best to include a mix of broad and specific hashtags, so you’re taking advantage of both & have the best chance of being effective.

#5 Save Your Own Hashtag Sets

If you want the ultimate hashtag time-saving hack, make your own sets of hashtags that you can pull from whenever you’re going to post. This will make it super simple for you to mix up your hashtags & makes it so you don’t have to do hashtag research every time you want to upload! 

If you’re looking for more Instagram hashtag strategy, tips or advice, I got you! I share a ton of content all designed to help you master IG & use the app for amazing growth, to help your business, and to help you earn passive income. Make sure you’re following me so you don’t miss any of my posts. Click here to follow me.