Instagram is the name of the social media game. To be sure your Instagame is strong, especially in light of those pesky recent algorithm changes, it’s important to find a strategy and really nail it. With that, it’s important to be dynamic with your strategy, staying on top of social media trends and algorithm changes and all that jazz to let it all evolve accordingly. #stressful. It’s honestly so much to handle sometimes and can easily get overwhelming. It needs organization and some sort of structure. Enter, hashtags.
I saw a post by my blog friend Helene recently about her own favorite hashtags for Instagram as of late, so I figured I’d hop on the Insta-bandwagon and share mine. With Instagram hashtags, it’s important to note niche. Helene posts more travel and wanderlust-themed pics than me, and I post more style and beauty-related shots than her; if we were to analyze our accounts side-by-side, those differences in niche and themes would also be reflected in the people who are choosing to follow us respectively.
Hashtags are like sheepdogs. They herd together flocks of photos as assigned without any further separation or organization. Just like a sheepdog will just herd together anything in it’s cute lil’ path (human peeps and sheeps alike), hashtags will just organize whatever is tagged accordingly. It’s your job as the hashtagger to make sure the photos you’re tagging make sense with the rest o’ the bunch!
Hashtags are important. It’s how to expand beyond your bubble within the world of social media, find new accounts and new content, and get your own goodness seen, loved, and shared. I’ve gone through a whole *slue* of my own favorite Instagram hashtags and categorized ’em below according to what I personally think they’re best for. Granted, ALL are good to be shared with photos. If the photo fits, hashtag it, yannnnno? But while some are exceptionally good at finding similar accounts as yourself, others are better for finding major inspiration of a certain sort or reaching your “ideal audience” of potential followers.
MY FAVORITE INSTAGRAM HASHTAGS
Favorite Instagram Hashtags for Getting Inspiration:
*These hashtags are super popular – popular enough where you risk your photo getting immediately lost in the shuffle when tagging. But, tag anyway, and use to seek inspiration from some of the most beautiful pics trending now.
#FlashesofDelight – 2.5 Mil+. Started by the Glitter Guide, errrrrr’thaaaang is bright and pretty and inspirational, as would be expected.
#LiveColorfully – 850,000+ Kate Spade said it, so it must be true. One of my personal favorites.
#ABMHappyLife – 427,000+. The mega-popular account A Beautiful Mess has multiple hashtags dubbed with their branding, and they all bring something slightly different but equally fabulous to the table.
#ABMlifeiscolorful – 1 Mil +. For major colorlust!
#sobestfriendsforfrosting – 45,000+. Started by Best Friends for Frosting, this tag is great because it’s a bit smaller, but with consistent photo quality. While photos aren’t all cupcakes and frosting by any means, there IS a lotta pink! 😉
#foundforaged – 120,000+. More of an earthy, green vibe for a more boho feel.
#chasinglight – 1.5 Mil. Bright, beautiful photography. Many involve outdoor shots and/or the sun in some way, so makes for great inspiration when you wanna connect to Mother Earth around the globe and around the clock!
You might like How to Theme your Instagram (+ a FREE Guide to Growth!)
Favorite Instagram Hashtags for Connecting with Others:
*These are hashtags with a smaller number o’ pics tagged with ’em right now, but they’re more community-centric and originated from some sort of already existent community. Some are also seasonal – great for connecting with other basic betches enjoying PSL’s and blanket scarves just as much as the rest of us. 😉
#DailyFallBetween – <1,000. Started by Helene in Between and The Daily Tay, it’s got all sorts of daily fall vibes from #AllThePeeps sharing #AllTheThings related to f-a-l-l.
#TNCHustler – 116,000+. Started by Melyssa Griffin back when The Nectar Collective was a thing, this connects everyone in her tribe of followers to other hustla’s and then some.
#CaffeinateAndConquer – This brand spankin’ new hashtag was dubbed by mah girl Kallie of But First, Coffee. She just launched a resource website, and this accompanying hashtag unite coffee-loving conquerors everywhere.
#ABMAutumn – 17,000+. Did I mention ABM has a hashtag for everything? This fall-themed tag is like seasonal steroids, from fall foliage to fall fashion, pumpkin stoops to pumpkin coffee.
#CommunityOverCompetition – 445,000+. I mean, the name says it all amiright?? For those chicas and chicos who want to genuinely connect with other likeminded, community-oriented folks, this one’s fo’ you.
#BloggerVibes – 14,000+. Pretty sure Helene in Between started this one back in the day, too! All things bloggers, all the time. #YoureWelcome
You might like 11 iPhone Flatlay Photography Tips
Favorite Instagram Hashtags for Small Business Owners:
*These are hashtags centered moreso around finding other bosses and supporting the small biz circle online.
#smallbusinessowner – 323,000+. Not the greatest photo quality, but content ranging from inspirational quotes to new businesses to check out and peers to connect with.
#MyCreativeBiz – 280,000. Same deal as above.
#bosslady – 1.5 Mil. Jampacked with motivation and empire-building hooplah.
#risingtidesociety – 350,000+. The Rising Tide Society is a nationwide organization, predominantly focused on small biz owners within the wedding industry. But all are welcome! Find everything from photographers to calligraphers, painters to bloggers.
#smallbiz – 815,000+. Similar to the first two mentioned, #smallbiz is a hub for support and connection.
You might like 5 Apps to Up your Instagram Game
Click here to get access to a totally *FREE* library of resources for bloggers + biz owners!
There are a whole slue that I use for more style/beauty-focused posts, too, but my personal general rule o’ thumb is this: Rotate the classics! There are SO many #ootd-related tags out there, so especially since Insta allows for 30 tags per post, I try to just mix it up appropriately to ensure I’m not just hitting the exact same audiences every time.
With that…ICYMI, Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post. I’ve heard rumors post-algorithm change about how many are considered “optimum,” with some folks saying 7 is the lucky number, others 10, and others 30. While I’m no expert and not in with the Insta-crowd over at Facebook headquarters, I use 30. Unless the algorithm is actually secretly lessening your reach by marking you as “too-many-hashtags,” I don’t see the harm, so long as the Instagram hashtags you’re using are relevant to your content!
What are your favorite Instagram hashtags?
I’d lovelovelove to know below. Do you have favorites for specific types of photos? Favorites for their accompanying communities? Favorite Instagram hashtags for just searching out pretty pictures? Let’s talk about it in the comments section!
P.S. Are you following CUR on Instagram yet??? I post colorful, uplifting, affordable, vibrant, inspirational schtuff, with the occasional give-back giveaway to my fab followers. Would lovelovelove to see ya there.
P.P.S. You should probably enter to win $500 to Nordstrom. Jusssssayin’. 😉
