Do Hashtags Work on Instagram & Still Relevant in 2023? (2024)

Do hashtags work on Instagram? Instagram hashtags have been a staple in the world of Instagram marketing for so many years. But, with the ever-evolving landscape of algorithms, SEO and marketing in general, it’s natural to wonder if hashtags are still relevant in 2023. Well, I’m here to tell you that Instagram hashtags are far from being dead, they’ve simply evolved!

Gone are the days of spamming your posts with as many popular hashtags as possible. Instead, now it’s rather all about quality over quantity. Instagram prioritizes posts that are deemed relevant and valuable to its users, so it’s crucial to use hashtags that are most relevant to your content and target audience. This means that instead of using popular hashtags that have millions of posts, you should focus on using niche hashtags that have fewer posts but a more engaged and interested audience.

“Where do I find working hashtags? How do I make them work? Do Hashtags work on Instagram? Are hashtags still relevant in 2023?” is basically one of the most frequent questions in the Instagram creators’ space. There are many answers to this question and – woohoo – we’re going to discuss them today! Let’s go!

What exactly are we going to talk about? 🕵🏻

What is a Hashtag? Do Hashtags Work on Instagram?

I’m going to dive into the world of hashtags and answer the age-old question: what is a hashtag and do hashtags work on Instagram? But wait… If you don’t know what hashtags are, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Just kidding! I’ll give you a brief summary.

But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s have a little (well-deserved!) fun with a joke:

Why did the marketer cross the road?To get to the #hashtag on the other side!

Alright, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get down to business.

A hashtag, put simply, is a keyword or phrase preceded by a pound sign, #.

It’s used to categorize content on the platform and make it easier for all the users to find related posts. When you click on a hashtag, it will take you to a dedicated page where you can see all the posts that have used that same hashtag.

So, how does it work? It’s quite simple, actually! When you add a hashtag to your post, it becomes searchable and can be discovered by other ‘Gram users who are searching for content related to that given hashtag.

The Benefits of Using Hashtags on Instagram

Choosing hashtags relevant to the niche of your profile and your business can allow specific users, or more precisely, your target audience, to reach you and your content.

The concept of hashtag targeting on Instagram has been around for a while.

Still, many ‘Gram creators and business owners have no clue about where to find these hashtags, how to use them the right way or what makes a good hashtag research tool for the platform, so that’s what we’re going to discuss today!

Hashtags in 2023: Are They Still Relevant?

Sure they are! But you need to keep in mind that Instagram SEO is a delicate process that requires time, effort, and choosing the right Instagram hashtags finder is more than crucial. But before we jump into the secret sauce, let’s uncover more of the basics of hashtags for Instagram.

How Hashtags Influence Views and Engagement

Hashtag targeting on Instagram allows you to target your potential audience and your perfect follower. It involves choosing specific hashtags that you place in your content.

While we are discussing hashtag targeting for Instagram, you should remember that this is not a way of “rigging the ‘Gram algorithm” or “beating the Adam Mosseri’s system” as some people call it. It’s just ensuring your content and your amazing Reels reach the right audience, your target audience, fair and square!

Optimizing Hashtag Research with IQ Hashtags

The big hashtag research misconception is that you have to be a talented marketing expert or some kind of nerd to even start taking advantage of this Instagram SEO method.

I’m here to tell you that’s just not true!

Do you need a hashtag research tool for Instagram?

Well… If you want to struggle and potentially not find the right audience for the posts you’re posting or the amazing captions you’re writing, then you don’t need the best Instagram hashtag tool.

You don’t need it, if you want to keep wasting your precious energy, time, money and efforts. But, if you want to succeed and find the right audience for the posts you’re creating, I’m sure it’s worth it to invest in a hashtag research tool. Not only will you be able to find the right hashtags for your niche, but your high-ranking Reels and posts will be in Instagram’s good books.

To Wrap-Up!

Instagram hashtags are far, FAR from being dead in 2023. With a strategic and creative approach, they can be an extremely powerful tool for reaching your target audience and promoting your content. So, don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with new trending hashtags – you never know what kind of results you may see! These are not quick fixes but they will build an online presence that will reward you.