Best Hashtags for Instagram for Likes and Followers in 2024

Hello hashtag lovers! It’s 2024, and hashtags are still alive and kicking, attracting more and more people to your posts and account. 

Numbers show that hashtags are still a useful method to grow Instagram followers organically. 

Instagram posts with 11 or more hashtags get the most likes and comments. For accounts with fewer than 1,000 followers, using lots of hashtags can lead to a 79.5% increase in interactions.

But that doesn’t mean everything looks like back in 2010 when Instagram hashtags showed up.

Now, you need to know how to use hashtags for Instagram growth, what are the best hashtags for Instagram for likes and followers, and what mistakes to avoid. 

Don’t worry! All the questions are being answered in this blog! Just put on your glasses and read on!

What Are Instagram Hashtags?

Instagram hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the “#” symbol (e.g., #naturephotography, #funnycats). 

They act like labels or categories for your posts, making them discoverable by people searching for those specific topics.

Here’s how they work:

• Categorization: When you include relevant hashtags in your caption, Instagram indexes your post under those hashtags.
• Search: Users can search for hashtags to see all the posts tagged with them. This allows them to find content related to their interests.
• Algorithm Boost: Hashtags might also play a role in Instagram’s algorithm, helping it understand your content and suggest it to users who might be interested.

What Are the Benefits of Instagram Hashtags?

Hashtags for insta can bring a lot of advantages to your account. Here, we break down some of the most important ones for you: 

Increased visibility

Hashtags can put your content on the Instagram map, and help your posts reach a wider audience beyond your followers, opening the doors to new potential fans and followers.

So, if you’re wondering how to reach more people on Instagram, use hashtags.

Targeted Audience

By using related hashtags, you’ll find like-minded people who are interested in what you have to offer. These people could be your potential target audience.

Improved Engagement

Hashtags for Instagram are the keys to getting more likes, comments, and shares on your posts. They can start conversations and interactions, making your content super engaging and your Instagram SEO improved.

Brand Awareness

Ever heard of a branded hashtag? Branded hashtags are hashtagged phrases used on social media that represent a specific brand. For example, #NikeRunClub is a hashtag created by Nike company to promote its running app.

Branded hashtags can generate a unique identity for your brand, connecting people with it, and boosting your brand presence.

Trend Surfing 

Instagram trending hashtags let you ride the wave of popular topics and discussions. By this, you can stay relevant and in tune with what’s happening on Instagram.

Cross-Platform Exposure

When you use hashtags in your Instagram stories, your content becomes discoverable in the explore section, exposing you to a broader audience.

Competitive Edge

Using a hashtag strategy gives you a leg up on the competition. It’s like having a secret weapon to stand out in the crowded Instagram landscape.

Hashtags for Instagram Growth: What Is a Hashtag Strategy

A hashtag strategy refers to the strategic selection and use of hashtags to increase visibility, engagement, and reach for your content on social media platforms, especially on Instagram. The key components of this strategy include:

Identifying Relevant Keywords

First, you need to research and identify keywords and phrases related to your content, niche, or target audience. These keywords will form the basis of your hashtag strategy. 

Using a Mix of Hashtags

Next, you should create a combination of hashtags including general, niche, and branded hashtags. General hashtags have a broad reach, niche hashtags can target a specific audience, and branded ones represent your brand identity.

Monitoring Trending Hashtags

You should stay up-to-date with trending hashtags and join conversations around popular topics relevant to your content. By this, your posts will gain more reach. 

Avoiding Overused Hashtags

Although popular hashtags can make visibility, they may also drown your content in a sea of similar posts. So, using a mix of hashtags, as discussed earlier, could make your post shine.

Creating Branded Hashtags

By generating branded hashtags and encouraging your audience to use them, you can build a scene of community.

Analyzing Performance 

After all, you should measure your Instagram hashtag strategy. To do this, you can use third-party apps and tools. These tools allow you to understand which hashtags are driving engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly. 

Testing and Recapping

To use hashtags for Instagram growth, you need to regularly test new hashtags and strategies to find out what can attract your audience more. Because social media algorithms as well as trends change over time.

How to Find Popular Hashtags for Instagram Growth?

To find the right hashtags to enhance your visibility and engagement, you should do research. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how to conduct Instagram hashtag research.

#1. Check The Instagram Explore Page

Instagram Explore page is full of top posts, videos, and Instagram reels suggested to you based on your followers, content you mostly like, and your interests. 

The posts with top hashtags and the most reach appear on the Instagram Explore page, so the Instagram algorithm helps it get more views. If you check these posts’ captions, you can find the hashtags they used and add them to your content. 

Even though this method works, it takes a long time to check each post’s description. So, it may not be an effective way of getting Instagram hashtags for followers or likes. let’s jump to the next step. 

#2. Use Suggested Hashtags On the App

Instagram has a powerful search engine allowing users to search for users, locations, audio, and hashtags. When you search for a specific hashtag, Instagram will show you related hashtags.

These related hashtags are often popular and can help you discover more relevant hashtags. For example, if you want to share a picture of yourself at the fitness, you can type fitness in the search bar, scroll to hashtag sections, and view the top Instagram fitness hashtags. 

#3. Do A Google Search

This is a simple method to find niche hashtags on Instagram. All you need to do is to search for Instagram hashtags on Google, and hundreds of websites provide your top niche hashtags.

But we recommend you check on the app before adding them to your posts. If Instagram hashtags not working, they may be on the list of banned Instagram hashtags.

#4. Analyze top posts to find hashtags for Instagram likes

Just click on a hashtag you’re interested in using, and Instagram will show you both the top and recent posts for that hashtag. Then, you need to analyze the top posts to understand the type of content that performs well with that hashtag. This can give you insights into the hashtags your target audience engages with the most.

#5. Check out relevant influencers

Influencers always use top hashtags to help their content stay on top of the Instagram algorithm and be exposed to more users. Find popular influencers in your niche and see which hashtags they use frequently. 

Pay attention to the hashtags they include in their most engaging content. These are more likely to be the best hashtags to grow Instagram followers. 

For instance, to discover the most popular hashtags for beach, travel hashtags, and more, you’d better follow travel influencers. 

#6. Use research tools for Instagram hashtags

Now there are various third-party apps and tools designed to help you find popular hashtags. However, it’s very important to choose the top Instagram hashtag generators to make sure they could provide insights into hashtag performance, related hashtags, and trending topics. 

Explore AiGrow: the most effective Instagram hashtag generator

AiGrow is an Instagram growth service that offers multiple services to help you grow your Instagram followers organically.

AiGrow’s Free hashtag generator lets you find Instagram hashtags for growth in no time.

How to use AiGrow’s Instagram hashtag generator?

To get started with Aigrow’s hashtag generator, you only need to do as follows:

1. Sign up on AiGrow for free using your email address and log into your account;

2. Next, add your Instagram account;

3.  Now, select Access;
4. In the Tags section, tap “Add & search”.

5. Write your keyword in the search bar and tap Search. You’ll view a list of hashtags sorted by usage or name.

#7. Utilize trending hashtags

If you want to find popular hashtags, you should keep an eye on trending topics and current events. Using trending hashtags can give your posts a boost in visibility, especially if they’re relevant to your content.

#8. Check industry leaders

Look at what hashtags industry leaders and competitors in your niche are using. This can give you valuable insights into which hashtags are popular and effective within your industry.

#9. Consider hashtag size 

If you want to use Instagram hashtags to grow your audience, it’s essential to balance popular hashtags with a high number of posts and niche hashtags with fewer posts. A mix of both can help you reach a broader audience while still targeting a specific group.

#10. Don’t forget to track your performance

Needless to mention, after using the selected hashtags, it’s important to monitor your post performance using Instagram insights or other Instagram analytical tools like AiGrow. This will help you find out “What are the best Instagram hashtags” and adapt your plan accordingly. 

What are the best hashtags for Instagram for likes and followers?

Willing to know the best hashtags for Instagram for likes and followers? Let’s see different types of Instagram hashtags for growth.

Trending Instagram hashtags: Using popular hashtags on Instagram will expose your content to more users and increase your reach.

Branded hashtags: Create specific hashtags related to your service or products. These hashtags help people know your brand.

Event hashtags: Use these hashtags for Instagram growth on different events.

Campaign hashtags: Campaign hashtags are the best hashtags for business growth on Instagram. You can make use of these hashtags at business events to engage your followers.

Best hashtags for Instagram likes

Here, we share a list of the top-searched hashtags on Instagram. Then, you’ll see the best hashtags in each niche, from Instagram photography hashtags on Instagram to fashion, traveling, and more. 

1. #love
2. #instagood
3. #photooftheday
4. #beautiful
5. #tbt (Throwback Thursday)
6. #cute
7. #nature
8. #fashion
9. #food
10. #travel
11. #fitness
12. #lifestyle
13. #art
14. #design
15. #luxury
16. #business
17. #skincare
18. #home
19. #health
20. #mindset

These are Instagram hashtags that get the most likes and increase your reach. Try to use at least two or three of these hashtags for growth on Instagram. First, read how to use multiple hashtags on Instagram.

Popular hashtags for Instagram Reels 

While hashtags for Instagram Reels have been changing over time, by this minute, the hashtags below are on the list of 20 top hashtags for Instagram reel growth. 

1. #reels: 673M
2. #reelsinstagram: 386M
3. #trendingreels: 211M
4. #viralreels: 143M
5. #instareels: 75.9M
6. #reelsvideo: 86.2M
7. #reelsindia: 65.1M
8. #reelsinsta: 24.6M
9. #reelslovers: 8.8M
10. #reelstrending: 6.9M

Top Instagram hashtags for business growth

Finding Instagram growing hashtags in business is essential to improve your business account. Let’s take a look at the trending Instagram hashtags 2024 within the business.  

1. #smallbusiness: 135M
2. #business: 118M
3. #smallbusinessowner: 27.8M
4. #womaninbusiness: 25M
5. #businessowner: 22M
6. #blackownedbusiness: 20M
7. #businesswoman: 16M
8. #onlinebusiness: 15.9M
9. #businessman: 10M
10. #businesstips: 7M
11. #businesscoach: 6.9M
12. #businessgrowth: 4.6M
13. #businesswomen: 3.9M
14. #businessopportunity: 3M
15. #businesstrip: 3M

Top Travel Hashtags

Traveling hashtags are one of the ever-popular hashtags on Instagram. Below, you can find the best Instagram traveling hashtags.

1. #travel: 730M
2. #travelphotography: 234M
3. #travelgram: 179M
4. #instatravel: 129M
5. #traveling: 94M
6. #travelblogger: 88M
7. #travelling: 87.2M
8. #traveler: 54.5M
9. #traveltheworld: 45.8M
10. #traveller: 44.6M
11. #travelingram: 30.1M
12. #travelblog: 29.2M
13. #traveladdict: 26.9M
14. #travels: 23.3M
15. #traveldiaries: 18.4M
16. #travellife: 18.1M
17. #travelphoto: 18M
18. #travelawesome: 14.9M
19. #travelpics: 14.1M
20. #travelholic: 13M
21. #travelbug: 11.3M

You might also be interested in: Top Travel Influencers: How to Become One & Get Paid In 2024?

What are top beach hashtags?

You can grow your Instagram using these popular and most-shared beach hashtags. 

1. #beach: 300M
2. #beachlife: 45.8M
3. #beachvibes: 16.8M
4. #miamibeach: 16.3M
5. #beachday: 14.3M
6. #beachbody: 11.2M
7. #beachwear: 9.9M
8. #beaches: 6M
9. #beachbum: 5.1M
10. #beachtime: 4.6M
11. #beachgirl: 3.7M
12. #beachlover: 3.6M
13. #beachwaves: 3.3M
14. #beachhouse: 3.3M
15. #beachdays: 3M

Top Summer Hashtags

Looking for top summer hashtags to use on your summer day posts? Try these best hashtags AiGrow provided for you.

1. #summer: 556M
2. #summervibes: 64.5M
3. #summertime: 63.3M
4. #summerfun: 9.2M
5. #summerstyle: 8.4M
6. #summer2020: 7.7M
7. #summernails: 7.2M
8. #summernights: 6.8M
9. #summerdays: 6.8M
10. #summerfashion: 6.8M
11. #summer2018: 6.6M
12. #summer2019: 6.1M
13. #summeroutfit: 5.6M
14. #summer2021: 5.3M

Also, read Summer Instagram Captions To Make You Look Cooler in 2024!

Top Fashion Hashtags

Wondering what hashtags you should use for fashion and styles? Here, we bring fashion Instagram hashtags that can help your Instagram account move forward.

1. #fashion: 1.1B
2. #instafashion: 192M
3. #fashionblogger: 169M
4. #fashionista: 138M
5. #fashionstyle: 119M
6. #mensfasion: 71.3M
7. #fashionable: 41.8M
8. #fashiongram: 39.2M
9. #fashionphotography: 32.6M
10. #fashiondesigner: 31.4M
11. #fashionweek: 29.7M
12. #fashionblog: 29.1M
13. #fashionaddict: 27.7M
14. #fashiondiaries: 27.3M
15. #fashionpost: 22.5M
16. #fashionlover: 20.5M
17. #fashionkids: 16.4M
18. #fashioninspo: 16.3M

 Popular Instagram art hashtags

Artists widely use Instagram to promote their art. Read our whole post to learn how to use Instagram for artists, then find the most trending art hashtags here:

1. #art:1B
2. #artist: 332M
3. #artwork: 204M
4. #digitalart: 149M
5. #makeupartist: 142M
6. #nailart: 137M
7. #arte: 125M
8. #artistoninstagram: 119M
9. #instaart: 95M
10. #artoftheday: 82M
11. #contemporaryart: 71M
12. #streetart: 67.3M
13. #abstractart: 50.7M
14. #artofvisuals: 41.8M

Top photo hashtags on Instagram 

By using the best hashtags for photography, you can expose your posts to a wider audience and get more followers. 

1. #photography: 1B
2. #photooftheday: 1B
3. #photo: 505M
4. #naturephotography: 243M
5. #travelphotography: 234M
6. #photoshoot: 200M
7. #instaphoto: 125M
8. #streetphotography: 124M
9. #foodphotography: 115M
10. #photos: 66M
11. #photoshop: 59.5M
12. #photographylovers: 45.3M
13. #photograph: 39.5M
14. #photogrid: 24.4M

Personal growth hashtags

Hashtags for growth mindset and motivation are always among the top tags people use to widen their followers. Let’s see what hashtags are used mostly with inspiring content on Instagram. 

1. #personalgrowth: 8.3M
2. #personalgrowthjourney: 735K
3. #personalgrowthanddevelopment: 242K
4. #personalgrowthtips: 138K
5. #personalgrowthcoach: 134K

Do Hashtags For Instagram Growth Really Make A Difference In 2024?

Yes, hashtags are still a perfect way to organize your posts and get discovered by a new audience. Wondering if hashtags still work on Instagram in 2024? This is what the figures suggest:

“Instagram posts that include 11+ hashtags have the highest interactions, with a 79.5% increase for accounts with less than 1,000 followers”.

“7 out of 10 Hashtags on Instagram today are considered branded”.

“Up to 90% of posts include hashtags in their caption vs just 10% that include them in their comments section”.

Source: Searchlogistics.com

How many Instagram hashtags can you use on your posts?

Instagram allows you to add up to 30 hashtags to each post. However, according to Instagram’s creators’ page, using 3-5 hashtags would be the best spot.

To get the best results and use hashtags for more Instagram followers, ensure you are not using the same tags on every post.

As Instagram trends are changing consistently, you need to search and find hashtags for Instagram growth copy and paste every time you want to share a photo or video. 

FAQs

You found out the best hashtags for Instagram for likes and followers. Now, let’s go through some of the most frequently asked questions about the topic.

Q1: How to use hashtags on Instagram to gain followers?

To leverage Instagram hashtags for followers growth, consider these tips:

• Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche. Trust me, including a popular hashtag like #love in a fitness post doesn’t work.
• Or, use this formula: Popular hashtags (Love or instagood)+niche hashtags.
• Avoid super popular hashtags as your post might get lost. Instead, go for medium-competition ones.
• If you’ve got a small account (under 1k followers), focus more on niche hashtags than general ones.
• Don’t stuff your caption with hashtags. 11 or more would be enough.
• Add hashtags to the caption or the first comment.
• And finally, monitor which hashtags bring the most engagement.

Q2: What mistakes should I avoid when using hashtags for Instagram growth?

Whether you’re including hashtags for reels, posts, or stories, you need to consider these points:

1. Don’t overuse hashtags: Although Instagram lets you add up to 30 hashtags to your posts, focus on quality and use around 3-5 hashtags per post,
2. Stay away from banned or spammy hashtags as they may lead to shadowban or decreased visibility on Instagram,
3. Don’t use unrelated hashtags, because they might attract the wrong audience and lead to lower engagement,
4. Don’t stuff captions with hashtags, instead, focus on your message. Besides, you can place the hashtags in the first comment, too. 

Also read: Quick Instagram Shadowban Test

Q3: How can hashtags increase my followers and engagement on Instagram?

When you include a hashtag in your post, you’ll increase the chance of your post being seen by more users. Moreover, they bring interested audiences together on a particular theme or topic and build a community.

Trending hashtags also attract more views, likes, and engagement to your posts. This way, you can foster your brand personality and make it stand out. 

Q4: Can I use the same hashtags in every post?

No, Instagram algorithms may detect using of the same hashtags as spammy behavior, limiting your reach and engagement. 

Q5: Why are niche hashtags important?

Niche-specific hashtags are important for several reasons:

1. They allow you to connect with a highly targeted audience interested in a specific niche or industry. 
2. Unlike popular hashtags, niche hashtags have lower competition. This will increase the chances of your posts being visible to more users.
3. Niche hashtags also build a strong community of like-minded people.
4. Additionally, they will allow you to position your brand or content within a specific niche or industry.

Q6: Are there any tools to find popular hashtags on Instagram?

Yes, there are free hashtag generators like AiGrow to help you find your relevant hashtags on Instagram. To use AiGrow’s hashtag generator, you only need to create your account for free and add your Instagram account. 

Q7: Can I create a hashtag on Instagram? 

Yes, you can create your own hashtags on Instagram through a few steps: 

1. First, select a unique hashtag relevant to your content or campaign that is not widely used;
2. Use the # symbol;
3. You’d better avoid special characters and spaces, though you can add emojis to your hashtag;
4. Before finalizing your hashtag, do a quick research on Instagram to see if it’s already in use;
5. After that, you can use it in your captions or comments.

Q8: How can I hide hashtags on Instagram?

There are a few simple hacks to help you hide your hashtags on Instagram. The most straightforward way is to bring your hashtags in the first comment. Another method is using Instagram dots. This way requires adding a series of periods between the end of your caption and your hashtag list. Just do as follows:

• Create your Instagram caption and ensure there are no extra spaces after the punctuation at the end of the last sentence;
• Hit the return key to start a new line and add one period;

• Hit return again and continue this pattern to add a series of Instagram dots, creating a clear division between your caption and the hashtag list;
• Paste in your selected hashtags below the Instagram dots;
• Finally, publish your post to share it with your followers.

Q9: What are the best hashtags for likes and followers on Instagram?

Three top popular hashtags on Instagram include #love (2.1B), #instagood (1.6B), and #fashion (1.1B). 

Conclusion

I provided some of the best hashtags for Instagram for likes and followers. But, don’t forget that the effectiveness of these hashtags all depends on your content and target audience. 

You definitely need a hashtag strategy that allows you to choose hashtags based on your account size and relevance. 

Additionally, there are Dos and Don’ts you Must consider to make the most of your strategy. 

In a word, Do not solely rely on top hashtags to get likes and followers.