How Many Hashtags Should I Use?
Are Hashtags Still Relevant in 2023?
Hashtags have emerged as a powerful tool in the digital age. First popularized on Twitter in 2007, hashtags are ubiquitous across practically every social media platform, including Instagram, TikTok and even LinkedIn. These clickable phrases or words serve as metadata tags that allow users to easily find and categorize content.
The strength of hashtags lies in their ability to amplify a message, spark social movements or create global trends. For instance, #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo started as hashtags, but soon grew into international movements advocating for the rights of black individuals and women, respectively. Similarly, #IceBucketChallenge became a viral trend that raised awareness and funds for ALS research. Beyond social causes, hashtags are instrumental for brands to promote products, for influencers to consolidate their niche, and for users to share slices of their everyday life.
As search functions on social media becomes more advanced and literal billions of posts clog up popular hashtags, like #love or #interiordesign, many digital marketing professionals and regular users are wondering if they should still be including hashtags on their posts.
The answer is yes.
But how many hashtags should you be using? That’s where things get interesting.
Image courtesy of Walls IO
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On Instagram?
Let’s start with Instagram. Although hashtags began on Twitter, arguably no platform has utilized them as much as Meta’s Instagram. The algorithm that determines your personal Instagram feed and Explore pages relies on numerous datapoints, not the least of which is hashtags.
Users are permitted to use up to 30 hashtags per Instagram post. Interestingly, the official line from Instagram is posts with 3-5 hashtags will perform the best. The stated goal is Instagram wants their users to select only the best hashtags that describe their content. Think of it as keywords, similar to alt text, you would use to describe the image.
However, 3-5 hashtags per Instagram post isn’t actually the correct number. Independent research conducted by Later shows that posts with 20 hashtags are the most successful.
Answer: 20
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On Facebook?
Instagram isn’t the only Meta company that took a page from Twitter’s book. A quick spin through #Foodie shows how active hashtags on Facebook truly are. Even better, Facebook’s algorithm will prioritize posts in your local area. This means you don’t have to use your location as a hashtag, as you might on Instagram or Twitter. Likewise, you don’t need to worry as much about popular hashtags, like #Foodie, being inundated with posts and pushing yours to the bottom of the feed.
Pick a couple of hashtags that speak to your industry and let Zuck’s algorithm get to work!
Answer: 3
Image courtesy of Randalyn Hill
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has had a rollercoaster of a relationship with hashtags. At various points over the last decade, LinkedIn has introduced hashtags, taken them away, given them back and even, at one time, prevented posts from going live if there was a hashtag in the caption.In 2023, it appears hashtags on LinkedIn are here to stay. There is officially no limit to how many hashtags you can add to a LinkedIn post, but with the character limit for posts at 3,000, there’s only so many you can realistically fit in. Just be careful not to use too many hashtags, so your post doesn’t end up looking like spam.
Answer: 3-5
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On Pinterest?
Similar to Instagram, there is a hard cap on how many hashtags you can use on Pinterest. Each Pin can have up to 20 hashtags, but it is not advisable for you to max out on every post.
Experts suggest using around a half dozen hashtags on Pins, with a mix of broad and specific terms. This way your content is searchable, but still feels authentic.
Answer: 8
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On TikTok?
While hashtags are functional on TikTok, you cannot click on them like you would on Twitter or Instagram. They still affect the algorithm of the app so, even though hashtags are not as helpful on TikTok as other social networks, make sure to include them in your posts.
There is no limit to how many hashtags you can use in your bio or in your posts, but you’ll want to pick just a handful of hashtags that best reflect your content. Besides, trending sounds, engagement and seconds watched affect the TikTok algorithm much more than hashtags.
Answer: 5
Image courtesy of Walls IO
How Many Hashtags Should I Use On X (formerly Twitter)?
Ironically, the platform that started the hashtag revolution is the one that uses them the least. Users have always had to be economical with their character counts—an aspect of the microblogging site that new owner Elon Musk is removing—so the amount of hashtags used was more of a practical concern than anything else.
Even still, X / Twitter has a strong search function and will treat keywords and hashtags similarly. It is highly unlikely that you will ever need to use more than two hashtags per tweet and in many cases it may be best to use one or even none.
Answer: 2
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