Now Trending! 100 Popular Instagram Hashtags
Instagram’s features and algorithms are constantly evolving, but one component remains as important as when it was introduced in 2010: hashtags!
Hashtags are a key part of Instagram's social ecosystem, a powerful tool for growing on the platform, and an essential part of your Instagram marketing strategy.
Hashtags play a pivotal role in expanding your reach, boosting engagement, and increasing your visibility.
You might know it, but the right combination of hashtags can help you connect with a broader audience, amplify your Instagram content, and get you on Instagram’s Explore page.
You can increase your chances of getting featured on Instagram’s Explore (featured) page by creating high-quality content and using a solid set of hashtags.
Content creators, influencers, streamers, musicians, travelers, and business owners can use trending Instagram hashtags as a straightforward way to boost their accounts, optimize their posts, and increase the likelihood of going viral.
Whether you choose #PhotoOfTheDay, #InstaDaily, #TBT, or #FollowMe, let’s learn more!
All About Hashtags
Hashtags, in general, are a pretty basic premise. They’re just keywords or phrases preceded by the "#" symbol. You add them to your Instagram posts, and they’re then used to categorize and organize content on Instagram.
They become important when you use popular hashtags in your posts. This helps your content be discovered by people interested in that topic or trend.
The best Instagram hashtags create a bridge between your posts and users engaging with the same topic, making your content discoverable to a broader audience.
A few examples:
- #Travel helps highlight posts related to travel experiences, transportation, foreign countries, travel tips, and packing tips.
- #Food shows off content featuring both pro and amateur cooks, recipes, and kitchen how-tos, restaurants, dining experiences, and food photography.
- #Fitness includes posts related to wellness, exercise workouts, walking, fitness goals, weight loss, and healthy living.
How Can Hashtags Help You Go Viral?
Hashtags help improve the discoverability of your posts by making them visible in Instagram's search results, Explore page, and relevant hashtag feeds.
Trending and popular Instagram hashtags can help your post be more easily discovered by users beyond your followers, significantly expanding your reach.
For instance, if you use #FitnessMotivation in a post about your daily workout, your content can then show up in searches related to that hashtag and to fitness, which can lead to increased likes, comments, shares, and interaction; he more people engage with your post, the more chances it gets to potentially go viral.
Hashtags on Instagram can be placed right in your post caption or in the first comment of your post. Both approaches work, but putting your hashtags in the first comment can keep your post looking cleaner and visually appealing.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but using 5-15 is more effective, keeping hashtags readable and avoiding a spammy vibe.
The best Instagram hashtags are relevant to your post's content; irrelevant hashtags can confuse your audience and even reduce engagement.
And reach out to engage with other posts using the same hashtags on Instagram! Liking, commenting, and interacting with other creators in your content niche can help boost your Instagram visibility and build connections.
The Three Main Types of Hashtags on Instagram
Hashtags on Instagram can be divided into three basic types, with practically endless variants:
- Generic Hashtags - These are widely used hashtags such as #PhotoOfTheDay, #Instagood, and #TBT (“Throwback Thursday” for nostalgic images). They’re seen so frequently that they come across as “trusted” hashtags on Instagram, attracting large audiences. But they’re also highly competitive hashtags due to how often they’re used.
- Trending Hashtags - These are hashtags on Instagram that are currently popular due to ongoing real-life events, viral trends, or Instagram challenges. These top Instagram hashtags can bring in a burst of activity and growth for your Instagram account - but time is a major factor, in that you have to start using them as soon as they start getting attention. (And they’ll often fade out just as quickly.)
Trending hashtags on Instagram are time-sensitive and change rapidly, like these posts tagged with #January - so your goal is to link your content to them fast, in order to take advantage of the trends!
- Branded Hashtags - These are unique hashtags on Instagram created for you as a creator, your brand, or your business. While most definitely niche - like Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke or Starbucks’ #RedCupContest - these hashtags help build audience loyalty, bringing people in to specifically focus on you and your brand. You can leverage branded hashtags for your own products or merch - for instance, #(YourName)ShirtsOnFourthwall or #ShopMyShop to guide your fans to your Fourthwall merch store, so they can more easily find your amazing custom-designed T-shirts, mugs, and other branded gear! (Did you know that you can get started creating custom merch on Fourthwall for free?)
100 Popular Instagram Hashtags to Help You Go Viral
Using the right mix of popular Instagram hashtags can significantly boost your chances of going viral! We’ve got 100 of the best Instagram hashtags all lined up below for you, divided into 12 categories to help you find the most relevant hashtags for your content.
1. Lifestyle
General hashtags for posts showcasing daily living and Instagram’s distinctively stylish photo collages.
- #LiveAuthentic
- #MyLife
- #InstaLifestyle
- #SimpleLife
- #DailyVibes
- #ThisIsLiving
- #LifestyleBlogger
- #LivingMyBestLife
2. Travel and Adventure
Popular hashtags for posts about traveling, travel photos, packing tips, and adventure trips.
- #Wanderlust
- #TravelGoals
- #ExploreTheWorld
- #AdventureAwaits
- #TravelDiary
- #TravelHacks
- #Globetrotter
- #TravelPhotography
3. Arts and Creativity
Hashtags that work for all types of art creation and inspiration, whether drawing, sculpture, sketching, painting, or fiber arts.
- #ArtisticExpression
- #CreativeCommunity
- #InstaArt
- #ArtistOnInstagram
- #ArtOfTheDay
- #CreativeInspiration
- #ArtLife
- #ArtLovers
4. Music and Dance
Hashtags for musicians, dancers, producers, and more - you can create your own hashtags for different genres of music and dance, too!
- #NewMusic
- #MusicianLifestyle
- #DanceLife
- #Choreography
- #LiveMusic
- #DancersOfInstagram
- #NowPlaying
- #DanceChallenge
5. Fitness and Wellness
These are some of the best Instagram hashtags for fitness, health, and exercise.
- #FitnessMotivation
- #FitFam
- #HealthyLifestyle
- #WellnessJourney
- #WorkoutGoals
- #FitLife
- #KeepGoing
- #GymTime
6. Fashion and Style
Fashionistas unite with these popular Instagram hashtags for all things stylish.
- #OOTD (Outfit of the Day)
- #StreetStyle
- #Fashionista
- #StyleInspo
- #FashionGoals
- #InstaFashion
- #ShoppingHaul
- #SustainableFashion
7. Food and Drink
Foodies, chefs, and home cooks will make short work of these food and drink-related hashtags.
- #Foodie
- #InstaEats
- #HealthyFood
- #Instafood
- #FoodPhotography
- #Yummy
- #FoodLover
- #TastyEats
8. Beauty and Skincare
These hashtags are particularly useful for the beauty niche, whether you're sharing a new makeup purchase or a glow-up.
- #SkincareRoutine
- #BeautyTips
- #MakeupLover
- #GlowUp
- #BeautyInspo
- #CleanBeauty
- #BeautyCommunity
- #MakeUpTutorial
9. Tech and Gadgets
Trending hashtags in the tech category often include tags for specific tech gear, as well as more general hashtags like these.
- #TechLife
- #FutureTech
- #Innovation
- #GadgetGoals
- #TechSavvy
- #DigitalTransformation
- #TechTrends
- #SmartTech
10. Business
From small businesses to big brands, here are some Instagram hashtags useful for entrepreneurs at all levels.
- #EntrepreneurLife
- #StartUp
- #BusinessGrowth
- #WomenInBusiness
- #BusinessGoals
- #SuccessMindset
- #SupportSmallBusiness
- #ShopLocal
11. Home Decor
Here are some of the best hashtags for all things home decor, from inspiration to interior design and decorating ideas.
- #HomeDecor
- #InteriorDesign
- #HomeInspo
- #DreamHome
- #HomeStyle
- #HomeDesign
- #DecorIdeas
- #InstaHome
12. And Even More Popular Instagram Hashtags!
- #Instagood
- #DoItForTheGram
- #Love
- #InstaDaily
- #MotivationMonday
- #ThrowbackThursday
- #SundayFunday
- #(YourLocationHere)Life (ie #CaliforniaLife, #AussieLife)
- #Happy
- #InstaLike
- #Selfie
- #FollowMe
Pro Tips for Using the Best Hashtags for Instagram
Use Hashtag Research Tools
Instagram Insights is your starting point for hashtag research, as it provides valuable data on which hashtags are actually driving traffic to your posts.
Hashtagify and All Hashtag are other popular tools you can use to help discover trending hashtags in your niche.
Tracking hashtag performance is essential for refining your strategy and will help you identify the best and most popular hashtags for your posts.
Stay on Top of Trending Topics
Keep an eye on current events - trending hashtags related to newsworthy or pop culture happenings should be immediately used if you want to hop on those bandwagons.
Using other regularly trending hashtags, such as #PhotoOfTheDay and #PicoftheDay, is a great way to stay connected with your audience between more specific posts and events.
Keep Your Hashtags Balanced
Combining those high-volume “everyday” hashtags like #PicOfTheDay and #PhotoOfTheDay with niche-specific hashtags is a great way to balance your hashtag usage on each post.
High-competition hashtags like #Instagood can offer significant overall visibility, while niche hashtags can help your posts reach a more targeted audience.
Analyze Competitors in Your Niche
Do some browsing around Instagram in the name of research, and take note of the popular hashtags that are being used by successful accounts in your niche.
Study the engagement levels of their posts to identify which hashtags are working best, and adapt your hashtag strategy for your own content.
Organize Your Tags
To streamline your posting process and ensure that you’re using the most effective and most popular hashtags, keep a text file with groups of hashtags that apply to your different types of posts.
For instance, if you’re an actor, you can have hashtag groups for your time spent rehearsing, auditioning, getting ready for your acting day, and being on set.
Try different combinations of hashtags to see which ones work best for your audience.
Link Your Instagram to Fourthwall and Grow Even Faster!
Maximize your exposure by linking your Instagram account and inviting your Instagram followers to your Fourthwall website!
Fourthwall lets you design your own custom website to display your Instagram feed and connect Instagram Shopping to your Fourthwall merchandise store, so you can design and sell your merch directly on Instagram.
Fourthwall offers even more benefits to you and your IG fans. Y
ou can sell them digital products, direct them to all of your other socials, treat them to a fun custom mobile phone app, and offer them memberships to your exclusive behind-the-scenes content and bonus goodies - now that’s #Instagood!
Get started on Fourthwall today, and let Fourthwall help you grow your Instagram and beyond!
FAQ: Popular Instagram Hashtags
What are Instagram hashtags and why are they important?
Hashtags categorize your content, help Instagram understand your posts, and make it easier for new audiences to discover you through search, Explore, and hashtag feeds.
How do hashtags help my Instagram posts go viral?
Hashtags boost discoverability by placing your content in front of people searching for or following specific tags, increasing engagement and improving your chances of appearing on the Explore page.
How many hashtags should I use on Instagram posts?
Instagram allows 30 per post, but using 5-15 highly relevant hashtags performs best without looking spammy.
Should I put my hashtags in the caption or in the first comment?
Both work—putting hashtags in the first comment keeps your caption looking clean while still letting your post appear in hashtag feeds.
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