BREAKING UP WITH HASHTAGS (BUT KEEPING THEM ON THE ROSTER)
Remember when hashtags were the golden ticket to visibility on social media? #Throwback, right? From trending topics to post categorization, hashtags once ruled the digital landscape. But lately, their influence is… well, it's giving "it's complicated."
So, are hashtags officially over? Not quite.
While they're still part of the social media toolkit, they don't carry the same weight they once did. Hashtags just aren't driving results like they used to, so let's break down what's changed and where your strategy should go from here.
#WHATEVENISAHASHTAG? AND WHY WE USED TO CARE SO MUCH
Hashtags first emerged in 2007 as a way to group related content and make it easier to find. Prefaced by the # symbol, they acted as metadata tags, enabling users to explore content by theme or topic. This made hashtags essential for discoverability and community building on platforms like Twitter (now X), Instagram, and TikTok.
But in today's fast-moving digital world, things have shifted.
HASHTAGS ARE LIKE EXES: STILL AROUND, BUT … MEH
Recent studies, including one from Social Media Today, show that hashtags no longer significantly increase engagement or reach on Instagram. In fact, the number of hashtags on a post doesn't meaningfully influence distribution at all.
Branded hashtags still have their place. They are useful for organizing conversations around your brand, creating a clear thread for audiences to follow, and connecting with your content. While they might not drive massive reach, they are a valuable tool for organizing conversations around your brand, campaign tracking, and encouraging user-generated content.
The best practice now? Keep it simple. Using 3–5 relevant hashtags is your best bet if you still want to include them. But don't expect hashtags alone to drive traffic or discovery as they once did.
INSTAGRAM NEW SEARCH PRIORITIES
Instagram has slowly shifted away from hashtags as a core discovery tool. The platform now favors keyword-based search. Users can type "soup recipes" in the search bar and see top-performing reels and posts—even if those posts don't include the hashtag #SoupRecipe.
Although hashtag search still exists, it's tucked behind filters like "Top" and "Recent", an extra step most users aren't taking. And crucially, hashtag search doesn't guarantee access to the most relevant or trending content.
KEYWORDS: THE REAL MVP OF SEO
With the shift toward contextual search, keywords now reign supreme. Instagram and TikTok's algorithms pay closer attention to the caption text, spoken words, on-screen text, and overall content theme. That means the old advice to "keep your caption short and sweet" is being turned on its head.
Longer captions that include strategic keywords can actually improve discoverability. Instagram captions? Think blog vibes, just bite-sized.
SO…DO WE STILL NEED HASHTAGS
The short answer: kinda.
The long answer: Hashtags used to drive the car, now they're just along for the ride.
Use them sparingly and intentionally, but don't expect them to carry your content. Instead, focus on what today's platforms prioritize: compelling content, strong keywords, and strategic SEO.