Blog Post

If your hashtag game is more #HelpMe than #Winning, we need to talk.
Hashtags aren’t just a digital decoration—they’re a strategic tool. Used right, they boost visibility, engagement, and even sales. Used wrong… well, you just blend into the noise.

Over the past 9+ years, I’ve seen how hashtags can work for a brand—or completely against it. So I’ve put together this guide to help you get clear on what to do, what to avoid, and how to clean up your strategy fast.

Let’s get into the list.

• The most effective ways to use hashtags on social media
  
• Common mistakes that silently kill your reach
  
• How many hashtags are too many (or too few)
  
• How I use platform-specific strategies
  
• When not to jump on a trend—seriously, don’t do it
  

Don’t just throw 20 hashtags on a post and hope something sticks.
Each hashtag should serve a goal—whether that’s reaching a niche audience, tagging a campaign, or joining a trend.

Ask yourself:

• Is this hashtag relevant to the post?
  
• Will it help people discover my content?
  
• Is it searchable or commonly followed?
  

If you’re unsure where to start, I wrote a full piece on how to find the right hashtags that’ll walk you through my process.

If your hashtag block looks like it was stolen from a fitness influencer… and you sell accounting software—yeah, we’ve got a problem.

Avoid:

• Irrelevant tags that don’t match your audience
  
• Repeating the same block of 30 hashtags in every post
  
• Hashtags just because they’re “trending”
  

Blind copying is a fast way to trigger spam filters—and confuse your audience. Stay original, stay relevant.

The best-performing posts often use a healthy mix of:

• Branded hashtags (e.g. #YourCompanyName)
  
• Niche/Industry tags (e.g. #DigitalMarketingTips)
  
• Trending but relevant tags (e.g. #ThrowbackThursday or campaign-specific trends)
  

This balance lets you tap into broader conversations while maintaining brand context. For examples of hashtag stacking, here’s how I structure mine in this strategy guide.

Just because a hashtag has 20 million uses doesn’t mean it’s right for your post.
In fact, overly saturated hashtags (like #love or #instagood) are so competitive, your post probably won’t even make a dent.

Instead, focus on mid-volume or niche-specific hashtags that have engaged communities, not just big numbers. I show how to spot the difference in my top tools post.

Every platform handles hashtags differently.

Here’s how I use them:

• Instagram: Up to 15–20 relevant hashtags, often in the caption or first comment
  
• LinkedIn: 3–5 hashtags—keep them professional and industry-specific
  
• Twitter/X: 1–2 hashtags max, or your message gets crowded
  
• TikTok: 3–5 hashtags with a mix of trending and content-descriptive tags
  

If you’re curious how I approach each, this guide on 2025 hashtag strategies breaks it down platform by platform.

Yes, this is a thing.

Some hashtags get flagged or banned by platforms because of spam, misuse, or abuse. If you use them, your post visibility can tank—or worse, you can trigger shadowbanning.

Avoid hashtags you don’t understand, and double-check before adding anything weird (yes, even innocent-looking ones can be flagged). Some tools can help flag these—like TagMaster or Meta’s own insights platform.

You don’t need to obsess over every metric. But if you’re not tracking which hashtags are bringing engagement, you’re just guessing.

Here’s what I track weekly:

• Reach per hashtag group
  
• Engagement per tag
  
• Profile visits from trend-based posts
  

You can track a lot of this inside the Meta Business Suite or by using campaign-specific UTM links. Need a starting point? My trend tracking playbook breaks it down.

You’ve seen them.
Those posts with 30 random hashtags, half of which are irrelevant or just… cringe.

Too many hashtags:

• Dilute your message
  
• Trigger platform penalties
  
• Make you look spammy
  

Yes, you can use up to 30 on Instagram, but you shouldn’t unless each one is carefully chosen. Think of hashtags like seasoning—more isn’t better. Smarter is better.

Jumping on a viral trend can get you visibility fast. But jumping in without context? It just looks out of place.

Before joining a trend:

• Ask if it fits your brand voice
  
• Check if your audience will connect with it
  
• Consider how recent or relevant it still is
  

Need a crash course in riding trends without face-planting? This blending guide has your back.

Events, holidays, and seasons are goldmines for hashtags. Ignoring them is like ignoring free exposure.

Some examples:

• #BlackFridayDeals
  
• #SummerVibes
  
• #Pride2025
  
• #InternationalWomensDay
  

Plan ahead with a seasonal hashtag calendar. If you don’t have one, this post will help you build one in 15 minutes.

Hashtags are part of your strategy—not the whole strategy.
Think before you tag. Be intentional. And if in doubt, simplify.

A few well-chosen, relevant hashtags will outperform a copy-paste block every time.

If you’re already applying some of these tips—awesome. If not, pick two from this list and start today.

Need help cleaning up your current hashtag list? Let’s chat.