Hashtags aren’t magic, but they’re not random either. Here’s how to choose the right ones so the right people actually find your posts.
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See how hashtags actually work
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Use the tiers of hashtags
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See how to find the right hashtags
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See how many hashtags to use
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Learn what to avoid
Hashtags feel like one of those things everyone uses but nobody fully understands. You know you are supposed to include them. You have seen accounts dump thirty hashtags under every post. You have also heard people say hashtags are dead and do not matter anymore. So you either throw in a random handful and hope for the best, or you skip them entirely.
Neither approach works. Hashtags are not dead — they are just misused by most people. When used with intention, they are still one of the most effective free tools for getting your content in front of people who do not already follow you. The key is understanding how they work and choosing them strategically instead of randomly.
How Hashtags Actually Work
A hashtag is a label. When you add one to your post, you are telling the platform “this content is about this topic.” People who search for or follow that topic then have a chance of seeing your post, even if they have never heard of you.
Think of it like putting your business card on the right bulletin board. If you sell handmade jewelry and you use #handmadejewelry, your post shows up in a feed of content about handmade jewelry. People browsing that feed — people actively interested in handmade jewelry — can discover you.
The problem is that some bulletin boards are so crowded your card disappears instantly. And some are so empty that nobody ever walks by. That is why hashtag selection matters more than hashtag quantity.
The Three Tiers of Hashtags
The most effective hashtag strategy uses a mix of three types, each with a different purpose.
Big hashtags have hundreds of thousands or millions of posts. Things like #smallbusiness, #entrepreneur, or #handmade. These put your content in a massive stream of posts. The upside is huge potential exposure. The downside is that your post gets buried within seconds because so many people are posting with the same tag.
Use one or two big hashtags per post. They are worth including for the slim chance of getting picked up, but they should not be the foundation of your strategy.
Medium hashtags have tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand posts. These are more specific — #handmadejewelrydesigner, #smallbusinessmarketing, #naturalskincareproducts. The audience is smaller but more targeted, and your content stays visible longer because the feed moves more slowly.
Medium hashtags should make up the bulk of your strategy. Three to five per post gives you solid reach among people who are actively interested in your niche.
Small hashtags have a few hundred to a few thousand posts. These are highly specific — #austinhandmadejewelry, #organicskincareformoms, #weddingphotographertips. The audience is tiny but extremely relevant. Your content can sit near the top of these feeds for hours or even days.
Include two to three small hashtags per post. They connect you with a very targeted audience and help you build visibility in your specific corner of the market.
How to Find the Right Hashtags
Start by searching for terms related to your business on whatever platform you use most. Type a word into the search bar and look at the hashtag suggestions that appear. Each one will show you how many posts use that tag.
Browse the posts under the hashtags you are considering. Are they from accounts similar to yours? Are they the kind of posts your ideal customer would be looking at? If yes, that hashtag is a good fit. If the posts are mostly spam, unrelated content, or from massive brands you cannot compete with, skip it.
Look at what hashtags your competitors and peers are using. Not to copy their strategy exactly, but to see what is working in your space. If several successful accounts in your niche consistently use certain tags, those tags are worth testing.
Keep a running list of twenty to thirty hashtags that fit your business. Organize them into the three tiers — big, medium, small. Then rotate through them so you are not using the exact same set on every single post. Platforms can flag repetitive hashtag use as spammy behavior, and using varied combinations also helps you discover which tags perform best.
How Many Hashtags to Use
This depends on the platform.
On Instagram, you can use up to thirty but you do not need to. Research and testing consistently show that five to fifteen well-chosen hashtags perform better than thirty random ones. Quality beats quantity every time.
On TikTok, three to five hashtags is plenty. The platform’s algorithm relies more on content quality and watch time than hashtags, but the right tags still help categorize your video and put it in front of relevant viewers.
On LinkedIn, two to five hashtags work well. The culture on LinkedIn is more conservative with hashtag use, so a handful of relevant professional tags is sufficient.
On Twitter and Threads, one to three hashtags per post is the norm. More than that looks cluttered and can actually reduce engagement.
On Facebook, hashtags have minimal impact. One or two related tags do not hurt, but they are not a major discovery tool on this platform.
What to Avoid
Do not use hashtags that are too broad to be useful. Tags like #love, #happy, or #inspo have billions of posts and zero targeting value. Your content will be invisible within milliseconds.
Do not use banned or flagged hashtags. Platforms periodically restrict certain hashtags that have been overrun by spam or inappropriate content. Using a banned hashtag can actually reduce your post’s visibility. A quick search will tell you if a tag is active and healthy.
Do not stuff hashtags into your caption in a way that makes it unreadable. Place them at the end of your caption, in a comment, or separated by line breaks. They should support your post, not overwhelm it.
Do not use the same exact set of hashtags on every post. Mix them up based on the specific topic of each post. A post about your creative process should not have the same hashtags as a post about a sale.
Tracking What Works
Most social media platforms offer basic analytics that show you where your impressions came from. If a post got significant reach from hashtags, look at which ones you used and note them as strong performers.
Over time, you will develop a refined list of hashtags that consistently connect your content with the right people. This is your working hashtag strategy — not a static list you set and forget, but a living tool you adjust based on results.
Check your hashtag performance once a month. Drop the tags that are not driving discovery and test new ones in their place. The landscape shifts as trends change and new hashtags emerge. Staying flexible keeps your strategy effective.
The Action Step
Build your starter hashtag list right now. Search for ten hashtags related to your business on your primary platform. Sort them into big, medium, and small based on post count. Add five more from competitor research. Write them all in a note on your phone so they are easy to access when you post.
On your next three posts, use a mix from all three tiers — two big, four medium, and three small. After those posts have been up for a week, check which ones drove the most reach from hashtag discovery. Keep the winners, swap out the underperformers, and repeat. That cycle of testing and refining is the entire strategy. Simple, repeatable, and effective.
Try It With AI
Ready to put this into action? Copy any of the prompts below, paste it into ChatGPT or Claude, fill in the [BRACKETS] with your info, and hit send. You will have a solid first draft in minutes.
Prompt 1: Build a starter hashtag list and organize by tier (big, medium, small):
I run a [TYPE OF BUSINESS] and I need help creating a hashtag strategy. I want you to suggest 15-20 relevant hashtags for my niche that are split into three tiers: 1) 2-3 big hashtags (hundreds of thousands of posts), 2) 5-6 medium hashtags (tens of thousands of posts), 3) 4-5 small hashtags (a few thousand posts). I’m active on [PLATFORM – e.g., Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn]. Please organize them in a format I can copy and save.
