What are Instagram Hashtags?
Hashtags on Instagram are keywords preceded by the # symbol that categorize content and make it discoverable via search and the Explore tab. When you add #bakery or #swissfood to a post, that content becomes visible to anyone searching or following that hashtag — including people who don't follow your account.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. The platform has shifted its own guidance over the years, currently recommending 3–5 highly relevant hashtags, though many practitioners find that a more comprehensive set of 10–20 still performs well depending on the account and niche.
Why Hashtags Matter for SMBs
For small businesses that don't run paid advertising, hashtags are one of the few tools to reach beyond your existing followers. Done correctly, a well-chosen hashtag set connects your content with users who are actively interested in your niche — a much warmer audience than broad algorithmic distribution.
Hashtags also help you appear in niche communities. A restaurant in Basel using #baslerfood and #restaurantbasel is reaching people actively looking for dining options in that city. That local specificity is far more valuable than chasing high-volume global hashtags where your post will be buried in seconds.
Key Principles for Effective Hashtag Use
Match hashtag size to your account size. Large hashtags like #food (500 million+ posts) are dominated by accounts with massive followings. Your content will be visible for seconds before being pushed down. Smaller and mid-size hashtags (10,000 – 500,000 posts) give smaller accounts a realistic chance of discovery and sustained visibility.
Mix hashtag types strategically. A strong hashtag strategy typically combines: broad topic tags (#socialmedia, #marketing), niche-specific tags (#restaurantmarketing, #kleinunternehmen), community tags (#swissmade, #zürich), and branded tags (your own business hashtag). This layered approach maximizes your visibility across different audience types.
Research before you post. Tap any hashtag before using it to see how active it is, what kind of content populates it, and whether it fits your post's context. Avoid hashtags that are inactive, spammy, or only tangentially related to your content.
Avoid banned or flagged hashtags. Instagram periodically limits the reach of certain hashtags associated with policy violations. Using these — even innocently — can suppress your entire post's distribution. Check unfamiliar hashtags before adding them to your set.
Treat hashtags as a consistent system. Create 3–5 sets of 10–15 hashtags tailored to your main content pillars. Rotate between sets rather than using identical hashtags on every post, which Instagram may interpret as spammy behavior.
Hashtags in 2025: What Still Works
Instagram has evolved significantly, and hashtags no longer carry the same weight they did in 2018. The algorithm now prioritizes interest-based signals over hashtag discovery. However, hashtags remain useful as a secondary discovery layer — particularly for local businesses targeting geographic communities and for niche B2B accounts targeting industry-specific audiences.
How publy.ch Helps
publy.ch generates tailored hashtag sets alongside your post captions. Based on your industry, location, and content type, the AI recommends a balanced mix of hashtags sized appropriately for your account — saving you the research time and helping you stay consistent across every post.