How to Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram in 6 Ways
Virlo Team
Dec 27, 2024
Hashtags are a critical part of Instagram marketing. The right hashtags help you reach your target audience, boost engagement, and increase your followers. But what happens when you’re using the same hashtags repeatedly? Your posts might start to feel stale, and they could lose their ability to connect you with the right people.
This is why staying updated on trending hashtags—especially those that fit your niche is essential. Not only will they help you reach the right audience, but they can also boost your posts’ performance and get you discovered. In this guide, we’ll explore how to find trending hashtags on Instagram so you can keep your posts fresh and relevant.
Finding viral social media trends isn’t as easy as it sounds. Hashtags can change with the seasons, and what’s popular today might be irrelevant tomorrow. So, how to find social media trends? You can use tools like the virality analysis tool from Virlo AI to keep your content on track. This solution helps you identify trending topics and hashtags that can help you boost your social media performance.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Using Hashtags on Instagram
Use Instagram Hashtags to Boost Your Posts’ Exposure and Discovery
The most significant benefit of Instagram hashtags is the exposure and discovery they offer. Clicking on a hashtag on Instagram leads to a gallery of the top posts and the latest posts that used the hashtag. From there, you can explore all the related posts, making hashtags an excellent way for people interested in a specific topic to find more accounts to follow.
If you use your brand's correct and most relevant hashtags, others searching that hashtag will find those posts. Your audience can use branded hashtags to show off their experiences with your products or services as a form of brand advocacy. Hashtags are suitable for overall brand exposure. Even clicking through one post on the search results page will lead you to other similar posts.
Foster Engagement With Your Hashtags
When you use branded hashtags and encourage their use, it becomes another form of engagement. Tagged feed posts are saved in search results, and tagged story posts are saved for the story's duration. Think of hashtags as another way to reach and engage your customer base.
Analyze Your Competitors
How much digital space are your competitors taking up in your market? Hashtags help you analyze your share of voice on social media. Chances are that you and your competitors will have overlapping hashtags, especially if they are industry and local ones. In an ideal share-of-voice situation, your posts and those your customers have tagged are taking up the bulk of those hashtag search results. You can also check out posts with your relevant hashtags for content inspiration and to get ideas on where your brand might fall short compared to competitor content.
Conduct Content Research
Similar to what you would do for SEO keyword research, hashtags can help you research different content ideas. For example, if you want to increase your share of voice in the #naturalskincare hashtag. That’s rather tough since there are over 6.9 million posts with the hashtag. However, you can see the best posts on the search results page’s Top tab.
Use this area as inspiration. What is working for similar brands? Is there a particular style or caption that’s trending now? By clicking on top posts for details, you might find additional hashtags less highly populated but just as relevant to your audience, similar to secondary keywords for search optimization.
Connect Digital and Real-Life Campaigns
Go shopping in any retail store these days, and you’ll likely come across a marketing campaign with a hashtag attached. Whether they encourage you to use their general brand hashtag or a campaign one, hashtags offer an easy way to connect digital and in-real-life campaigns.
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7 Best Practices for Using Hashtags on Instagram
1. Experiment with the Optimal Number of Hashtags for Your Posts
How many hashtags should you use? This is a tricky question because the answer varies wildly. Although Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post, it’s best to use them sparingly. If you’re including them within your caption, stick to 3 to 5—like Instagram recommends. If you use the first comment for hashtags, testing to use 30 hashtags could be acceptable. But remember to use highly relevant and effective hashtags that add value to your content.
2. Determine the Most Effective Hashtags for Your Brand
Make sure your hashtags are directly related to the content of your post. Don’t use generic or trending hashtags if they have nothing to do with your post. You want to attract a relevant and engaged audience interested in your content. There are several ways to find the best hashtags for your brand. Research and identify the most relevant and effective hashtags for your content. The first and easiest is to look at the influencers and accounts you follow and note which hashtags they already use. Another way is to brainstorm various ones and type them into the Instagram search bar.
3. Use Hashtags in the First Comment
Too many hashtags in a caption can overwhelm valuable real estate and make posts look messy. Keep captions simple, and if you’re using more than a handful of hashtags, move them to the first comment.
4. Follow Hashtags Relevant to Your Brand
Instagram offers the ability to follow any hashtag, as they would another user. When you do this, these posts appear in your feed alongside all the other posts from accounts you follow. This is a good tactic for following industry or community hashtags because it helps you keep tabs on them. However, it should not be used as a solution for branded hashtags because it doesn’t guarantee that every post will appear in your feed.
5. Create Branded Hashtags and Encourage Their Use
Once you’ve created your list of branded hashtags, start using them in every relevant post. The most general branded hashtags are often placed in the Instagram bio, along with a call-to-action for using them. Remember the #GroveHome hashtag we mentioned earlier?
6. Organize Your Hashtags into Lists
Instead of copying and pasting the same set of hashtags for every post, divide them up into topical lists. For example, informational posts have different hashtags than product announcement posts. Instead of generating a new list for each post, keep different lists handy for the various types of content topics that you post.
7. Don’t Forget About Hashtags in Instagram Stories
While Stories disappear after 24 hours, don’t discount the use of hashtags on them. These also show up in the search results and are another easy way of getting more interested followers. Have too many hashtags to put into a Story? Enter your text like usual, and then hide it behind a GIF or sticker.
How Can Virlo Help Me Go Viral on TikTok?
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today’s fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy.
We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo’s virality analysis tool.
How to Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram in 6 Ways
1. Use Virlo to Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram
Virlo is a powerful tool that helps short-form content creators uncover the secrets of going viral through trend analysis powered by AI. This platform merges creator insights with advanced analytics to reveal winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations to help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social media environment. Virlo is perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business.
This tool takes the guesswork out of content strategy. Virlo analyzes the latest viral trends and helps you understand when to post and what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
2. Check the Instagram Explore Page for Trending Hashtags
The Explore Page is a collection of posts generated by users' reactions, followers, and accounts they follow. Marketers can explore this page to find content related to their interests. The Explore Page is also a great page on which to find trending hashtags on Instagram, but the process requires a lot of manual effort. You’ll have to scroll through the posts on this page and check the descriptions to identify the hashtags used by the popular accounts. This approach is very time-consuming, and there’s no guarantee you’ll find the most current trending hashtags. It’s best to consider hiring social media virtual assistants to complete this job.
3. Search Instagram's Database for Popular Hashtags
Follow these steps to identify popular and engaging hashtags:
Open the Instagram app and tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen.
Type a keyword or phrase related to your niche or post in the search bar and hit the icon.
Click on the “Tags” tab at the top of the screen to see the relevant hashtag search results.
Scroll through the hashtags list to see which are most commonly used. Hashtags with higher posts are generally better indicators of hashtags with great potential to get more likes, followers, and comments.
Click on a hashtag relevant to your content to see top or recent posts and reels using those hashtags.
Open some of the top posts/reels and explore what hashtags people used along with the ones you searched.
4. Use Hashtag Tracking Tools to Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram
Instagram hashtag tracking tools will make it easy to find trending hashtags on Instagram. These tools are significantly more efficient than manual searches and will save you much time and effort that can be invested elsewhere. To use a hashtag tracking tool, simply enter keywords related to your niche. The tool will generate a comprehensive list of hashtags related to your Instagram activities.
In most cases, the Instagram growth tool will list the hashtags according to relevance to help you find the right ones to use. The highly relevant and trending hashtags will be at the top and will include insights such as post volume and engagement metrics to help you make informed decisions about which hashtags to include in your posts.
5. Follow Relevant Influencers for Trending Hashtags
Do you know the top influencers in your industry? If so, then consider following them to find trending hashtags on Instagram. Influencers strive to be on top of social media trends to maintain their relevance and boost the engagement rate of their posts. Because of this, they always know which hashtags are trending and frequently use them in their posts. By following relevant influencers, you will know which hashtags are trending in your industry by studying their content.
6. Follow Relevant Hashtags to Find Trending Hashtags on Instagram
As mentioned, Instagram users can follow hashtags, and posts with that hashtag will appear on their feed. But did you know you can use this strategy to find trending hashtags in your niche? This is because the posts that show up in your feed will include other hashtags that are relevant to your activities. By carefully assessing these hashtags, you will discover some trends and include them in your content. But as you can see, this method is very tedious and will require significant time investment.
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10 Other Tips to Increase Engagement on Instagram
1. Use Virlo to Get Ahead of Instagram Trends
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy.
We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
2. Check Your Current Instagram Engagement
Have you ever tried to find out your current level of Instagram engagement? To access this information, go to your Instagram profile and tap on the hamburger menu from the top right of your screen, then “Insights.” The metrics you’re looking for will be in the “Overview” section, including more detailed breakdowns based on what you’re trying to discover. This information will only be available once you’ve switched to a Business or Creator account. These metrics on your Instagram post, Story, Reel, Live, and feed engagement are essential for understanding where you’re at before you put more effort into your account.
3. Create Valuable Content
Saves and shares are two of the most valuable types of engagement that you can get on Instagram. To snag these unique interactions, offer value on your Instagram account. Create the content that users will want to reference and share with their friends repeatedly—but don’t make it a bore. Instagram marketing always requires a great visual regardless of the context. Offering eye-catching infographics is a simple way to give helpful tips or insightful facts.
Create a visual breakdown of a step-by-step process or design colorful charts and graphs. Then, use your Instagram caption to provide more context or highlight specific facts. If you want to keep your caption simple but have much information that should be highlighted immediately, create an Instagram carousel post. You can break down your information into multiple graphics and avoid cluttered text. Carousel posts are the most engaging type of Instagram post, so it’s a win-win for your profile stats either way.
4. Master Your Aesthetic
Visuals are everything on Instagram; on this platform, they make the first impression. But if you ignore your branding, the first time a user engages with your brand could be their last. Instagram users want aesthetically pleasing content on their feeds. If they’re going to give you a follow — and help boost your Instagram engagement rate — they need to know that you can consistently deliver high-quality visual content.
Here’s the good news: you already have a built-in portfolio of sorts on your profile — your Instagram grid. Users who scroll through your grid should see on-brand graphics, images that use complementary filters, and more features that tie together your vision for your brand. You could also publish images with similar color schemes next to each other or make quote graphics every other post, as SLP Now often does.
5. Embrace Video Content
Don’t be afraid to experiment with new content formats. Instagram is pushing video more than ever by highlighting user-created Reels—short TikTok-style videos—on its tab. Beyond creating Reels, you can use your Instagram business account to go live, post to IGTV, and upload short-form animations to your feed and Stories. With animated graphics, you have the added benefit of catching eyes and communicating with emotion — all while understanding that most Instagram scrollers are watching videos without sound.
Video has a permanent place on our Instagram feeds — and on the web — and statistics show that 91% of active users watch Instagram video content every week. Making video a part of your Instagram strategy can win engagement from all the users who are already tuned in for that kind of content. You don’t have to know how to edit professional movies to master video on IG. Just like top Instagram influencers, small business owners can stand out by stepping behind the camera and simply chatting with their followers.
6. Engage With Your Followers
No one likes the feeling of being left on read. Not much better than ignoring your followers is simply tapping the heart icon when they reach out. Consider if you tried starting a conversation with someone and they just smiled and walked away — it’s not the best way to make someone feel heard. You should engage right back each time an Instagram follower engages with your brand. Show your followers that you’re listening by responding thoughtfully to comments, DMs, and the content they tag you.
A great brand response can inspire followers to engage again in the future while creating the stepping stones for strong reciprocal relationships. Want to take your engagement a step further? Grow your engaged community by reaching out to like-minded users yourself! Be proactive and make the first move. Comment on posts from accounts with a similar target audience to gain exposure within their following. You can also follow relevant hashtags to easily find and comment on posts from potential clients directly on your feed.
7. Get Creative With Instagram Stories and Reels
One of the most notable ways social media channels have evolved over the last five years is by adding multiple ways to post content — and Instagram has been at the forefront of this change. Instagram posts will always be there, so it helps to use the Stories, Reels, and Live features as they’ll provide new and different opportunities to capture audience attention. How your audience prefers to consume content will undoubtedly differ, and a multiformat approach boosts chances of engagement.
Always think about which messaging will work best in which formats, and check back on your analytics to stay on track. Utilizing all of Instagram's content options also increases the frequency with which you can post without becoming an annoyance. It lets you experiment with posting at different times and days to see which post style garners the best results. Don’t be afraid to expand your content offering further by using user-generated content by re-posting stories and posts from other followers, customers, and collaborators on the app.
8. Produce Consistent Quality Content
Losing an audience is much easier than gaining one, especially on channels that build engagement on current content rather than loyalty. Instagram content needs to be very visual, but it should also be a mix of relatable, aspirational, and endearing. This is your chance to show the human side of your brand. The best way to keep your content Instagram-friendly is with the “people test” — this involves asking other people if they would relate to, enjoy, or engage with your posts. If my content doesn’t pass the people test, it’s on the wrong platform.
9. Post at the Optimum Time of Day for Engagement
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: post to Instagram at the optimal times! This means publishing your content when most of your audience is online and ready to engage with your content. As a general guide, the best times to post on Instagram are 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. on Fridays. The best overall day to post on Instagram is Tuesday. While we encourage you to use these posting times as a guide, it’s still important to consider your personal social media audience and vary your posting times to discover what works for you.
10. Don’t Forget the Basics
More followers can mean more consistent engagement over time, so it’s important to put some effort into making your account look legitimate rather than only focusing on your content. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to do so. Instagram profile pictures are always cropped in a circle shape, so choose and format your image wisely.
Instagram bios can only be 150 characters in length, and there is no need to try and use keywords or optimize your bio for SEO/SEM as they are not searchable. However, your profile picture and bio should align with your brand's values, visuals, and tone. If you decide to include a link in your bio, ensure it leads to something that will personally engage your audience.
Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today’s fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy.
We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo’s virality analysis tool.
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