How to Research and Find the Best Instagram Hashtags

Updated: May 2025

If Instagram isn’t part of your content strategy yet, you could miss valuable opportunities to reach and engage your audience, especially as visual storytelling continues to dominate.

According to Statista, Instagram had grown to over 2 billion monthly active users as of 2025, maintaining higher engagement rates than Facebook and YouTube. That means if you're not leveraging Instagram effectively, your competition probably is.

Smart hashtag use is one of the simplest and most effective ways to grow a platform's visibility and reach.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• What Instagram hashtags are
• Why they’re important
• 5 proven ways to research and find the best hashtags



What Are Instagram Hashtags?

Instagram hashtags are words or multi-word phrases preceded by the # symbol. They categorise your content, making it easier for people interested in that topic to discover it.

For example:
If Adidas posts about a new running shoe, you might see #adidasRunning to help people searching for running-related content find that post.

Hashtags work like search tools, connecting your content with users looking for specific topics.

In 2025, Instagram will also use caption text as content discovery signals, so relevant keywords within your captions (even without hashtags) can improve visibility.

They also offer insights into competitors, audience behaviours, and trending content.

Simply put: hashtags help your social media content go further.



Start by identifying your ideal audience. Ask:

• What topics do they follow?
• What hashtags do they use?
• What pain points or interests guide their searches?

Use hashtags that align with your niche, industry, and their needs, not just what’s trending.

2. Use Instagram’s Search Tool

On mobile, type a keyword into the search bar and tap the “Tags” tab.

Instagram will show:

• How many posts use that tag
• Related hashtags
• Suggestions based on what your followers engage with
• 
  

This helps you discover high-volume tags as well as niche ones.

3. Try a Hashtag Research Tool

Just like SEO tools help you find the right keywords, hashtag tools help you find the right tags. Popular tools include:

• RiteTag – Real-time hashtag suggestions (free + paid)
• Keyword Tool (keyword.io) – Keyword-to-hashtag research
• Hashtagify – Advanced analytics and trends
• Sprout Social / Hootsuite – Full analytics and scheduling with hashtag insights

Most premium tools offer free trials so you can explore their features.

4. Research Your Competitors

Find brands similar to yours and look at:

• What hashtags they consistently use
• Which posts get the most engagement
• Which niche tags help them stand out

Make sure their audience is similar to yours, and constantly tweak your hashtag strategy to fit your voice and brand.



Try typing your industry + topic + "hashtags" into Google (e.g. "wedding photography hashtags Instagram"). You'll likely uncover curated lists on blogs, Reddit, or Pinterest that reveal hashtag trends by niche.



Once you find suggestions, plug them into Instagram’s search tool to check popularity and relevance.

Combine hashtags with strong visuals, engaging copy, and consistent posting for best results.

Want help crafting a smart, aligned content strategy that includes hashtags, design, and copywriting?  As part of our SEO packages in Australia cost, we also offer organic social media management to ensure your content strategy performs across platforms.

Let’s get your content working harder—so you don’t have to.