Are Hashtags for Instagram Reels Important?
Hashtags are a simple yet effective tool that allows you to build your brand, boost a marketing campaign, and keep in touch with your current audience. For organic posts, we argue that hashtags aren’t as important or effective as they once used to be, but what about hashtags for IG Reels? Read on for our take!
WHAT IG’S INTERFACE TELLS US
Are hashtags for Reels important? According to Instagram’s interface, YES. Instagram recently added an exclusive Reels tab to the hashtag search results page, which tells us that hashtags for Reels are likely increasing in importance. See the image below for a preview of the feature, if you haven’t seen it already.
You might be thinking: what about users who don’t have the exclusive Reels tab yet? Even without this feature, Reels take up a significant amount of real estate on the hashtag search results page. Take a look at the photo below and notice how Reels are the first and largest result to appear on the page. This makes them stand out, which further boosts discoverability!
HASHTAGS FOR IG REELS: BEST PRACTICES
WHAT HASHTAGS SHOULD I USE?
The best hashtags to include on your Reel will be relevant to the Reel and your account overall. It is important to also consider what your ideal customer might be searching for. You can learn more about where to find hashtags to use in our How to Conduct Hashtag Research blog post.
HOW MANY HASHTAGS SHOULD I INCLUDE?
So we know that hashtags for Reels are important, but how many should we be using? While you can include up to 30 hashtags on feed posts and Reels, Later revealed at LaterCon 2021 that after analyzing thousands of posts, they noticed that the top engaging posts only used 3-5 hashtags. On the other hand, some may argue that the more hashtags you include the more opportunity you have to be discovered.
We recommend that you put this to the test on your own account. Share a few Reels with 3-5 hashtags, a few Reels with 5+, and take note of which group performed better. We’ve personally found that Reels with fewer hashtags perform the best on our account.
INSTAGRAM REELS RESOURCES
Interested in growing your account with Instagram Reels, but not sure where to start? Don’t worry, homie. Here are an Instagram Reels download (or two😉) to help:
We hope you found this blog post helpful in learning more about hashtags for IG Reels! Be sure to include a few on your next post to further boost your reach and connect with your audience. For more tips, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our social media newsletter. Chat soon!
xx- The Homies
