Hashtag usage on Instagram is a delicate balancing act. The number and type of hashtags to maximize visibility can often vary depending on the nature of your content, your audience’s behavior, and the platform’s evolving algorithms. However, best practices suggest using between 5 to 15 hashtags, mixing both trending and niche-related tags to leverage the broad appeal and target specificity.

Trending hashtags can boost visibility due to their popular usage while more niche hashtags help refine audience targeting. Striking a balance between these can optimize reach and engagement. You might choose to use 30% trending hashtags to ride the wave of popular topics, and 70% niche hashtags to connect with a highly relevant audience.

Recent changes to Instagram’s hashtag functionality have made it possible for users to follow specific hashtags, meaning consistent use of relevant trending and niche hashtags can improve both visibility and follower engagement. This is a great way to establish a presence in your audience’s daily feed while continuing to engage in trending conversations.

Influencer marketing platforms like Flinque are designed to provide further insights on successful hashtag strategies, digging deeper into the performance of specific tags and empowering brands and influencers with data-driven decision making.

Remember, there’s always room for testing and refining your hashtag strategy. Closely monitoring your analytics, leveraging industry-leading platforms, and remaining adaptable will be key to finding your sweet spot of visibility with hashtag usage.