Hashtags have been used on social media since 2007, so you may be wondering if they’re still useful in 2024. A tag that is prefaced by the hash symbol (#) hashtags allow people to see many related posts on the same topic. And they can still be an effective way to grow your business and reach new audiences — as long as you use them correctly.
How many hashtags should you use?
The amount of hashtags to use in a post is not universally agreed upon, and varies depending on the platform. When in doubt, about two to five hashtags should suffice.
For instance, on Instagram and LinkedIn, three to five hashtags are recommended, but on X (Twitter) the help centre recommends using no more than two hashtags per post as best practice, but says, “you may use as many hashtags in a post as you like.”
According to adespresso, on Instagram, engagement increases with each additional hashtag up to 11, then decreases after that. While additional hashtags may help reach a new audience, you also don’t want to be spammy.
People generally don’t use hashtags on Facebook, though you can still search by hashtags on that platform. We don’t recommend using hashtags on Facebook, but it doesn’t hurt to have them, either.
How to use hashtags effectively
Quality over quantity certainly applies to hashtags. It’s better to have fewer, more specific hashtags relevant to your post than a lot with questionable value.
Before you use a hashtag, you should search for it on the platform to see how it’s being used. Avoid hashtags that are too specific, and therefore no one is looking for them, and avoid hashtags that are connected to spam posts.
It is important to find the middle ground where you are reaching an audience specifically for your post. If your company is for house and interior cleaning, a good hashtag to use on Instagram would be “#YXEcleaning,” where as “#Saskatooninteriorcleaning” is too specific. If you have the right hashtag, you can reach new potential customers without watering down your views from people who aren’t interested in your product.
Takeaways
Overall, hashtags in 2024 are still an effective way to reach new audiences, but that hinges on the poster’s ability to use them effectively. Using fewer, specific hashtags that are relevant to the post can improve hashtag effectiveness drastically, and also prevents the post from looking spammy.