Remember when social media post captions used to be followed by tons of hashtags? Sometimes these hashtags were made up according to the direction of the post. Other times, they were simply copied from other similar or trending posts. The intention of hashtag users was simply this: to make their posts gain more visibility.
In this post, we will know if hashtags are still useful for visibility, or if their relevance is slowly fading out.
Hashtags in 2025 and 2026
Hashtags are still very much effective. They simply require more strategic placement. Gone are the days of random hashtags. Now, with 3-6 highly relevant hashtags, even small business accounts are making it to the top of the feed. Here’s how best to do it:
- Use it like it’s for both local and global SEO:
Hashtags can now be used like search keywords. For example, if you simply search ‘Restaurants in lagos’ on Instagram without using a hashtag, you would get results across accounts, reels, and tags. So you can simply convert those search keywords into hashtags like #thingstodoinlagos #pastarecipes #wholesalesbeautyproducts
- Prioritise relevance over reach:
Some people feel that using trending keywords may help their posts reach more accounts. This is not a false assumption because if for example, Guiness World Records trends on X, accounts who post with the keyword ‘Guiness World Records’ would immediately pop up on the trend feed. Under “latest” However, it is important to prioritise relevance over reach or the audience you go after may be generally unreceptive to your product.
- Don’t overuse them:
General perception of social media accounts that use a lot of hashtags, is that they lack direction and are simply trying to push their accounts to a generalised audience. The best way to do this and cut down your hashtag use to only the relevant tags is by first identifying the niche you want to cover. For example, if you are targeting accounts in the United States, you can use #usareels and if your brand niche is eyewear #eyewearusa #eyecare #antibluelightglasses
In short, hashtags are no longer the main attraction, but they can still help your content get found by the right people. Our advice? Choose them wisely, and always pair them with strong captions and meaningful content.
At Diken David LTD, we help businesses design hashtag strategies that match their brand voice, local reach, and audience goals.
Do you need more support on content, SEO, or branding strategies? Visit www.dikendavid.com
