Are Hashtags Still Worth Using in Social Media?
Algorithmic feeds have rendered hashtags less effective, but smart use can still lead to fresh views and follows.
By Ajsi Petrela
In the early days of social media, hashtags were essential tools that helped users pinpoint content of interest and find searchable, real-time topics amid a sea of unorganized content and chatter. Some tags, such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, even helped fuel entire social movements.
Nowadays, hashtags can still be helpful — but not as a growth hack. Consider them less of a reach lever and more of a labeling and search/discovery assist.
In short, hashtags matter much less than they used to, because social feeds are now based less on chronology and hashtags, and more on algorithms that prioritize other factors, including:
- Keywords in captions
- On-screen text in videos
- Audio/context
- Engagement signals (saves, shares, watch time)
Hashtags still provide context, but they’re no longer the primary routing system to garner attention for your content. Here’s what we recommend to clients when it comes to using hashtags in social media posts.
Hashtag Guidance by Platform
Facebook is actively trying to reduce spammy content in its feed, including posts with long, distracting captions and lots of hashtags. Meta says accounts using these tactics can see their distribution reduced (e.g., shown only to followers) and lose monetization eligibility.
- Best-Use Cases: Event and community tags, branded campaign/UGC tags you want people to reuse and local or community tags when they’re truly relevant.
Use hashtags sparingly and specifically. Instagram is capping posts at five hashtags to reduce spam and advises using a few specific tags instead of a long generic list. Include hashtags that speak to the category and user intent, not vibes. For example, #IndependentSchoolAdmissions instead of #happy.
- Best-Use Cases: Niche discovery, branded UGC tags, event tags and clarity for what the post is about.
LinkedIn has deemphasized hashtag discovery over the past year, including removing or limiting features that let users follow hashtags. It’s shifting value toward keywords in the actual post. If you use hashtags, keep it to two to five max and treat them like “topic labels.”
- Best-Use Cases: Very clear industry categories (e.g., #HigherEducationMarketing) and campaign tags your community already uses.
TikTok
Hashtags still help TikTok understand what bucket to test your video in, but stuffing hashtags looks spammy. Use three to five hashtags at the most, mixing broad and niche search terms.
- Best-Use Cases: Trend participation, community tags and setting viewer expectations (explaining what the video is).
X (formerly Twitter)
On organic posts, hashtags can still help with search and live-event aggregation, but they’re not a guaranteed amplifier. X has banned hashtags in ads and promoted posts, which tells you how low-priority they are for paid performance on that platform.
- Best-Use Cases: Conferences, breaking news, TV/live moments, community “rally points.”
Use Hashtags Strategically and Sparingly
Use hashtags when they serve a clear purpose.
- Campaign/UGC Tracking: A single branded tag people can reliably use.
- Events and Moments: Conferences, open houses, live sports moments, seasonal pushes.
- Niche Categories: Audience-specific content.
- Content Organization: Internal reporting, community building.
Skip them if:
- You’re using a long “hashtag block” that reads like spam. Platforms are actively discouraging this.
- You can’t name the audience intent behind the tag.
- You’re on a platform where keywords in copy matter more. This is especially true for LinkedIn.
How To Test Whether Hashtags Work
A/B testing can help you determine whether hashtags are increasing the visibility of your posts.
For two to three weeks, post similar content types at similar times, using zero hashtags in Version A and three to five highly relevant hashtags in Version B. Then, measure the number of profile visits, saves/shares and follower quality — not just impressions.
Build Smart Strategies for Social Media
Ready to rethink your organization’s social strategy? We’d love to help you out.
Ajsi Petrela leads cross-channel strategy for Casual Astronaut’s clients in tourism, nonprofit, healthcare, education and financial services. With a master’s degree in digital audience strategy and experience across SEO, SEM, social media, programmatic and email marketing, she connects audience insight and channel strategy to measurable business outcomes.