Do Instagram Hashtags Still Help With Reach? Yes, They Do.

Oh, lovely, lovely Mosseri.

Last week, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, said in an AMA that Instagram hashtags really don’t help views, and we’ve got to say, we’re really confused. Mainly because we have seen time and time again that hashtags really do help get more reach and views for people. Especially when you’re very specific and use relevant hashtags for your content.

So what does this mean for hashtags? And why is he saying that they don’t really help?

It’s a question that keeps us scratching our heads. For most of us here at Flick, it seems like a poorly worded response to hashtags. We have data to prove that hashtags work for getting higher reach and engagement on your posts, as proven by our users who consistently get higher reach and engagement on their posts. By using relevant hashtags that actually make sense with your content is one of the best ways to get a higher reach on a post (as you can see from one of our recent posts on Instagram below). As Mosseri said, hashtags help Instagram’s AI know exactly what the post is about which helps with indexing your content on their app.

So what does he really mean? Well, because a lot of people are only sharing the part of the video where he goes “not really” to hashtags helping reach, we want to share the entire clip:

If we were to read between the lines and not the initial “not really,” Mosseri is saying that people need to stop relying SOLELY on Instagram hashtags to help them with reach. While they still do help get people on hashtag pages and reach new audiences, it’s not the only thing you should be paying attention to when it comes to your Instagram account.

What other factors should you focus on when it comes to your content and getting higher reach and engagement?

✨ Captions
✨ Quality content
✨ Video content
✨ Posting when your audience is online
✨ Honing in on your niche
✨ Engaging with your audience

And the biggest thing of all? Patience! We know how frustrating it is to not have that video you spent so long go viral or to feel like you’re not getting the comments you feel you deserve. It is frustrating! But focus on what you want to make, collaborate with people, and share and engage with other’s content and we promise you’ll start seeing more and more results.

But all of this is to say that hashtags DO work. They DO give you better reach and engagement if used wisely, but they shouldn’t be your end-all, be-all when it comes to creating content online.