Reichweite auf Instagram steigern – So nutzt du Hashtags richtig (2025)

Increase your reach on Instagram – How to use hashtags correctly (2025)

1. Why hashtags are crucial

Hashtags help you gain visibility on Instagram. They categorize your content, make it discoverable for other users, and ensure that your posts are seen by people outside your existing follower bubble.

Especially for new or smaller accounts, hashtags are often the most important way to generate reach , reach new target groups and build long-term followers .

2. Which hashtags bring the most reach?

When you type in a hashtag, Instagram immediately shows you how many posts there are under that keyword. This number serves as a rough guide:

  • Very large hashtags (over 10 million posts): high reach, but a lot of competition.
  • Medium-sized hashtags (approx. 100,000 – 1 million): good balance between visibility and competition.
  • Niche hashtags (under 100,000): lower search volume, but high relevance and visibility in specific communities.

Example:
If you regularly post content about mindfulness, #mindfulness (>50 million posts) can be very competitive. Hashtags like #achtsamleben (approx. 20,000 posts) or #mindfulmomentsdaily (approx. 80,000 posts) offer more opportunities to be visible in the top posts.

3. How do I find the best hashtags for my content?

✅ Step 1: Analyze your own content

  • What is your post about? (e.g., motivation, tips, everyday life, creative, personal)
  • What terms would people use to find content like yours?
  • Which terms reflect your topic or community?

✅ Step 2: Use Instagram search

  • Enter relevant terms as hashtags in the search (e.g. #selfemployed, #creativity, #traveltips).
  • Look at how many posts there are for each hashtag.
  • Note down medium to small tags with high thematic fit.

✅ Step 3: Analyze successful accounts

  • Find profiles that post similar content to you (even with more followers).
  • Look at their posts: What hashtags do they use?
  • Use similar or modified versions of it.

✅ Step 4: Use tools

Use hashtag generators or analysis platforms like:

These tools suggest thematically relevant hashtags – often based on current trends and Instagram algorithms.

4. How many hashtags are ideal?

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post . However, it's not the quantity that counts, but rather the relevance .

Recommended number:

  • 3–5 very suitable hashtags if you value quality and clarity.
  • 10–15 well-chosen tags if you want to test new target groups and be more visible.
  • Up to 30 hashtags are okay – as long as they all fit the topic .

Tip: Many users hide their hashtags in the first comment or at the end of the text (under a period or emoji paragraph) to make the post appear clean.

5. What makes a good hashtag?

A good hashtag should:

  • Thematically fit
  • Not too crowded , but not completely unknown either
  • Be up-to-date and not outdated (e.g. no dates like #urlaub2021)
  • Not blocked or banned (→ test beforehand: are there any new posts under this hashtag?)
  • Be target group-specific (e.g. #momselfemployed, #designlove, #businessmindset)

6. Tips for new profiles or small accounts

  • Mix large, medium and small hashtags.
    → Example: 3 very large + 5 medium + 7 small hashtags.
  • Use new hashtags regularly.
    → Posting the same hashtags over and over again seems like spam.
  • Test different combinations and compare the range.
    → Instagram Insights show you how many impressions came from hashtags.
  • Use hashtags in stories or reels too.
    → You can include them as text or insert them “hidden” (behind stickers).
  • Build your own hashtags over the long term.
    → E.g. for your brand, challenge or community: #yournamegoesviral, #teamyourname

7. Conclusion

Hashtags are a free and effective tool for reaching Instagram followers —especially for new or small accounts. Taking the time to research suitable and well-combined hashtags increases your chances of gaining visibility and growing organically .

Use tools, monitor trends, analyze your insights – and most importantly: regularly post high-quality content that matches your hashtags. Then you'll not only be found – but also followed .

Sources and tools for research:

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