Why Use Hashtags?

Hashtags are one of the biggest trends on the internet right now. They’re a very useful tool which allows people to collate related data, connecting it across different channels and cutting through some of the noise generated by social media’s immense popularity. For example, if you’ve got a great picture of your new puppy in sunglasses, you might want to link it up with other people who’ve posted similar pictures, and you can do this using a hashtag. Hashtags are a great way to generate more user engagement and connect up with the right people, so you know those who find your posts are more likely to be interested in them.

Instagram Hashtags Not Working!

Instagram Hashtags Not Working!

Hashtags Not Working

However, Instagram hashtags aren’t always a dream come true. Sometimes they simply don’t work, which is frustrating and makes it harder to get your content noticed. If you’ve just spent half an hour deciding on 30 great tags to fit with your image, only to find that Instagram tags aren’t working, it’s extremely annoying. There are a few different reasons why your hashtags might not be working.

  • You tried to use a banned hashtag. There are a number of these, and using even one can cause your content not to display properly. Check their list of banned hashtags to make sure this isn’t the case for you. Instagram’s banned hashtags are often on sensitive topics (e.g. anorexia), but can also relate to perfectly innocent phrases which are simply too over-used to be useful.
  • You used a limited hashtag. While these aren’t banned, they can affect the way in which your photos appear in searches and how they are categorised. Again, find out what these hashtags are, decide how they will affect your search, and choose whether to include them or not.
  • Instagram is suffering from some serious issues with their hashtags at the moment, and hasn’t clarified what is going on, despite user frustrations; you may be on the receiving end of these difficulties. It seems that photos aren’t displaying under certain searches for no apparent reason, or that there are long delays before they appear. Followers may be seeing the images, but not non-followers, or they may not be reaching anyone under particular tags.

How To Deal With The Issues

To prevent your photo from disappearing, avoid using any banned hashtags, and be aware of your use of limited hashtags, making sure they aren’t going to make your photo appear in the wrong places. Using your hashtags carefully stops you from getting caught by automatic spam filters, and ensures your content ends up in the right place.

Because it appears to be a site issue, dealing with the final problem isn’t very easy. You could try searching the hashtags you want to use before posting the picture, and seeing if any recent content shows. If it does, this may be a sign that yours will work. Alternatively, try deleting and re-uploading an image. Complaints have been made to Instagram, but at present the company has not come forward with any solutions or answers.