Instagram Hashtag Analytics: The 2024 Guide + Tools to Try

Team Locowise posted on 24 July 2024

Everyone knows you need to use hashtags for Instagram. But how many? Which ones? Is there a difference between hashtag strategies for posts vs. stories? Instagram hashtag analytics provides you with a data-drive, testable approach to these questions and more.

Curious what hashtag activities your competitors are up to? Check this out. 

What is Instagram hashtag analytics?

Instagram hashtag analytics involves tracking and analysing the performance of hashtags used in your posts. This process helps you understand which hashtags are driving engagement, expanding reach, and attracting new followers. By leveraging these insights, you can optimise your hashtag strategy to maximise your social media content’s visibility and effectiveness.

Types of Hashtags You Can Track

• Event Hashtags: Used for specific events or campaigns (e.g., #SuperBowl2024).
• Location Hashtags: Tagging geographical locations to reach local audiences (e.g., #NYC).
• Branded Hashtags: Custom hashtags created for your brand or business (e.g., #NikeRun).
• Trending Hashtags: Popular hashtags that are currently trending on Instagram (e.g., #ThrowbackThursday).
• Niche Hashtags: Specific to a particular industry or community (e.g., #FoodPhotography).
• Community Hashtags: Used to connect with a community or group (e.g., #InstaTravel).

By tracking these different types of hashtags, you can gain valuable insights into what works best for your audience, helping you refine your strategy and boost your Instagram presence.

How effective are hashtags on Instagram?

Yes, hashtags are an essential part of your Instagram strategy and play a huge role in dictating your reach, engagement and overall results.

Instagram posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement than those without hashtags​. In terms of engagement rate, including at least one hashtag results in an average engagement rate of 1.03%, whereas posts without any hashtags get around 0.79%.

They’re also highly effective for increasing your overall reach on the platform, especially for smaller accounts. Accounts with less than 5,000 followers can see a 36% increase in reach per post by including relevant hashtags. Meanwhile, individual posts can see an increase of 70% in reach by including hashtags.

Aside from increasing reach and engagement, here are some other benefits of using and tracking hashtags on Instagram:

Campaign Optimisation

Hashtags are not just about increasing reach; they also play a vital role in campaign optimisation. By tracking the performance of specific hashtags, you can gain insights into which ones are driving the most engagement and which are falling flat. This data is invaluable for refining your hashtag strategy and making informed decisions about future social media campaigns. For instance, knowing that branded hashtags can improve brand recognition and engagement helps you craft better-targeted campaigns​​.

Connecting with Target Audiences

Hashtags allow you to connect with specific target audiences by tapping into niche communities. Whether it’s location-based hashtags to attract local followers or industry-specific hashtags to engage professionals, using relevant hashtags helps you reach the people most likely to be interested in your content​​. This targeted approach ensures that your posts resonate with the right audience, leading to more meaningful interactions.

Staying Current with Trends

Keeping up with trending hashtags can give your content a temporary visibility boost. Participating in popular conversations and challenges using trending hashtags can increase your content’s chances of being seen by a larger audience. However, it’s crucial to ensure that these hashtags are relevant to your content to avoid seeming out of place or spammy​.

Improved Discoverability on Explore Page

Hashtags significantly enhance your chances of appearing on Instagram’s Explore page. The Explore page is where users discover new content tailored to their interests, and hashtags play a key role in content categorisation and discoverability. Posts that effectively use hashtags relevant to trending topics or popular interests are more likely to appear on the Explore page, attracting more views and potential followers​​.

What are the most effective Instagram hashtag metrics to track?

You already know that it’s not about just using hashtags—it’s about using the right hashtags. So, which metrics can you use to assess which hashtags are the right ones, and which you can leave out?

Plus, which hashtags are your competitors using and what are they generating for them in terms of reach and engagement? Find out with a free trial of Locowise.

Tracking the right Instagram hashtag metrics is crucial for understanding and improving your hashtag strategy. Here are the most effective metrics to keep an eye on:

1. Reach

Reach measures the number of unique users who have seen your post. By tracking the reach of your hashtags, you can determine how effectively your content is spreading across Instagram. Higher reach indicates that your hashtags are helping your content get discovered by new audiences.

2. Impressions

Impressions count the total number of times your post has been seen, including multiple views by the same user. This metric gives you a sense of the overall visibility of your content. While reach tells you how many unique users have seen your post, impressions show how often your content is being viewed.

3. Engagement

Engagement includes likes, comments, shares, and saves. Tracking engagement for posts with specific hashtags helps you understand which hashtags are driving interactions. High engagement rates on posts with certain hashtags indicate that those hashtags are resonating well with your audience.

4. Hashtag Performance

This metric involves tracking the performance of individual hashtags to see which ones are generating the most reach, impressions, and engagement. By analysing hashtag performance, you can refine your hashtag strategy to focus on the most effective ones.

5. Follower Growth

Tracking follower growth related to your hashtag usage can provide insights into how well your hashtags are attracting new followers. If you see a spike in followers after using specific hashtags, it’s a good sign that those hashtags are helping you reach and attract new users.

6. Top Hashtags by Engagement

Identifying which hashtags are generating the highest engagement can help you optimise your future posts. By focusing on the top-performing hashtags, you can increase the chances of your content being seen and interacted with.

7. Hashtag Reach Percentage

This metric shows the percentage of your total reach that came from hashtags. A high hashtag reach percentage indicates that your hashtags are effectively expanding your content’s visibility beyond your followers.

8. Saved Posts

The number of times your posts are saved can be a strong indicator of valuable content. If posts with certain hashtags are saved frequently, it suggests that those hashtags are helping your content reach people who find it useful or inspiring.

9. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

CTR measures how often users click on links in your bio or story after finding your post through a hashtag. This metric is particularly useful for tracking the effectiveness of hashtags in driving traffic to your website or landing pages.

10. Hashtag Usage Trends

Monitoring trends in hashtag usage can help you stay relevant and timely. Keeping up with trending hashtags and incorporating them into your posts can boost visibility and engagement.

How to Track Instagram Hashtag Performance with Locowise

Locowise offers comprehensive tools to track and analyse Instagram hashtag performance, providing you with valuable insights to optimise your strategy. Here’s what you can do with Locowise:

• Real-Time Tracking: Monitor hashtag performance in real-time to see which ones are driving the most engagement.
• Detailed Hashtag Analytics: Access in-depth reports on hashtag popularity, reach, and interactions.
• Competitor Benchmarking: Compare your hashtag performance with competitors to identify areas for improvement.
• Historical Data: Review past performance to understand trends and make informed decisions.

Research, refine and optimise your hashtag strategy to boost your Instagram presence. Start your Locowise free trial here!

18 Tips to Better Leverage and Track Hashtags on Instagram

1. Use a Mix of Popular and Niche Hashtags: Combine widely used hashtags with more specific ones to maximise reach and engagement.

2. Create Branded Hashtags: Develop unique hashtags for your brand to encourage user-generated content and track brand-related posts easily.

3. Research Trending Hashtags: Stay updated on trending hashtags relevant to your industry and incorporate them into your posts.

4. Analyse Competitor Hashtags: Monitor the hashtags your competitors use and analyse their performance to refine your own strategy.

5. Leverage Hashtag Analytics Tools: Use tools like Locowise to track and analyse the performance of your hashtags.

6. Use Hashtags in Stories: Adding hashtags to Instagram Stories can increase visibility and engagement.

7. Experiment with Hashtag Placement: Test placing hashtags in the post caption versus the first comment to see which approach works best for your audience.

8. Monitor Hashtag Performance Regularly: Regularly check the performance of your hashtags to identify which ones are most effective.

9. Engage with Hashtag Communities: Participate in conversations and engage with users within hashtag communities to build relationships and increase visibility.

10. Optimise Hashtag Use in Bio: Include relevant hashtags in your Instagram bio to make your profile more discoverable.

11. Track Hashtag Reach and Impressions: Measure how many people your hashtags are reaching and how often they are being seen.

12. Update Your Hashtag Strategy: Regularly update and refine your hashtag strategy based on performance data and changing trends.

13. Use Hashtag Generators: Use tools like Hashtagify or RiteTag to discover relevant hashtags.

14. Seasonal Hashtags: Incorporate seasonal or holiday-specific hashtags to align with current trends.

15. Track Competitor Hashtags: Keep an eye on what your competitors are using and their performance with a hashtag tracking tool.

16. Hashtag Challenges: Create or participate in hashtag challenges to boost engagement.

17. Test Hashtag Quantity: Experiment with different numbers of hashtags to find the sweet spot for your audience.

18. Use Hashtags for Campaigns: Develop specific hashtags for marketing campaigns to easily track their performance.

Top 5 Instagram Hashtag Analytics Tools to Try in 2024

1. Locowise

Locowise offers powerful hashtag tracking so you can monitor real-time performance, analyse engagement, and track competitor hashtag use. With comprehensive analytics and detailed reports, you can easily identify which hashtags drive the most reach and engagement. It even includes competitor benchmarking to refine your strategies effectively.

Best for: Social media agencies

Start your free trial here!

2. Later

Later is a user-friendly social media management tool that includes basic hashtag tracking features. It allows you to see which hashtags are generating the most engagement and helps you optimise your posting strategy. While Later is excellent for visual content planning and scheduling, its hashtag analytics are more basic.

Best for: Small businesses and solo entrepreneurs looking for an easy-to-use tool for hashtag insights​.

3. Buffer

Buffer provides simple solutions for tracking the performance of your Instagram hashtags. It shows you which hashtags are driving engagement and helps you schedule posts for optimal times. Buffer’s analytics are straightforward and great for those who need high-level insights.

Best for: Solo social media managers and small businesses needing social media analytics.

4. RiteTag

RiteTag helps you find and evaluate hashtags in real time, showing you which ones are trending and effective. It’s a straightforward tool that suggests hashtags based on your content.

Best for: Casual users and small businesses looking for quick hashtag suggestions and analytics.​

5. All Hashtag

All Hashtag is a simple hashtag generator that provides basic metrics. You can quickly generate and analyse hashtags by entering a keyword, and the tool will display the popularity and ranking of each hashtag. It’s perfect for those new to hashtag marketing or looking to experiment with different hashtags without delving into detailed analytics.

Best for: Individuals and small businesses looking for a straightforward hashtag generator and basic metrics.

FAQs About Hashtag Tracking on Instagram

What is the most effective number of hashtags?

The most effective number of hashtags can vary from one social media platform to another. On Instagram, the optimal number of hashtags to use has evolved over time. Recent guidance suggests that using 3 to 5 hashtags per post is now recommended for best results. This is a shift from earlier recommendations that advised using 9 to 11 or even up to 30 hashtags​. Studies and experiments indicate that posts with fewer, more targeted hashtags can achieve better reach and engagement. 

How to get hashtag analytics for Instagram

To get hashtag analytics on Instagram, you can use Instagram Insights if you have a business or creator account. Instagram Insights provides data on the reach, impressions, and engagement of your posts, including those using specific hashtags. For more detailed analytics, consider using a third-party tool like Locowise. A third-party tool offers comprehensive analytics and reports, helping you track and analyse the performance of your hashtags over time.

How to check hashtag views on Instagram

Instagram doesn’t provide a direct way to see the number of views for individual hashtags. However, you can estimate hashtag performance through Instagram Insights by looking at the reach and impressions of posts using specific hashtags. For more granular data, third-party tools provide additional insights into how your hashtags are performing in terms of visibility and engagement.

Can you export hashtag data from Instagram insights?

No, unfortunately, exporting hashtag data is only possible through third-party tools and is not something Instagram offers natively. You can view the metrics regularly and record them, but it’s a manual process that’s difficult to keep up with.

How do you measure the effectiveness of Instagram hashtags?

To measure the effectiveness of your Instagram hashtags, track the following metrics:

• Reach: The number of unique users who have seen your post.
• Impressions: The total number of times your post has been viewed.
• Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves on your post.
• Follower Growth: Increase in followers from posts using specific hashtags.
• Hashtag Reach Percentage: The percentage of reach attributed to hashtags.

Using tools like Instagram Insights and third-party analytics platforms, you can gather and analyse this data to determine which hashtags are most effective.

How do you choose the right hashtags for Instagram posts?

Choosing the right hashtags involves a combination of research and strategy:

• Research Popular and Relevant Hashtags: Use tools like All Hashtag and RiteTag to find popular and trending hashtags related to your content.
• Mix Popular and Niche Hashtags: Combine widely used hashtags with more specific, niche ones to reach a broader yet targeted audience.
• Analyse Competitor Hashtags: Look at the hashtags your competitors are using and analyse their performance.
• Test and Refine: Experiment with different hashtags and track their performance to see which ones yield the best results.
• Stay Updated with Trends: Keep up with current trends and incorporate relevant hashtags into your posts.

Get Competitive About Hashtags – Research, Analyse and Optimise Your Instagram Game

Mastering Instagram hashtag analytics is essential for boosting your social media strategy. By tracking the right metrics and optimising your hashtag use, you can significantly enhance your engagement and reach on Instagram. Locowise is the ultimate tool for comprehensive hashtag tracking and analysis, with real-time insights, detailed reports, and competitive benchmarking to help you stay ahead.

Ready to take your Instagram game to the next level? Discover the full potential of your hashtags and make data-driven decisions with ease. Start your journey with a free trial of Locowise today and see the difference it can make!