To truly be a master of Instagram Reels, it takes more than just a deft touch with a filter. You’ve got to embrace the fine art of the hashtag, too.
After all, you can have the very best video in the world — one with a trending audio clip, hilarious edits, a thought-provoking message, and a filter that makes you look like your mouth is full of hot dogs.
But if you don’t find the right hashtags for Reels, this grand opus may never reach the audience it deserves.
Get ready to pull in more likes, fans and shares with the best Reel hashtags for Instagram.
(And if you’re new to Reels? Here’s your crash course.)
Bonus: Download a free guide to discover which hashtags to use to boost traffic and target customers on social media. And then learn how you can use Hootsuite to measure results.
Best Instagram Reels hashtags for 2022
A good collection of hashtags on your Instagram Reel is the key to getting your content discovered.
For example, I never would’ve found this bagel vid without those helpful #brunch hashtags. (Shout out to the Instagram algorithm for watching my behavior and correctly identifying me as a carb hound!)
That being said: it’s important to recognize that Instagram Reels are a different beast than the main feed. Like my eyebrows (and your eyebrows too, accept it!), these two formats are sisters, not twins.
So even if you’ve honed in on the perfect length for your Instagram captions; even if you know exactly which hashtags perform best for your pumpkin patch photo shoots; even if you’ve obsessively researched how many hashtags are ideal to use to launch a cool new sparkling water for dogs… Instagram Reels demand a slightly different strategy, with a unique set of trend-worthy hashtags.
What are those hashtags? I am so glad you asked! Presenting: a copy-and-paste-ready list of specific hashtags to use for your fitness Reels, funny Reels, travel Reels, food Reels, and fashion Reels. And you know what? Just for kicks, you’ll also find a handful of all-purpose attention-grabbing tags for good measure.
Ready? Set? Add hashtags to your Reels — this list of hashtags will guide you.
Fitness hashtags for Instagram Reels
#fitness
#fitnessmotivation
#fitnessreels
#health
#lifestyle
#gymlife
#muscle
#instagood
#gymmotivation
#beastmode
#fitnessmodel
#fitnessgirl
#fitnessaddict
#workoutmode
#gym
#dreambig
#noexcuses
#workout
#fitnessjourney
#fit
#motivation
#fitnessgram
#training
#fitnesslifestyle
#fitnessgoals
Travel hashtags for Instagram Reels
#travelling
#travelblogger
#traveling
#travel
#travelmore
#travelbug
#traveldiary
#instatravel
#travelholic
#travelers
#travelguide
#travellife
#travelgram
#traveldiaries
#wonderlust
#travelgram
#traveler
#traveladdict
#travelblog
#nature
#travelreels
#toursim
#instatraveling
#adventure
#sunset
#sunrise
#naturephotography
#landscape
#naturelovers
#travelphotography
#mountains
#beach
#hiking
#likenowhereelse
#nowehereelse
Foodhashtags for Instagram Reels
#mealsandreels
#foodgasm
#yum
#eat
#foodpics
#dinner
#foodpic
#lunch
#foodphotography
#breakfast
#foodlover
#tasty
#foodblogger
#hungry
#dessert
#healthyfood
#cooking
#foods
#chocolate
#cake
#foodies
#eeeeeats
#homemade
#eating
#foodblog
Popular hashtags for Instagram Reels
#instagood
#instadaily
#explorepage
#viralvideos
#igaddict
#instafamous
#reelvideo
#reelsvideo
#newreel
#reelsinsta
#videooftheday
#love
#viral
#trending
#foryou
#reels
#reelsinstragram
#reelitfeelit
#explore
#likeforlikes
#like4like
#likeforlike
#holareels
#firstreel
#newsfeed
#bestreels
#reelsindia
#reelsbrasil
#instamoment
#challenge
#trendingreels
#igreels
#reelsforyou
#reelsteady
#igreels
Hashtags for fashion Reels
#fashion
#fashionstyle
#fashionmodel
#fashionweek
#fashiongram
#style
#styleblogger
#styleblog
#makeupforever
#beautytips
#fashioninsta
#fashiontrend
#fashionblogger
#makeup
#beautybloggers
#beauty
#photography
Funny hashtags for Instagram Reels
#funny
#memes
#funnymemes
#dailydose
#memestagram
#funnyreels
#funnymeme
#funnyvideo
#comedyreels
#lol
#fun
#comedy
#funnyvideos
#jokes
#laugh
#dailymemes
#lmao
#humor
#humour
#haha
#smile
Why use hashtags on Instagram Reels?
Even if your followers are already reeling with delight (see what I did there?) with your exceptional creative content on Instagram, having a solid hashtag strategy is only going to help you reach fresh followers and maximize your impact. Even if you just pop a few into the caption of your Reel, you’re giving your video a chance to go father than your own followers.
Your Reels will appear in search results and in the Explore feed
Hashtags are one of the most effective ways to expand your reach on Instagram and grow your audience. They’re what allow interested searchers to find (and fall in love with!) your works of art.
Say you’re a fashion brand with a chic new collection of capes (the dream). Film a quick runway strut, craft a cool Reel, and toss a #witches hashtag into the mix. You’ve instantly planted your vid among other hot witchy content: a business move more powerful than any spell.
Your Reels can appear in users’ feeds
Users can also follow hashtags, allowing your Instagram posts with hashtags to appear in their feeds even if they don’t follow your Instagram account specifically. The right hashtag could be the key to getting your content in front of people who aren’t actively searching for the term. Cha-ching!
Here’s another food-related example. Tag your Reel with #sandwich, and your upper-crust content will be served up on a platter to anyone who follows this delish ‘tag.
You’ll engage your community
Instagram hashtags can be a great way of communicating your brand values — e.g., when you tag your hot capes with #witches, the world now knows that your brand is edgy and fun, and that your fall collection is ready to go from the runway to the coven in a snap.
Original hashtags can also be a way to encourage followers to engage with your brand. A branded hashtag can help fans connect with each other and provide you with plenty of user-generated content to draw from.
Of course, there’s no need to invent a community or movement from scratch. You can also use existing hashtags to connect with communities that are already thriving online. For instance, if you want to connect with Instagram’s literary elite (a.k.a. people who won’t stop bragging about reading real paper books), tag your related posts as #bookstagram to join the conversation.
How to find the right Reels hashtags for your brand
There are more possible hashtags to use than there are words in the English language. Some of them are emojis, for instance, and if a picture is worth a thousand words… well, you do the math. How do you know where to begin — and, just as importantly, where to stop?
The right hashtags get you in front of relevant people (and hopefully lots of ‘em). The wrong ones could mislead your target audience or attract trolls… and not the fun kind with jewels in their belly buttons, as I learned the hard way.
There’s certainly room for experimentation in the hashtag-a-verse, but starting with a little research to find the right hashtags for your brand will at least set you off in the right direction.
Watch what your audience is doing
What kind of hashtags are your followers using in their own content? What pops up again and again in the subcultures that are relevant to your demographic? Tap into the community’s existing hashtags to showcase your Instagram Reels to your target market.
A social media listening tool like Hootsuite is a great way to keep an eye on your dream audience. You’re not spying! You’re listening!
Check out the competition
I’m not saying that you should be a copycat (which, as any second-grader knows, is the greatest crime of all). But there’s a lot you can learn from watching what your industry peers are up to.
Take a look at the hashtags your competitors are using with a competitive social media analysis. Note what’s working and what’s not for clues that could inform your own social media strategy. Learn from the rest, and, um, you’ll be the best. (Not a saying, but it should be.)
Use third-party hashtag generators
Sites like For Display Purposes Only track trending Reels (and trending hashtags) extensively, and can be a good resource for brainstorming around a word. (Find more suggestions for hashtag generators here in our “how to hashtag” guide.)
Before you go copying and pasting all the suggested terms, though, make sure to do your homework and research just how many hashtags will optimize your reach: there’s some speculation that you can have too much of a good thing.
Pulling in the likes and the follows with Instagram Reels starts with great content, of course: videos that are educational or entertaining, videos that look great and represent your brand authentically. But if you’re making those quality vids in a vacuum, what’s the point? Use the right hashtags for Instagram Reels to get the reach your content deserves.
Investing the time and effort into getting your Instagram Reels strategy in place is going to pay off in more than just views. A successful Reel can help boost your overall engagement on the social media platform, too.
Want to learn more about reveling in the world of Reels? We’ve got you covered with our beginner-friendly guide to using Instagram Reels for business.
Manage your entire Instagram presence and save time with Hootsuite. Schedule posts and Stories, find the best hashtags, easily engage the audience, measure performance, and more. Try it free today.