Category: Uncategorized

  • How I Turned Forgotten Ideas into Consistent Posts (My 3-Step Content System)

    How I Turned Forgotten Ideas into Consistent Posts (My 3-Step Content System)

    Learn the simple 3-step system that helped this creator turn forgotten drafts into consistent posts that doubled their reach in under 2 months. Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags aren’t a one-way ticket to virality — but they can absolutely help boost visibility. When done right, TikTok hashtags help categorize your content, enable the algorithm to understand what your content is about, and boost your discoverability through TikTok SEO.

    In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about TikTok hashtags

    • A curated list of 250 trending TikTok hashtags — organized by industry to help you reach the right audience and grow your presence.
    • What are TikTok hashtags?
    • Why you should use hashtags
    • How to find the right TikTok hashtags
    • How to use TikTok hashtags properly

    To navigate to a specific hashtag niche or guidance, hit one of the links below.

    Jump to a section:

    Top 250 TikTok hashtags of 2025 (so far)

    The above methods are handy when you have the time to jot down and organize your hashtag library. But for when you’re short on time, use this list to find popular hashtags for TikTok, specifically in your industry.

    These are general hashtags for your video content. They aren’t tied to a niche or any specific subject, so use them when you’re just starting out or experimenting with your video content.

    1. #fyp

    2. #viral

    3. #tiktok

    4. #foryou

    5. #funny

    6. #viral

    7. #duet

    8. #smallbusiness

    9. #trending

    10. #explore

    11. #foryoupage

    12. #trendingvideo

    13. #tiktokcreator

    14. #contentcreator

    15. #tiktokchallenge

    Top 20 hashtags for TikTok for apparel and accessories

    TikTok mixes retail hashtags under the umbrella of ‘apparel and accessories.’ Note that many popular hashtags are related to a season, such as spring or summer. If you’re reading this in winter or fall, find retail hashtags on TikTok that fit this new season.

    1. #spring

    2. #springfashion

    3. #springtok

    4. #summervibes

    5. #summer2025

    6. #prom

    7. #promdress

    8. #tiktokshoprestock

    9. #ootdfashion

    10. #ootdinspo

    11. #lululemon

    12. #tiktokfashion

    13. #onlineshopping

    14. #affordablefashion

    15. #shoplocal

    16. #gymoutfit

    17. #womenfashion

    18. #fashionfinds

    19. #newarrivals

    20. #activewear

    Top 10 TikTok hashtags for kids and maternity

    These are the best TikTok hashtags for parenting creators and small businesses who market to parents.

    1. #babies

    2. #boymomlife

    3. #toddlers

    4. #toddleractivities

    5. #ivfjourney

    6. #auntiesoftiktok

    7. #granddaughter

    8. #momoftwo

    9. #pacifier

    10. #newbornlife

    Top 25 beauty hashtags on TikTok

    TikTok often lumps together self-care hashtags and beauty hashtags on the social network. You’ll find a plethora of branded hashtags on this list, too. If you’re a creator, this means the products from these brands are a viral success and may be worth trying for your audience.

    1. #pedicure

    2. #hairinspo

    3. #toothpaste

    4. #ingrowntoenail

    5. #tanning

    6. #hydration

    7. #springnails

    8. #teethwhitening

    9. #glam

    10. #nailartist

    11. #cosmetics

    12. #viralproducts

    13. #nighttimeroutine

    14. #tartecosmetics

    15. #tarte

    16. #ultabeauty

    17. #cosmetology

    18. #pixiecut

    19. #easyhairstyles

    20. #menshair

    21. #cream

    22. #affordablemakeup

    23. #products

    24. #naturalmakeup

    25. #nailsofinstagram

    15 best TikTok hashtags for education

    These are impactful hashtags in the education industry. You’ll also notice a few ‘job’ and ‘writing’ related hashtags since they’re quite popular in the niche.

    1. #jobs

    2. #space

    3. #graduation

    4. #studytok

    5. #factory

    6. #elemantaryschool

    7. #premed

    8. #studytips

    9. #studyhacks

    10. #jobrating

    11. #writingcommunity

    12. #research

    13. #preschoolteacher

    14. #publicspeaking

    15. #creativewriting

    15 best TikTok hashtags for finance

    Some hashtags here are timely and news-related (like the tariffs one). Before using any hashtag, always check the latest results to ensure it isn't outdated.

    1. #trading

    2. #tariffs

    3. #contentcreation

    4. #stockmarket

    5. #inflation

    6. #daytrading

    7. #businesstips

    8. #workfromanywhere

    9. #sidehustlejob

    10. #innovation

    11. #wealthbuilding

    12. #management

    13. #businesstips

    14. #automation

    15. #smallbusinesstips

    30 best TikTok hashtags for food and beverage

    There are more hashtags for the food and beverage industry than any other category on this list. New trends keep emerging on this list as the seasons change, too (like #margarita in the summer). You’ll also notice a few branded hashtags like Crumbl of Crumbl cookies.

    1. #chicken

    2. #crumbl

    3. #banana

    4. #goodfood

    5. #foodphotography

    6. #weeknightdinner

    7. #watertok

    8. #hiddengem

    9. #pastry

    10. #matcha

    11. #icecream

    12. #dubaichocolate

    13. #cookies

    14. #eggs

    15. #brunch

    16. #fastfood

    17. #coffeetime

    18. #traderjoes

    19. #coffeelover

    20. #cakes

    21. #chocolatecoveredstrawberries

    22. #lunchtime

    23. #drinktok

    24. #pancakes

    25. #sweettreat

    26. #dessert

    27. #chips

    28. #fruits

    29. #margarita

    30. #foodiefinds

    15 best TikTok hashtags for gaming

    Gaming hashtags are often related to specific games — like Minecraft. These TikTok viral hashtags update frequently as new games release, so keep an eye on that.

    1. #minecraft

    2. #invincible

    3. #brainrot

    4. #cookierunkingdom

    5. #sololeveling

    6. #textstory

    7. #giveaway

    8. #minecraftmemes

    9. #gamingcommunity

    10. #dungeonsanddragons

    11. #idkwhatimdoing

    12. #multiplayer

    13. #peppapig

    14. #indiegames

    15. #narutoedit

    10 top TikTok hashtags for health and fitness

    These are the best hashtags in the health niche. The list below contains evergreen hashtags, so you don’t have to worry about using outdated hashtags here.

    1. #wellness

    2. #gymtok

    3. #fitness

    4. #workout

    5. #bodybuilding

    6. #training

    7. #health

    8. #mentalhealth

    9. #healthtips

    10. #nutrition

    15 best TikTok hashtags for home improvement

    These are the best hashtags for any house-related content — whether that’s gardening, showing your home essentials, or furniture.

    1. #gardening

    2. #garden

    3. #plants

    4. #furniture

    5. #mirror

    6. #landscape

    7. #gardentok

    8. #plantsoftiktok

    9. #springcleaning

    10. #architecture

    11. #mold

    12. #clay

    13. #backyard

    14. #gardening101

    15. #homeessentials

    10 best TikTok hashtags for household products

    Household products, while similar to home improvements, often contain time-sensitive hashtags of whatever’s popular at that moment. It also often has holiday-themed products, like #eastercrafts on this list. The most popular hashtags in this category keep shifting as new products gain popularity.

    1. #paper

    2. #ribbonrose

    3. #kidscrafts

    4. #moneybouquet

    5. #eastercrafts

    6. #crochetflowers

    7. #favoriteflower

    8. #craftwithme

    9. #paperflowers

    10. #junkcaseinspo

    10 best TikTok hashtags for entertainment

    TikTok viral hashtags in entertainment often include artist names who have released new music or any entertainment industry-related news that’s time-sensitive. Like with household products, you need to refresh the most popular hashtags more frequently than other categories.

    1. #rapper

    2. #undergroundmusic

    3. #concerts

    4. #viraledit

    5. #popmusic

    6. #tvseries

    7. #soundcloud

    8. #yellowjackets

    9. #chrisbrown

    10. #band

    15 best TikTok hashtags for the pet industry

    Pet-related hashtags are often about a specific animal, like dog lovers or cat lovers. But there are also often hashtag challenges going on that you could participate in with your pet. Find these trending hashtags on the TikTok Creative Center.

    1. #dogsoftiktok

    2. #bunny

    3. #chickens

    4. #catlovers

    5. #doglovers

    6. #pug

    7. #daycare

    8. #naptime

    9. #treats

    10. #poodle

    11. #adoption

    12. #blackcatsoftiktok

    13. #sunbathing

    14. #cattoys

    15. #fosteringsaveslives

    Top 10 sports hashtags on TikTok

    Sports hashtags are often dynamic depending on what’s going on in the sporting industry. For instance, many of the hashtags below are about a specific football league and match. If you’re practicing social listening — or you’re a sports fan — you’d already know about what games are on, and, by extension, the trending topics on TikTok.

    1. #baseball

    2. #volleyball

    3. #golf

    4. #mlb

    5. #softball

    6. #barcelona

    7. #realmadrid

    8. #track

    9. #championsleague

    10. #fishinglife

    10 best TikTok hashtags for electronics

    Electronics hashtags on TikTok are usually about specific gadgets and not that time-sensitive. But when there’s a new release of an electronic item, it might become a trending hashtag as everyone reviews/unpacks it.

    1. #portable

    2. #phonecharger

    3. #magnetic

    4. #bluetoothspeaker

    5. #phoneaccessories

    6. #phonemount

    7. #magsafe

    8. #wirelessheadphones

    9. #techgadgets

    10. #fastcharging

    11. #comfyfit

    15 best TikTok hashtags for travel

    Travel content is often about place hashtags — like Japan or Washington DC, but here are a few general ones about traveling.

    1. #beach

    2. #beachvibes

    3. #vacationmode

    4. #beachday

    5. #waltdisneyworld

    6. #epicuniverse

    7. #sunsets

    8. #cherryblossom

    9. #hikingadventures

    10. #park

    11. #capri

    12. #zoo

    13. #beachlife

    14. #poolparty

    15. #kidssactivities

    10 best TikTok hashtags for transportation

    Hashtags relevant in this category often include names of vehicles or accessories related to vehicles.

    1. #biketok

    2. #surron

    3. #ebike

    4. #caraccessories

    5. #cinematic

    6. #jeeplife

    7. #carshow

    8. #sportscar

    9. #carenthusiast

    10. #dashcam

    Save your favorite hashtags and add them to a post in one click with Buffer's free hashtag manager. It's baked right into the scheduler. Sign up for free →

    What are TikTok hashtags?

    TikTok hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol – usually in the video caption – that help categorize content on the platform.

    When you use hashtags for TikTok videos, you help the algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right community. Using relevant hashtags also makes your content searchable. Your video will pop up when someone searches for the keywords you used in your hashtag.

    Users interested in a topic will often even follow hashtags related to it — like #BookTok or #MomsofTikTok. This allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest conversation on the subject.

    5 benefits of using TikTok hashtags

    Incorporating TikTok hashtags in your marketing strategy has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

    1. Boost visibility of your videos

    Adding hashtags for TikTok videos helps the TikTok algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right people.

    This is especially true for trending hashtags — TikTok pushes content with the most trending TikTok hashtags in its video caption. The more you use them, the more you increase your chances of landing in the relevant audience’s For You Page (FYP).

    2. Build a community

    Hashtags create communities around specific interests. Using hashtags for TikTok – esepcially niche ones — allows you to join the conversation and find your tribe. Hashtag challenges, for example, help you understand and participate in your industry's trends. #icebucketchallenge, anyone?

    3. Improve TikTok SEO

    TikTok is a search engine too. Just like Google, it relies on certain pieces of information to place content into the most appropriate categories, better organizing and surfacing them for searchers. 

    Hashtags are another helpful piece of the puzzle for the algorithm, a way to better optimize your videos for search (SEO). They can help you make sure your video gets in front of the right people. 

    4. Get content ideas

    When you search for specific hashtags, you can find other TikTok videos on the topic. This helps you understand what resonates with your target audience and find unique content ideas.

    5. Increase your chances of going viral

    Trending hashtags are often tied to a particular platform-wide trend, like hashtag challenges or trending formats. If you participate in these trends and challenges, using the right hashtags increases your chances of going viral on TikTok and reaching a broader audience.

    How to find the right TikTok hashtags?

    There are many ways to find the best TikTok hashtags for your posts. Here are three popular ones:

    1. Use the TikTok Creative Center

    The TikTok Creative Center is one of the best free tools for finding trending hashtags for TikTok and in your industry.

    Navigate to "Trends" → "Hashtags" in the Creative Center, and you’ll see a list of popular TikTok hashtags on the platform.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    These are the trending hashtags of the last seven days. You can also see specific hashtags for TikTok related to your industry. Filter using the “Industry” option – TikTok has organized its content into 16 industries. You can also filter to view the trending hashtags of the last 30 or 120 days, too.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    My favorite feature is that you can dive deep into a specific hashtag’s performance by clicking “See analytics.” Here, you’ll find:

    • How many posts are associated with the hashtag
    • How the user interest has evolved for the hashtag over time
    • Popular video examples that use the hashtag
    • Audience insights of TikTok users who use those hashtags (age, related interests, and regional popularity)
    • Trending creators who have used the hashtag
    • Related hashtags that pair well with the current hashtag 
    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    This lets you gain insights into using specific hashtags and forming a cohesive hashtag strategy. For example, you can monitor how interest in a hashtag fades or rises over time, spotting hashtags you can use for evergreen content.

    It can also help you spot whether tapping into a hashtag or trend will help you reach the right people. For example, if 18-24-year-olds are your ideal customer (or follower), creating content around #X is a great idea. If you’re looking to capture a slightly older crowd, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. 

    2. Use a hashtag generator

    There are various hashtag generators in the market that can help you find the best hashtags to go with your post. For example, Buffer's free TikTok Hashtag Generator offers you AI-powered hashtag recommendations based on a description of your post.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    The problem with using a hashtag generator is its reliability: You have to verify if the hashtags the tool provides are actually popular on TikTok at this moment. Still, it can be a useful jumping-off point if you already have a video or post in mind. 

    Looking for hashtags for Instagram? Buffer’s free Instagram hashtag generator has you covered. Get a curated list of hashtags tailored to your content, tone, and audience, all in seconds. →

    3. Search TikTok manually

    The last way to find the best hashtags for your strategy is a bit manual — it involves going on hashtag searches of your own. AKA, using TikTok like a search engine. Type something broad related to your industry in the search bar.

    For example, if you’re hunting for fashion hashtags, type “fashion ideas.” If you’re searching for niche fashion hashtags, search for something more specific, like “sustainable fashion.”

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Once you get the results, analyze the hashtags other creators use. Do many creators use the same hashtags? Note it down – using it might help boost your brand visibility, too.

    If a creator appears repeatedly for your relevant hashtags in your industry, study their hashtag use — which TikTok trends they participate in, which hashtags they use on TikTok the most frequently, and how many hashtags they use. Think of this like a mini competitor analysis. This will help you:

    • Get a list of different hashtags you can use
    • Identify the top TikTok hashtags in your industry
    • Understand your target audience’s expectations

    The manual method of finding the best hashtags for your strategy might be a bit tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure you use relevant hashtags that boost engagement.

    How to use TikTok hashtags: 7 best practices

    TikTok hashtags are often a missed opportunity. Here’s how to use them properly to maximize their potential:

    There are popular hashtags with millions of posts, and then there are niche hashtags that aren’t that crowded. My advice? Use a mix of both. Famous hashtags will boost visibility and reach a broader audience; niche hashtags will ensure you establish authority in your niche and build a social media community.

    For example, if you’re a food creator, #foodie would be a popular hashtag, and #weeknightrecipes would be a niche one.

    2. Use no more than five hashtags per post

    It’s tempting to add hashtags to fill the caption character limit. But you don't need quantity when finding hashtags for TikTok. In fact, adding too many hashtags can appear spammy and put off your audience.

    Instead of adding as many hashtags as possible, add between three and five quality hashtags to your TikTok content. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones, as mentioned earlier.

    3. Steer clear of irrelevant hashtags

    Don’t use generic hashtags like #foryoupage too much. They dilute the authority of your TikTok profile. It’s better to use more relevant, niche-related hashtags that reflect the topics of your TikTok content.

    Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your overall performance as the algorithm gets confused about your niche.

    4. Use a hashtag manager to store your hashtags

    Saving, organizing, and using hashtags can be challenging. But you don’t have to create sections in your Notes app to copy-paste or remember them by heart. It’s time-consuming and clunky. What if you had a hashtag manager built into your social media management tool?

    In Buffer, the hashtag manager helps you store and organize your hashtags. For instance, if you want to create a new category of hashtags to promote a sale, you can create a new group for it. Or you can categorize hashtags into your content pillars.

    Now, when you’re scheduling your TikTok content, Buffer will open the hashtag manager and in one click, you can paste all the hashtags you have stored.

    Pro tip: You’re not limited to storing hashtags in this tool! You can use it to save essential links or common CTAs you use often. 

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Make it easy for yourself to implement your hashtag strategy by signing up for Buffer.

    By now, you know how TikTok hashtags work and how quickly their relevance can fade. Keep an eye on the TikTok Creative Center to monitor trending hashtag challenges and use them where relevant. The algorithm loves trending content, too, so this will boost your performance.

    6. Create a branded hashtag

    Creating a branded hashtag gives you the opportunity to boost brand visibility and recall. You can even start using your own hashtags for sales, promotions, unique offers, or influencer partnerships.

    The only thing to remember is to ensure your own hashtags are easy to remember and catchy so more and more people get latched onto them.

    7. Measure hashtag performance

    Monitor your TikTok analytics to find which hashtags boost your reach the most and double down on them. If you have multiple sets of hashtags, notice which ones drive the most engagement.

    TikTok hashtags FAQs

    How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok post?

    TikTok has a five-hashtag limit. If you're aiming for clarity and relevance, stick to just a few highly targeted hashtags rather than stuffing as many as possible. This will keep your caption clear and engage people who are already interested in that topic.

    Do hashtags actually help with TikTok growth?

    Yes, when used strategically. Hashtags help categorize your content for the algorithm and make your videos discoverable in searches. While they won't make poor content go viral, they can significantly amplify the reach of quality videos by putting them in front of the right audience.

    A mix of both works best. Trending hashtags can help boost visibility to a broader audience, while niche hashtags connect you with a more targeted community. Aim for 1-2 trending hashtags and 2-3 niche hashtags that are directly relevant to your content.

    Where should I place hashtags in my TikTok caption?

    You can place hashtags either within your caption text (if they flow naturally) or at the end of your caption. Most creators opt to put them at the end to keep the main message clean and readable.

    How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

    Review your hashtag strategy at least monthly. TikTok trends change rapidly, so what works today might not work in a few weeks. Use your analytics to identify which hashtag combinations drive the most engagement and adjust accordingly.

    Hashtags can’t save a poor post, but they can increase the reach of a great one

    Hashtags aren’t the key to going viral. But if you create engaging content that your audience resonates with, hashtags can increase the number of new people you reach. I hope the best practices and list of hashtags helped you understand which hashtags you can use and how. Do you have any favorite hashtags that I missed? Comment below!

    More TikTok resources

  • Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags can help you boost visibility and reach a broader audience. Learn how to use them with 250 curated examples.Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags aren’t a one-way ticket to virality — but they can absolutely help boost visibility. When done right, TikTok hashtags help categorize your content, enable the algorithm to understand what your content is about, and boost your discoverability through TikTok SEO.

    In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about TikTok hashtags

    • A curated list of 250 trending TikTok hashtags — organized by industry to help you reach the right audience and grow your presence.
    • What are TikTok hashtags?
    • Why you should use hashtags
    • How to find the right TikTok hashtags
    • How to use TikTok hashtags properly

    To navigate to a specific hashtag niche or guidance, hit one of the links below.

    Jump to a section:

    Top 250 TikTok hashtags of 2025 (so far)

    The above methods are handy when you have the time to jot down and organize your hashtag library. But for when you’re short on time, use this list to find popular hashtags for TikTok, specifically in your industry.

    These are general hashtags for your video content. They aren’t tied to a niche or any specific subject, so use them when you’re just starting out or experimenting with your video content.

    1. #fyp

    2. #viral

    3. #tiktok

    4. #foryou

    5. #funny

    6. #viral

    7. #duet

    8. #smallbusiness

    9. #trending

    10. #explore

    11. #foryoupage

    12. #trendingvideo

    13. #tiktokcreator

    14. #contentcreator

    15. #tiktokchallenge

    Top 20 hashtags for TikTok for apparel and accessories

    TikTok mixes retail hashtags under the umbrella of ‘apparel and accessories.’ Note that many popular hashtags are related to a season, such as spring or summer. If you’re reading this in winter or fall, find retail hashtags on TikTok that fit this new season.

    1. #spring

    2. #springfashion

    3. #springtok

    4. #summervibes

    5. #summer2025

    6. #prom

    7. #promdress

    8. #tiktokshoprestock

    9. #ootdfashion

    10. #ootdinspo

    11. #lululemon

    12. #tiktokfashion

    13. #onlineshopping

    14. #affordablefashion

    15. #shoplocal

    16. #gymoutfit

    17. #womenfashion

    18. #fashionfinds

    19. #newarrivals

    20. #activewear

    Top 10 TikTok hashtags for kids and maternity

    These are the best TikTok hashtags for parenting creators and small businesses who market to parents.

    1. #babies

    2. #boymomlife

    3. #toddlers

    4. #toddleractivities

    5. #ivfjourney

    6. #auntiesoftiktok

    7. #granddaughter

    8. #momoftwo

    9. #pacifier

    10. #newbornlife

    Top 25 beauty hashtags on TikTok

    TikTok often lumps together self-care hashtags and beauty hashtags on the social network. You’ll find a plethora of branded hashtags on this list, too. If you’re a creator, this means the products from these brands are a viral success and may be worth trying for your audience.

    1. #pedicure

    2. #hairinspo

    3. #toothpaste

    4. #ingrowntoenail

    5. #tanning

    6. #hydration

    7. #springnails

    8. #teethwhitening

    9. #glam

    10. #nailartist

    11. #cosmetics

    12. #viralproducts

    13. #nighttimeroutine

    14. #tartecosmetics

    15. #tarte

    16. #ultabeauty

    17. #cosmetology

    18. #pixiecut

    19. #easyhairstyles

    20. #menshair

    21. #cream

    22. #affordablemakeup

    23. #products

    24. #naturalmakeup

    25. #nailsofinstagram

    15 best TikTok hashtags for education

    These are impactful hashtags in the education industry. You’ll also notice a few ‘job’ and ‘writing’ related hashtags since they’re quite popular in the niche.

    1. #jobs

    2. #space

    3. #graduation

    4. #studytok

    5. #factory

    6. #elemantaryschool

    7. #premed

    8. #studytips

    9. #studyhacks

    10. #jobrating

    11. #writingcommunity

    12. #research

    13. #preschoolteacher

    14. #publicspeaking

    15. #creativewriting

    15 best TikTok hashtags for finance

    Some hashtags here are timely and news-related (like the tariffs one). Before using any hashtag, always check the latest results to ensure it isn't outdated.

    1. #trading

    2. #tariffs

    3. #contentcreation

    4. #stockmarket

    5. #inflation

    6. #daytrading

    7. #businesstips

    8. #workfromanywhere

    9. #sidehustlejob

    10. #innovation

    11. #wealthbuilding

    12. #management

    13. #businesstips

    14. #automation

    15. #smallbusinesstips

    30 best TikTok hashtags for food and beverage

    There are more hashtags for the food and beverage industry than any other category on this list. New trends keep emerging on this list as the seasons change, too (like #margarita in the summer). You’ll also notice a few branded hashtags like Crumbl of Crumbl cookies.

    1. #chicken

    2. #crumbl

    3. #banana

    4. #goodfood

    5. #foodphotography

    6. #weeknightdinner

    7. #watertok

    8. #hiddengem

    9. #pastry

    10. #matcha

    11. #icecream

    12. #dubaichocolate

    13. #cookies

    14. #eggs

    15. #brunch

    16. #fastfood

    17. #coffeetime

    18. #traderjoes

    19. #coffeelover

    20. #cakes

    21. #chocolatecoveredstrawberries

    22. #lunchtime

    23. #drinktok

    24. #pancakes

    25. #sweettreat

    26. #dessert

    27. #chips

    28. #fruits

    29. #margarita

    30. #foodiefinds

    15 best TikTok hashtags for gaming

    Gaming hashtags are often related to specific games — like Minecraft. These TikTok viral hashtags update frequently as new games release, so keep an eye on that.

    1. #minecraft

    2. #invincible

    3. #brainrot

    4. #cookierunkingdom

    5. #sololeveling

    6. #textstory

    7. #giveaway

    8. #minecraftmemes

    9. #gamingcommunity

    10. #dungeonsanddragons

    11. #idkwhatimdoing

    12. #multiplayer

    13. #peppapig

    14. #indiegames

    15. #narutoedit

    10 top TikTok hashtags for health and fitness

    These are the best hashtags in the health niche. The list below contains evergreen hashtags, so you don’t have to worry about using outdated hashtags here.

    1. #wellness

    2. #gymtok

    3. #fitness

    4. #workout

    5. #bodybuilding

    6. #training

    7. #health

    8. #mentalhealth

    9. #healthtips

    10. #nutrition

    15 best TikTok hashtags for home improvement

    These are the best hashtags for any house-related content — whether that’s gardening, showing your home essentials, or furniture.

    1. #gardening

    2. #garden

    3. #plants

    4. #furniture

    5. #mirror

    6. #landscape

    7. #gardentok

    8. #plantsoftiktok

    9. #springcleaning

    10. #architecture

    11. #mold

    12. #clay

    13. #backyard

    14. #gardening101

    15. #homeessentials

    10 best TikTok hashtags for household products

    Household products, while similar to home improvements, often contain time-sensitive hashtags of whatever’s popular at that moment. It also often has holiday-themed products, like #eastercrafts on this list. The most popular hashtags in this category keep shifting as new products gain popularity.

    1. #paper

    2. #ribbonrose

    3. #kidscrafts

    4. #moneybouquet

    5. #eastercrafts

    6. #crochetflowers

    7. #favoriteflower

    8. #craftwithme

    9. #paperflowers

    10. #junkcaseinspo

    10 best TikTok hashtags for entertainment

    TikTok viral hashtags in entertainment often include artist names who have released new music or any entertainment industry-related news that’s time-sensitive. Like with household products, you need to refresh the most popular hashtags more frequently than other categories.

    1. #rapper

    2. #undergroundmusic

    3. #concerts

    4. #viraledit

    5. #popmusic

    6. #tvseries

    7. #soundcloud

    8. #yellowjackets

    9. #chrisbrown

    10. #band

    15 best TikTok hashtags for the pet industry

    Pet-related hashtags are often about a specific animal, like dog lovers or cat lovers. But there are also often hashtag challenges going on that you could participate in with your pet. Find these trending hashtags on the TikTok Creative Center.

    1. #dogsoftiktok

    2. #bunny

    3. #chickens

    4. #catlovers

    5. #doglovers

    6. #pug

    7. #daycare

    8. #naptime

    9. #treats

    10. #poodle

    11. #adoption

    12. #blackcatsoftiktok

    13. #sunbathing

    14. #cattoys

    15. #fosteringsaveslives

    Top 10 sports hashtags on TikTok

    Sports hashtags are often dynamic depending on what’s going on in the sporting industry. For instance, many of the hashtags below are about a specific football league and match. If you’re practicing social listening — or you’re a sports fan — you’d already know about what games are on, and, by extension, the trending topics on TikTok.

    1. #baseball

    2. #volleyball

    3. #golf

    4. #mlb

    5. #softball

    6. #barcelona

    7. #realmadrid

    8. #track

    9. #championsleague

    10. #fishinglife

    10 best TikTok hashtags for electronics

    Electronics hashtags on TikTok are usually about specific gadgets and not that time-sensitive. But when there’s a new release of an electronic item, it might become a trending hashtag as everyone reviews/unpacks it.

    1. #portable

    2. #phonecharger

    3. #magnetic

    4. #bluetoothspeaker

    5. #phoneaccessories

    6. #phonemount

    7. #magsafe

    8. #wirelessheadphones

    9. #techgadgets

    10. #fastcharging

    11. #comfyfit

    15 best TikTok hashtags for travel

    Travel content is often about place hashtags — like Japan or Washington DC, but here are a few general ones about traveling.

    1. #beach

    2. #beachvibes

    3. #vacationmode

    4. #beachday

    5. #waltdisneyworld

    6. #epicuniverse

    7. #sunsets

    8. #cherryblossom

    9. #hikingadventures

    10. #park

    11. #capri

    12. #zoo

    13. #beachlife

    14. #poolparty

    15. #kidssactivities

    10 best TikTok hashtags for transportation

    Hashtags relevant in this category often include names of vehicles or accessories related to vehicles.

    1. #biketok

    2. #surron

    3. #ebike

    4. #caraccessories

    5. #cinematic

    6. #jeeplife

    7. #carshow

    8. #sportscar

    9. #carenthusiast

    10. #dashcam

    Save your favorite hashtags and add them to a post in one click with Buffer's free hashtag manager. It's baked right into the scheduler. Sign up for free →

    What are TikTok hashtags?

    TikTok hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol – usually in the video caption – that help categorize content on the platform.

    When you use hashtags for TikTok videos, you help the algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right community. Using relevant hashtags also makes your content searchable. Your video will pop up when someone searches for the keywords you used in your hashtag.

    Users interested in a topic will often even follow hashtags related to it — like #BookTok or #MomsofTikTok. This allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest conversation on the subject.

    5 benefits of using TikTok hashtags

    Incorporating TikTok hashtags in your marketing strategy has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

    1. Boost visibility of your videos

    Adding hashtags for TikTok videos helps the TikTok algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right people.

    This is especially true for trending hashtags — TikTok pushes content with the most trending TikTok hashtags in its video caption. The more you use them, the more you increase your chances of landing in the relevant audience’s For You Page (FYP).

    2. Build a community

    Hashtags create communities around specific interests. Using hashtags for TikTok – esepcially niche ones — allows you to join the conversation and find your tribe. Hashtag challenges, for example, help you understand and participate in your industry's trends. #icebucketchallenge, anyone?

    3. Improve TikTok SEO

    TikTok is a search engine too. Just like Google, it relies on certain pieces of information to place content into the most appropriate categories, better organizing and surfacing them for searchers. 

    Hashtags are another helpful piece of the puzzle for the algorithm, a way to better optimize your videos for search (SEO). They can help you make sure your video gets in front of the right people. 

    4. Get content ideas

    When you search for specific hashtags, you can find other TikTok videos on the topic. This helps you understand what resonates with your target audience and find unique content ideas.

    5. Increase your chances of going viral

    Trending hashtags are often tied to a particular platform-wide trend, like hashtag challenges or trending formats. If you participate in these trends and challenges, using the right hashtags increases your chances of going viral on TikTok and reaching a broader audience.

    How to find the right TikTok hashtags?

    There are many ways to find the best TikTok hashtags for your posts. Here are three popular ones:

    1. Use the TikTok Creative Center

    The TikTok Creative Center is one of the best free tools for finding trending hashtags for TikTok and in your industry.

    Navigate to "Trends" → "Hashtags" in the Creative Center, and you’ll see a list of popular TikTok hashtags on the platform.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    These are the trending hashtags of the last seven days. You can also see specific hashtags for TikTok related to your industry. Filter using the “Industry” option – TikTok has organized its content into 16 industries. You can also filter to view the trending hashtags of the last 30 or 120 days, too.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    My favorite feature is that you can dive deep into a specific hashtag’s performance by clicking “See analytics.” Here, you’ll find:

    • How many posts are associated with the hashtag
    • How the user interest has evolved for the hashtag over time
    • Popular video examples that use the hashtag
    • Audience insights of TikTok users who use those hashtags (age, related interests, and regional popularity)
    • Trending creators who have used the hashtag
    • Related hashtags that pair well with the current hashtag 
    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    This lets you gain insights into using specific hashtags and forming a cohesive hashtag strategy. For example, you can monitor how interest in a hashtag fades or rises over time, spotting hashtags you can use for evergreen content.

    It can also help you spot whether tapping into a hashtag or trend will help you reach the right people. For example, if 18-24-year-olds are your ideal customer (or follower), creating content around #X is a great idea. If you’re looking to capture a slightly older crowd, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. 

    2. Use a hashtag generator

    There are various hashtag generators in the market that can help you find the best hashtags to go with your post. For example, Buffer's free TikTok Hashtag Generator offers you AI-powered hashtag recommendations based on a description of your post.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    The problem with using a hashtag generator is its reliability: You have to verify if the hashtags the tool provides are actually popular on TikTok at this moment. Still, it can be a useful jumping-off point if you already have a video or post in mind. 

    Looking for hashtags for Instagram? Buffer’s free Instagram hashtag generator has you covered. Get a curated list of hashtags tailored to your content, tone, and audience, all in seconds. →

    3. Search TikTok manually

    The last way to find the best hashtags for your strategy is a bit manual — it involves going on hashtag searches of your own. AKA, using TikTok like a search engine. Type something broad related to your industry in the search bar.

    For example, if you’re hunting for fashion hashtags, type “fashion ideas.” If you’re searching for niche fashion hashtags, search for something more specific, like “sustainable fashion.”

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Once you get the results, analyze the hashtags other creators use. Do many creators use the same hashtags? Note it down – using it might help boost your brand visibility, too.

    If a creator appears repeatedly for your relevant hashtags in your industry, study their hashtag use — which TikTok trends they participate in, which hashtags they use on TikTok the most frequently, and how many hashtags they use. Think of this like a mini competitor analysis. This will help you:

    • Get a list of different hashtags you can use
    • Identify the top TikTok hashtags in your industry
    • Understand your target audience’s expectations

    The manual method of finding the best hashtags for your strategy might be a bit tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure you use relevant hashtags that boost engagement.

    How to use TikTok hashtags: 7 best practices

    TikTok hashtags are often a missed opportunity. Here’s how to use them properly to maximize their potential:

    There are popular hashtags with millions of posts, and then there are niche hashtags that aren’t that crowded. My advice? Use a mix of both. Famous hashtags will boost visibility and reach a broader audience; niche hashtags will ensure you establish authority in your niche and build a social media community.

    For example, if you’re a food creator, #foodie would be a popular hashtag, and #weeknightrecipes would be a niche one.

    2. Use no more than five hashtags per post

    It’s tempting to add hashtags to fill the caption character limit. But you don't need quantity when finding hashtags for TikTok. In fact, adding too many hashtags can appear spammy and put off your audience.

    Instead of adding as many hashtags as possible, add between three and five quality hashtags to your TikTok content. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones, as mentioned earlier.

    3. Steer clear of irrelevant hashtags

    Don’t use generic hashtags like #foryoupage too much. They dilute the authority of your TikTok profile. It’s better to use more relevant, niche-related hashtags that reflect the topics of your TikTok content.

    Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your overall performance as the algorithm gets confused about your niche.

    4. Use a hashtag manager to store your hashtags

    Saving, organizing, and using hashtags can be challenging. But you don’t have to create sections in your Notes app to copy-paste or remember them by heart. It’s time-consuming and clunky. What if you had a hashtag manager built into your social media management tool?

    In Buffer, the hashtag manager helps you store and organize your hashtags. For instance, if you want to create a new category of hashtags to promote a sale, you can create a new group for it. Or you can categorize hashtags into your content pillars.

    Now, when you’re scheduling your TikTok content, Buffer will open the hashtag manager and in one click, you can paste all the hashtags you have stored.

    Pro tip: You’re not limited to storing hashtags in this tool! You can use it to save essential links or common CTAs you use often. 

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Make it easy for yourself to implement your hashtag strategy by signing up for Buffer.

    By now, you know how TikTok hashtags work and how quickly their relevance can fade. Keep an eye on the TikTok Creative Center to monitor trending hashtag challenges and use them where relevant. The algorithm loves trending content, too, so this will boost your performance.

    6. Create a branded hashtag

    Creating a branded hashtag gives you the opportunity to boost brand visibility and recall. You can even start using your own hashtags for sales, promotions, unique offers, or influencer partnerships.

    The only thing to remember is to ensure your own hashtags are easy to remember and catchy so more and more people get latched onto them.

    7. Measure hashtag performance

    Monitor your TikTok analytics to find which hashtags boost your reach the most and double down on them. If you have multiple sets of hashtags, notice which ones drive the most engagement.

    TikTok hashtags FAQs

    How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok post?

    TikTok has a five-hashtag limit. If you're aiming for clarity and relevance, stick to just a few highly targeted hashtags rather than stuffing as many as possible. This will keep your caption clear and engage people who are already interested in that topic.

    Do hashtags actually help with TikTok growth?

    Yes, when used strategically. Hashtags help categorize your content for the algorithm and make your videos discoverable in searches. While they won't make poor content go viral, they can significantly amplify the reach of quality videos by putting them in front of the right audience.

    A mix of both works best. Trending hashtags can help boost visibility to a broader audience, while niche hashtags connect you with a more targeted community. Aim for 1-2 trending hashtags and 2-3 niche hashtags that are directly relevant to your content.

    Where should I place hashtags in my TikTok caption?

    You can place hashtags either within your caption text (if they flow naturally) or at the end of your caption. Most creators opt to put them at the end to keep the main message clean and readable.

    How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

    Review your hashtag strategy at least monthly. TikTok trends change rapidly, so what works today might not work in a few weeks. Use your analytics to identify which hashtag combinations drive the most engagement and adjust accordingly.

    Hashtags can’t save a poor post, but they can increase the reach of a great one

    Hashtags aren’t the key to going viral. But if you create engaging content that your audience resonates with, hashtags can increase the number of new people you reach. I hope the best practices and list of hashtags helped you understand which hashtags you can use and how. Do you have any favorite hashtags that I missed? Comment below!

    More TikTok resources

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    We Replaced SMS Authentication With Email and Authenticator Apps — Here’s Why

    Here’s why and how we replaced SMS authentication with email and authenticator apps.Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags aren’t a one-way ticket to virality — but they can absolutely help boost visibility. When done right, TikTok hashtags help categorize your content, enable the algorithm to understand what your content is about, and boost your discoverability through TikTok SEO.

    In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about TikTok hashtags

    • A curated list of 250 trending TikTok hashtags — organized by industry to help you reach the right audience and grow your presence.
    • What are TikTok hashtags?
    • Why you should use hashtags
    • How to find the right TikTok hashtags
    • How to use TikTok hashtags properly

    To navigate to a specific hashtag niche or guidance, hit one of the links below.

    Jump to a section:

    Top 250 TikTok hashtags of 2025 (so far)

    The above methods are handy when you have the time to jot down and organize your hashtag library. But for when you’re short on time, use this list to find popular hashtags for TikTok, specifically in your industry.

    These are general hashtags for your video content. They aren’t tied to a niche or any specific subject, so use them when you’re just starting out or experimenting with your video content.

    1. #fyp

    2. #viral

    3. #tiktok

    4. #foryou

    5. #funny

    6. #viral

    7. #duet

    8. #smallbusiness

    9. #trending

    10. #explore

    11. #foryoupage

    12. #trendingvideo

    13. #tiktokcreator

    14. #contentcreator

    15. #tiktokchallenge

    Top 20 hashtags for TikTok for apparel and accessories

    TikTok mixes retail hashtags under the umbrella of ‘apparel and accessories.’ Note that many popular hashtags are related to a season, such as spring or summer. If you’re reading this in winter or fall, find retail hashtags on TikTok that fit this new season.

    1. #spring

    2. #springfashion

    3. #springtok

    4. #summervibes

    5. #summer2025

    6. #prom

    7. #promdress

    8. #tiktokshoprestock

    9. #ootdfashion

    10. #ootdinspo

    11. #lululemon

    12. #tiktokfashion

    13. #onlineshopping

    14. #affordablefashion

    15. #shoplocal

    16. #gymoutfit

    17. #womenfashion

    18. #fashionfinds

    19. #newarrivals

    20. #activewear

    Top 10 TikTok hashtags for kids and maternity

    These are the best TikTok hashtags for parenting creators and small businesses who market to parents.

    1. #babies

    2. #boymomlife

    3. #toddlers

    4. #toddleractivities

    5. #ivfjourney

    6. #auntiesoftiktok

    7. #granddaughter

    8. #momoftwo

    9. #pacifier

    10. #newbornlife

    Top 25 beauty hashtags on TikTok

    TikTok often lumps together self-care hashtags and beauty hashtags on the social network. You’ll find a plethora of branded hashtags on this list, too. If you’re a creator, this means the products from these brands are a viral success and may be worth trying for your audience.

    1. #pedicure

    2. #hairinspo

    3. #toothpaste

    4. #ingrowntoenail

    5. #tanning

    6. #hydration

    7. #springnails

    8. #teethwhitening

    9. #glam

    10. #nailartist

    11. #cosmetics

    12. #viralproducts

    13. #nighttimeroutine

    14. #tartecosmetics

    15. #tarte

    16. #ultabeauty

    17. #cosmetology

    18. #pixiecut

    19. #easyhairstyles

    20. #menshair

    21. #cream

    22. #affordablemakeup

    23. #products

    24. #naturalmakeup

    25. #nailsofinstagram

    15 best TikTok hashtags for education

    These are impactful hashtags in the education industry. You’ll also notice a few ‘job’ and ‘writing’ related hashtags since they’re quite popular in the niche.

    1. #jobs

    2. #space

    3. #graduation

    4. #studytok

    5. #factory

    6. #elemantaryschool

    7. #premed

    8. #studytips

    9. #studyhacks

    10. #jobrating

    11. #writingcommunity

    12. #research

    13. #preschoolteacher

    14. #publicspeaking

    15. #creativewriting

    15 best TikTok hashtags for finance

    Some hashtags here are timely and news-related (like the tariffs one). Before using any hashtag, always check the latest results to ensure it isn't outdated.

    1. #trading

    2. #tariffs

    3. #contentcreation

    4. #stockmarket

    5. #inflation

    6. #daytrading

    7. #businesstips

    8. #workfromanywhere

    9. #sidehustlejob

    10. #innovation

    11. #wealthbuilding

    12. #management

    13. #businesstips

    14. #automation

    15. #smallbusinesstips

    30 best TikTok hashtags for food and beverage

    There are more hashtags for the food and beverage industry than any other category on this list. New trends keep emerging on this list as the seasons change, too (like #margarita in the summer). You’ll also notice a few branded hashtags like Crumbl of Crumbl cookies.

    1. #chicken

    2. #crumbl

    3. #banana

    4. #goodfood

    5. #foodphotography

    6. #weeknightdinner

    7. #watertok

    8. #hiddengem

    9. #pastry

    10. #matcha

    11. #icecream

    12. #dubaichocolate

    13. #cookies

    14. #eggs

    15. #brunch

    16. #fastfood

    17. #coffeetime

    18. #traderjoes

    19. #coffeelover

    20. #cakes

    21. #chocolatecoveredstrawberries

    22. #lunchtime

    23. #drinktok

    24. #pancakes

    25. #sweettreat

    26. #dessert

    27. #chips

    28. #fruits

    29. #margarita

    30. #foodiefinds

    15 best TikTok hashtags for gaming

    Gaming hashtags are often related to specific games — like Minecraft. These TikTok viral hashtags update frequently as new games release, so keep an eye on that.

    1. #minecraft

    2. #invincible

    3. #brainrot

    4. #cookierunkingdom

    5. #sololeveling

    6. #textstory

    7. #giveaway

    8. #minecraftmemes

    9. #gamingcommunity

    10. #dungeonsanddragons

    11. #idkwhatimdoing

    12. #multiplayer

    13. #peppapig

    14. #indiegames

    15. #narutoedit

    10 top TikTok hashtags for health and fitness

    These are the best hashtags in the health niche. The list below contains evergreen hashtags, so you don’t have to worry about using outdated hashtags here.

    1. #wellness

    2. #gymtok

    3. #fitness

    4. #workout

    5. #bodybuilding

    6. #training

    7. #health

    8. #mentalhealth

    9. #healthtips

    10. #nutrition

    15 best TikTok hashtags for home improvement

    These are the best hashtags for any house-related content — whether that’s gardening, showing your home essentials, or furniture.

    1. #gardening

    2. #garden

    3. #plants

    4. #furniture

    5. #mirror

    6. #landscape

    7. #gardentok

    8. #plantsoftiktok

    9. #springcleaning

    10. #architecture

    11. #mold

    12. #clay

    13. #backyard

    14. #gardening101

    15. #homeessentials

    10 best TikTok hashtags for household products

    Household products, while similar to home improvements, often contain time-sensitive hashtags of whatever’s popular at that moment. It also often has holiday-themed products, like #eastercrafts on this list. The most popular hashtags in this category keep shifting as new products gain popularity.

    1. #paper

    2. #ribbonrose

    3. #kidscrafts

    4. #moneybouquet

    5. #eastercrafts

    6. #crochetflowers

    7. #favoriteflower

    8. #craftwithme

    9. #paperflowers

    10. #junkcaseinspo

    10 best TikTok hashtags for entertainment

    TikTok viral hashtags in entertainment often include artist names who have released new music or any entertainment industry-related news that’s time-sensitive. Like with household products, you need to refresh the most popular hashtags more frequently than other categories.

    1. #rapper

    2. #undergroundmusic

    3. #concerts

    4. #viraledit

    5. #popmusic

    6. #tvseries

    7. #soundcloud

    8. #yellowjackets

    9. #chrisbrown

    10. #band

    15 best TikTok hashtags for the pet industry

    Pet-related hashtags are often about a specific animal, like dog lovers or cat lovers. But there are also often hashtag challenges going on that you could participate in with your pet. Find these trending hashtags on the TikTok Creative Center.

    1. #dogsoftiktok

    2. #bunny

    3. #chickens

    4. #catlovers

    5. #doglovers

    6. #pug

    7. #daycare

    8. #naptime

    9. #treats

    10. #poodle

    11. #adoption

    12. #blackcatsoftiktok

    13. #sunbathing

    14. #cattoys

    15. #fosteringsaveslives

    Top 10 sports hashtags on TikTok

    Sports hashtags are often dynamic depending on what’s going on in the sporting industry. For instance, many of the hashtags below are about a specific football league and match. If you’re practicing social listening — or you’re a sports fan — you’d already know about what games are on, and, by extension, the trending topics on TikTok.

    1. #baseball

    2. #volleyball

    3. #golf

    4. #mlb

    5. #softball

    6. #barcelona

    7. #realmadrid

    8. #track

    9. #championsleague

    10. #fishinglife

    10 best TikTok hashtags for electronics

    Electronics hashtags on TikTok are usually about specific gadgets and not that time-sensitive. But when there’s a new release of an electronic item, it might become a trending hashtag as everyone reviews/unpacks it.

    1. #portable

    2. #phonecharger

    3. #magnetic

    4. #bluetoothspeaker

    5. #phoneaccessories

    6. #phonemount

    7. #magsafe

    8. #wirelessheadphones

    9. #techgadgets

    10. #fastcharging

    11. #comfyfit

    15 best TikTok hashtags for travel

    Travel content is often about place hashtags — like Japan or Washington DC, but here are a few general ones about traveling.

    1. #beach

    2. #beachvibes

    3. #vacationmode

    4. #beachday

    5. #waltdisneyworld

    6. #epicuniverse

    7. #sunsets

    8. #cherryblossom

    9. #hikingadventures

    10. #park

    11. #capri

    12. #zoo

    13. #beachlife

    14. #poolparty

    15. #kidssactivities

    10 best TikTok hashtags for transportation

    Hashtags relevant in this category often include names of vehicles or accessories related to vehicles.

    1. #biketok

    2. #surron

    3. #ebike

    4. #caraccessories

    5. #cinematic

    6. #jeeplife

    7. #carshow

    8. #sportscar

    9. #carenthusiast

    10. #dashcam

    Save your favorite hashtags and add them to a post in one click with Buffer's free hashtag manager. It's baked right into the scheduler. Sign up for free →

    What are TikTok hashtags?

    TikTok hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol – usually in the video caption – that help categorize content on the platform.

    When you use hashtags for TikTok videos, you help the algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right community. Using relevant hashtags also makes your content searchable. Your video will pop up when someone searches for the keywords you used in your hashtag.

    Users interested in a topic will often even follow hashtags related to it — like #BookTok or #MomsofTikTok. This allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest conversation on the subject.

    5 benefits of using TikTok hashtags

    Incorporating TikTok hashtags in your marketing strategy has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

    1. Boost visibility of your videos

    Adding hashtags for TikTok videos helps the TikTok algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right people.

    This is especially true for trending hashtags — TikTok pushes content with the most trending TikTok hashtags in its video caption. The more you use them, the more you increase your chances of landing in the relevant audience’s For You Page (FYP).

    2. Build a community

    Hashtags create communities around specific interests. Using hashtags for TikTok – esepcially niche ones — allows you to join the conversation and find your tribe. Hashtag challenges, for example, help you understand and participate in your industry's trends. #icebucketchallenge, anyone?

    3. Improve TikTok SEO

    TikTok is a search engine too. Just like Google, it relies on certain pieces of information to place content into the most appropriate categories, better organizing and surfacing them for searchers. 

    Hashtags are another helpful piece of the puzzle for the algorithm, a way to better optimize your videos for search (SEO). They can help you make sure your video gets in front of the right people. 

    4. Get content ideas

    When you search for specific hashtags, you can find other TikTok videos on the topic. This helps you understand what resonates with your target audience and find unique content ideas.

    5. Increase your chances of going viral

    Trending hashtags are often tied to a particular platform-wide trend, like hashtag challenges or trending formats. If you participate in these trends and challenges, using the right hashtags increases your chances of going viral on TikTok and reaching a broader audience.

    How to find the right TikTok hashtags?

    There are many ways to find the best TikTok hashtags for your posts. Here are three popular ones:

    1. Use the TikTok Creative Center

    The TikTok Creative Center is one of the best free tools for finding trending hashtags for TikTok and in your industry.

    Navigate to "Trends" → "Hashtags" in the Creative Center, and you’ll see a list of popular TikTok hashtags on the platform.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    These are the trending hashtags of the last seven days. You can also see specific hashtags for TikTok related to your industry. Filter using the “Industry” option – TikTok has organized its content into 16 industries. You can also filter to view the trending hashtags of the last 30 or 120 days, too.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    My favorite feature is that you can dive deep into a specific hashtag’s performance by clicking “See analytics.” Here, you’ll find:

    • How many posts are associated with the hashtag
    • How the user interest has evolved for the hashtag over time
    • Popular video examples that use the hashtag
    • Audience insights of TikTok users who use those hashtags (age, related interests, and regional popularity)
    • Trending creators who have used the hashtag
    • Related hashtags that pair well with the current hashtag 
    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    This lets you gain insights into using specific hashtags and forming a cohesive hashtag strategy. For example, you can monitor how interest in a hashtag fades or rises over time, spotting hashtags you can use for evergreen content.

    It can also help you spot whether tapping into a hashtag or trend will help you reach the right people. For example, if 18-24-year-olds are your ideal customer (or follower), creating content around #X is a great idea. If you’re looking to capture a slightly older crowd, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. 

    2. Use a hashtag generator

    There are various hashtag generators in the market that can help you find the best hashtags to go with your post. For example, Buffer's free TikTok Hashtag Generator offers you AI-powered hashtag recommendations based on a description of your post.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    The problem with using a hashtag generator is its reliability: You have to verify if the hashtags the tool provides are actually popular on TikTok at this moment. Still, it can be a useful jumping-off point if you already have a video or post in mind. 

    Looking for hashtags for Instagram? Buffer’s free Instagram hashtag generator has you covered. Get a curated list of hashtags tailored to your content, tone, and audience, all in seconds. →

    3. Search TikTok manually

    The last way to find the best hashtags for your strategy is a bit manual — it involves going on hashtag searches of your own. AKA, using TikTok like a search engine. Type something broad related to your industry in the search bar.

    For example, if you’re hunting for fashion hashtags, type “fashion ideas.” If you’re searching for niche fashion hashtags, search for something more specific, like “sustainable fashion.”

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Once you get the results, analyze the hashtags other creators use. Do many creators use the same hashtags? Note it down – using it might help boost your brand visibility, too.

    If a creator appears repeatedly for your relevant hashtags in your industry, study their hashtag use — which TikTok trends they participate in, which hashtags they use on TikTok the most frequently, and how many hashtags they use. Think of this like a mini competitor analysis. This will help you:

    • Get a list of different hashtags you can use
    • Identify the top TikTok hashtags in your industry
    • Understand your target audience’s expectations

    The manual method of finding the best hashtags for your strategy might be a bit tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure you use relevant hashtags that boost engagement.

    How to use TikTok hashtags: 7 best practices

    TikTok hashtags are often a missed opportunity. Here’s how to use them properly to maximize their potential:

    There are popular hashtags with millions of posts, and then there are niche hashtags that aren’t that crowded. My advice? Use a mix of both. Famous hashtags will boost visibility and reach a broader audience; niche hashtags will ensure you establish authority in your niche and build a social media community.

    For example, if you’re a food creator, #foodie would be a popular hashtag, and #weeknightrecipes would be a niche one.

    2. Use no more than five hashtags per post

    It’s tempting to add hashtags to fill the caption character limit. But you don't need quantity when finding hashtags for TikTok. In fact, adding too many hashtags can appear spammy and put off your audience.

    Instead of adding as many hashtags as possible, add between three and five quality hashtags to your TikTok content. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones, as mentioned earlier.

    3. Steer clear of irrelevant hashtags

    Don’t use generic hashtags like #foryoupage too much. They dilute the authority of your TikTok profile. It’s better to use more relevant, niche-related hashtags that reflect the topics of your TikTok content.

    Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your overall performance as the algorithm gets confused about your niche.

    4. Use a hashtag manager to store your hashtags

    Saving, organizing, and using hashtags can be challenging. But you don’t have to create sections in your Notes app to copy-paste or remember them by heart. It’s time-consuming and clunky. What if you had a hashtag manager built into your social media management tool?

    In Buffer, the hashtag manager helps you store and organize your hashtags. For instance, if you want to create a new category of hashtags to promote a sale, you can create a new group for it. Or you can categorize hashtags into your content pillars.

    Now, when you’re scheduling your TikTok content, Buffer will open the hashtag manager and in one click, you can paste all the hashtags you have stored.

    Pro tip: You’re not limited to storing hashtags in this tool! You can use it to save essential links or common CTAs you use often. 

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Make it easy for yourself to implement your hashtag strategy by signing up for Buffer.

    By now, you know how TikTok hashtags work and how quickly their relevance can fade. Keep an eye on the TikTok Creative Center to monitor trending hashtag challenges and use them where relevant. The algorithm loves trending content, too, so this will boost your performance.

    6. Create a branded hashtag

    Creating a branded hashtag gives you the opportunity to boost brand visibility and recall. You can even start using your own hashtags for sales, promotions, unique offers, or influencer partnerships.

    The only thing to remember is to ensure your own hashtags are easy to remember and catchy so more and more people get latched onto them.

    7. Measure hashtag performance

    Monitor your TikTok analytics to find which hashtags boost your reach the most and double down on them. If you have multiple sets of hashtags, notice which ones drive the most engagement.

    TikTok hashtags FAQs

    How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok post?

    TikTok has a five-hashtag limit. If you're aiming for clarity and relevance, stick to just a few highly targeted hashtags rather than stuffing as many as possible. This will keep your caption clear and engage people who are already interested in that topic.

    Do hashtags actually help with TikTok growth?

    Yes, when used strategically. Hashtags help categorize your content for the algorithm and make your videos discoverable in searches. While they won't make poor content go viral, they can significantly amplify the reach of quality videos by putting them in front of the right audience.

    A mix of both works best. Trending hashtags can help boost visibility to a broader audience, while niche hashtags connect you with a more targeted community. Aim for 1-2 trending hashtags and 2-3 niche hashtags that are directly relevant to your content.

    Where should I place hashtags in my TikTok caption?

    You can place hashtags either within your caption text (if they flow naturally) or at the end of your caption. Most creators opt to put them at the end to keep the main message clean and readable.

    How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

    Review your hashtag strategy at least monthly. TikTok trends change rapidly, so what works today might not work in a few weeks. Use your analytics to identify which hashtag combinations drive the most engagement and adjust accordingly.

    Hashtags can’t save a poor post, but they can increase the reach of a great one

    Hashtags aren’t the key to going viral. But if you create engaging content that your audience resonates with, hashtags can increase the number of new people you reach. I hope the best practices and list of hashtags helped you understand which hashtags you can use and how. Do you have any favorite hashtags that I missed? Comment below!

    More TikTok resources

  • 15 Trending Sounds on Instagram in 2025 (+ How to Use Them)

    15 Trending Sounds on Instagram in 2025 (+ How to Use Them)

    Stop chasing the tail-end of Instagram audio trends — here are the latest trending songs on Instagram in October 2025.Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags aren’t a one-way ticket to virality — but they can absolutely help boost visibility. When done right, TikTok hashtags help categorize your content, enable the algorithm to understand what your content is about, and boost your discoverability through TikTok SEO.

    In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about TikTok hashtags

    • A curated list of 250 trending TikTok hashtags — organized by industry to help you reach the right audience and grow your presence.
    • What are TikTok hashtags?
    • Why you should use hashtags
    • How to find the right TikTok hashtags
    • How to use TikTok hashtags properly

    To navigate to a specific hashtag niche or guidance, hit one of the links below.

    Jump to a section:

    Top 250 TikTok hashtags of 2025 (so far)

    The above methods are handy when you have the time to jot down and organize your hashtag library. But for when you’re short on time, use this list to find popular hashtags for TikTok, specifically in your industry.

    These are general hashtags for your video content. They aren’t tied to a niche or any specific subject, so use them when you’re just starting out or experimenting with your video content.

    1. #fyp

    2. #viral

    3. #tiktok

    4. #foryou

    5. #funny

    6. #viral

    7. #duet

    8. #smallbusiness

    9. #trending

    10. #explore

    11. #foryoupage

    12. #trendingvideo

    13. #tiktokcreator

    14. #contentcreator

    15. #tiktokchallenge

    Top 20 hashtags for TikTok for apparel and accessories

    TikTok mixes retail hashtags under the umbrella of ‘apparel and accessories.’ Note that many popular hashtags are related to a season, such as spring or summer. If you’re reading this in winter or fall, find retail hashtags on TikTok that fit this new season.

    1. #spring

    2. #springfashion

    3. #springtok

    4. #summervibes

    5. #summer2025

    6. #prom

    7. #promdress

    8. #tiktokshoprestock

    9. #ootdfashion

    10. #ootdinspo

    11. #lululemon

    12. #tiktokfashion

    13. #onlineshopping

    14. #affordablefashion

    15. #shoplocal

    16. #gymoutfit

    17. #womenfashion

    18. #fashionfinds

    19. #newarrivals

    20. #activewear

    Top 10 TikTok hashtags for kids and maternity

    These are the best TikTok hashtags for parenting creators and small businesses who market to parents.

    1. #babies

    2. #boymomlife

    3. #toddlers

    4. #toddleractivities

    5. #ivfjourney

    6. #auntiesoftiktok

    7. #granddaughter

    8. #momoftwo

    9. #pacifier

    10. #newbornlife

    Top 25 beauty hashtags on TikTok

    TikTok often lumps together self-care hashtags and beauty hashtags on the social network. You’ll find a plethora of branded hashtags on this list, too. If you’re a creator, this means the products from these brands are a viral success and may be worth trying for your audience.

    1. #pedicure

    2. #hairinspo

    3. #toothpaste

    4. #ingrowntoenail

    5. #tanning

    6. #hydration

    7. #springnails

    8. #teethwhitening

    9. #glam

    10. #nailartist

    11. #cosmetics

    12. #viralproducts

    13. #nighttimeroutine

    14. #tartecosmetics

    15. #tarte

    16. #ultabeauty

    17. #cosmetology

    18. #pixiecut

    19. #easyhairstyles

    20. #menshair

    21. #cream

    22. #affordablemakeup

    23. #products

    24. #naturalmakeup

    25. #nailsofinstagram

    15 best TikTok hashtags for education

    These are impactful hashtags in the education industry. You’ll also notice a few ‘job’ and ‘writing’ related hashtags since they’re quite popular in the niche.

    1. #jobs

    2. #space

    3. #graduation

    4. #studytok

    5. #factory

    6. #elemantaryschool

    7. #premed

    8. #studytips

    9. #studyhacks

    10. #jobrating

    11. #writingcommunity

    12. #research

    13. #preschoolteacher

    14. #publicspeaking

    15. #creativewriting

    15 best TikTok hashtags for finance

    Some hashtags here are timely and news-related (like the tariffs one). Before using any hashtag, always check the latest results to ensure it isn't outdated.

    1. #trading

    2. #tariffs

    3. #contentcreation

    4. #stockmarket

    5. #inflation

    6. #daytrading

    7. #businesstips

    8. #workfromanywhere

    9. #sidehustlejob

    10. #innovation

    11. #wealthbuilding

    12. #management

    13. #businesstips

    14. #automation

    15. #smallbusinesstips

    30 best TikTok hashtags for food and beverage

    There are more hashtags for the food and beverage industry than any other category on this list. New trends keep emerging on this list as the seasons change, too (like #margarita in the summer). You’ll also notice a few branded hashtags like Crumbl of Crumbl cookies.

    1. #chicken

    2. #crumbl

    3. #banana

    4. #goodfood

    5. #foodphotography

    6. #weeknightdinner

    7. #watertok

    8. #hiddengem

    9. #pastry

    10. #matcha

    11. #icecream

    12. #dubaichocolate

    13. #cookies

    14. #eggs

    15. #brunch

    16. #fastfood

    17. #coffeetime

    18. #traderjoes

    19. #coffeelover

    20. #cakes

    21. #chocolatecoveredstrawberries

    22. #lunchtime

    23. #drinktok

    24. #pancakes

    25. #sweettreat

    26. #dessert

    27. #chips

    28. #fruits

    29. #margarita

    30. #foodiefinds

    15 best TikTok hashtags for gaming

    Gaming hashtags are often related to specific games — like Minecraft. These TikTok viral hashtags update frequently as new games release, so keep an eye on that.

    1. #minecraft

    2. #invincible

    3. #brainrot

    4. #cookierunkingdom

    5. #sololeveling

    6. #textstory

    7. #giveaway

    8. #minecraftmemes

    9. #gamingcommunity

    10. #dungeonsanddragons

    11. #idkwhatimdoing

    12. #multiplayer

    13. #peppapig

    14. #indiegames

    15. #narutoedit

    10 top TikTok hashtags for health and fitness

    These are the best hashtags in the health niche. The list below contains evergreen hashtags, so you don’t have to worry about using outdated hashtags here.

    1. #wellness

    2. #gymtok

    3. #fitness

    4. #workout

    5. #bodybuilding

    6. #training

    7. #health

    8. #mentalhealth

    9. #healthtips

    10. #nutrition

    15 best TikTok hashtags for home improvement

    These are the best hashtags for any house-related content — whether that’s gardening, showing your home essentials, or furniture.

    1. #gardening

    2. #garden

    3. #plants

    4. #furniture

    5. #mirror

    6. #landscape

    7. #gardentok

    8. #plantsoftiktok

    9. #springcleaning

    10. #architecture

    11. #mold

    12. #clay

    13. #backyard

    14. #gardening101

    15. #homeessentials

    10 best TikTok hashtags for household products

    Household products, while similar to home improvements, often contain time-sensitive hashtags of whatever’s popular at that moment. It also often has holiday-themed products, like #eastercrafts on this list. The most popular hashtags in this category keep shifting as new products gain popularity.

    1. #paper

    2. #ribbonrose

    3. #kidscrafts

    4. #moneybouquet

    5. #eastercrafts

    6. #crochetflowers

    7. #favoriteflower

    8. #craftwithme

    9. #paperflowers

    10. #junkcaseinspo

    10 best TikTok hashtags for entertainment

    TikTok viral hashtags in entertainment often include artist names who have released new music or any entertainment industry-related news that’s time-sensitive. Like with household products, you need to refresh the most popular hashtags more frequently than other categories.

    1. #rapper

    2. #undergroundmusic

    3. #concerts

    4. #viraledit

    5. #popmusic

    6. #tvseries

    7. #soundcloud

    8. #yellowjackets

    9. #chrisbrown

    10. #band

    15 best TikTok hashtags for the pet industry

    Pet-related hashtags are often about a specific animal, like dog lovers or cat lovers. But there are also often hashtag challenges going on that you could participate in with your pet. Find these trending hashtags on the TikTok Creative Center.

    1. #dogsoftiktok

    2. #bunny

    3. #chickens

    4. #catlovers

    5. #doglovers

    6. #pug

    7. #daycare

    8. #naptime

    9. #treats

    10. #poodle

    11. #adoption

    12. #blackcatsoftiktok

    13. #sunbathing

    14. #cattoys

    15. #fosteringsaveslives

    Top 10 sports hashtags on TikTok

    Sports hashtags are often dynamic depending on what’s going on in the sporting industry. For instance, many of the hashtags below are about a specific football league and match. If you’re practicing social listening — or you’re a sports fan — you’d already know about what games are on, and, by extension, the trending topics on TikTok.

    1. #baseball

    2. #volleyball

    3. #golf

    4. #mlb

    5. #softball

    6. #barcelona

    7. #realmadrid

    8. #track

    9. #championsleague

    10. #fishinglife

    10 best TikTok hashtags for electronics

    Electronics hashtags on TikTok are usually about specific gadgets and not that time-sensitive. But when there’s a new release of an electronic item, it might become a trending hashtag as everyone reviews/unpacks it.

    1. #portable

    2. #phonecharger

    3. #magnetic

    4. #bluetoothspeaker

    5. #phoneaccessories

    6. #phonemount

    7. #magsafe

    8. #wirelessheadphones

    9. #techgadgets

    10. #fastcharging

    11. #comfyfit

    15 best TikTok hashtags for travel

    Travel content is often about place hashtags — like Japan or Washington DC, but here are a few general ones about traveling.

    1. #beach

    2. #beachvibes

    3. #vacationmode

    4. #beachday

    5. #waltdisneyworld

    6. #epicuniverse

    7. #sunsets

    8. #cherryblossom

    9. #hikingadventures

    10. #park

    11. #capri

    12. #zoo

    13. #beachlife

    14. #poolparty

    15. #kidssactivities

    10 best TikTok hashtags for transportation

    Hashtags relevant in this category often include names of vehicles or accessories related to vehicles.

    1. #biketok

    2. #surron

    3. #ebike

    4. #caraccessories

    5. #cinematic

    6. #jeeplife

    7. #carshow

    8. #sportscar

    9. #carenthusiast

    10. #dashcam

    Save your favorite hashtags and add them to a post in one click with Buffer's free hashtag manager. It's baked right into the scheduler. Sign up for free →

    What are TikTok hashtags?

    TikTok hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol – usually in the video caption – that help categorize content on the platform.

    When you use hashtags for TikTok videos, you help the algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right community. Using relevant hashtags also makes your content searchable. Your video will pop up when someone searches for the keywords you used in your hashtag.

    Users interested in a topic will often even follow hashtags related to it — like #BookTok or #MomsofTikTok. This allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest conversation on the subject.

    5 benefits of using TikTok hashtags

    Incorporating TikTok hashtags in your marketing strategy has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

    1. Boost visibility of your videos

    Adding hashtags for TikTok videos helps the TikTok algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right people.

    This is especially true for trending hashtags — TikTok pushes content with the most trending TikTok hashtags in its video caption. The more you use them, the more you increase your chances of landing in the relevant audience’s For You Page (FYP).

    2. Build a community

    Hashtags create communities around specific interests. Using hashtags for TikTok – esepcially niche ones — allows you to join the conversation and find your tribe. Hashtag challenges, for example, help you understand and participate in your industry's trends. #icebucketchallenge, anyone?

    3. Improve TikTok SEO

    TikTok is a search engine too. Just like Google, it relies on certain pieces of information to place content into the most appropriate categories, better organizing and surfacing them for searchers. 

    Hashtags are another helpful piece of the puzzle for the algorithm, a way to better optimize your videos for search (SEO). They can help you make sure your video gets in front of the right people. 

    4. Get content ideas

    When you search for specific hashtags, you can find other TikTok videos on the topic. This helps you understand what resonates with your target audience and find unique content ideas.

    5. Increase your chances of going viral

    Trending hashtags are often tied to a particular platform-wide trend, like hashtag challenges or trending formats. If you participate in these trends and challenges, using the right hashtags increases your chances of going viral on TikTok and reaching a broader audience.

    How to find the right TikTok hashtags?

    There are many ways to find the best TikTok hashtags for your posts. Here are three popular ones:

    1. Use the TikTok Creative Center

    The TikTok Creative Center is one of the best free tools for finding trending hashtags for TikTok and in your industry.

    Navigate to "Trends" → "Hashtags" in the Creative Center, and you’ll see a list of popular TikTok hashtags on the platform.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    These are the trending hashtags of the last seven days. You can also see specific hashtags for TikTok related to your industry. Filter using the “Industry” option – TikTok has organized its content into 16 industries. You can also filter to view the trending hashtags of the last 30 or 120 days, too.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    My favorite feature is that you can dive deep into a specific hashtag’s performance by clicking “See analytics.” Here, you’ll find:

    • How many posts are associated with the hashtag
    • How the user interest has evolved for the hashtag over time
    • Popular video examples that use the hashtag
    • Audience insights of TikTok users who use those hashtags (age, related interests, and regional popularity)
    • Trending creators who have used the hashtag
    • Related hashtags that pair well with the current hashtag 
    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    This lets you gain insights into using specific hashtags and forming a cohesive hashtag strategy. For example, you can monitor how interest in a hashtag fades or rises over time, spotting hashtags you can use for evergreen content.

    It can also help you spot whether tapping into a hashtag or trend will help you reach the right people. For example, if 18-24-year-olds are your ideal customer (or follower), creating content around #X is a great idea. If you’re looking to capture a slightly older crowd, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. 

    2. Use a hashtag generator

    There are various hashtag generators in the market that can help you find the best hashtags to go with your post. For example, Buffer's free TikTok Hashtag Generator offers you AI-powered hashtag recommendations based on a description of your post.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    The problem with using a hashtag generator is its reliability: You have to verify if the hashtags the tool provides are actually popular on TikTok at this moment. Still, it can be a useful jumping-off point if you already have a video or post in mind. 

    Looking for hashtags for Instagram? Buffer’s free Instagram hashtag generator has you covered. Get a curated list of hashtags tailored to your content, tone, and audience, all in seconds. →

    3. Search TikTok manually

    The last way to find the best hashtags for your strategy is a bit manual — it involves going on hashtag searches of your own. AKA, using TikTok like a search engine. Type something broad related to your industry in the search bar.

    For example, if you’re hunting for fashion hashtags, type “fashion ideas.” If you’re searching for niche fashion hashtags, search for something more specific, like “sustainable fashion.”

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Once you get the results, analyze the hashtags other creators use. Do many creators use the same hashtags? Note it down – using it might help boost your brand visibility, too.

    If a creator appears repeatedly for your relevant hashtags in your industry, study their hashtag use — which TikTok trends they participate in, which hashtags they use on TikTok the most frequently, and how many hashtags they use. Think of this like a mini competitor analysis. This will help you:

    • Get a list of different hashtags you can use
    • Identify the top TikTok hashtags in your industry
    • Understand your target audience’s expectations

    The manual method of finding the best hashtags for your strategy might be a bit tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure you use relevant hashtags that boost engagement.

    How to use TikTok hashtags: 7 best practices

    TikTok hashtags are often a missed opportunity. Here’s how to use them properly to maximize their potential:

    There are popular hashtags with millions of posts, and then there are niche hashtags that aren’t that crowded. My advice? Use a mix of both. Famous hashtags will boost visibility and reach a broader audience; niche hashtags will ensure you establish authority in your niche and build a social media community.

    For example, if you’re a food creator, #foodie would be a popular hashtag, and #weeknightrecipes would be a niche one.

    2. Use no more than five hashtags per post

    It’s tempting to add hashtags to fill the caption character limit. But you don't need quantity when finding hashtags for TikTok. In fact, adding too many hashtags can appear spammy and put off your audience.

    Instead of adding as many hashtags as possible, add between three and five quality hashtags to your TikTok content. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones, as mentioned earlier.

    3. Steer clear of irrelevant hashtags

    Don’t use generic hashtags like #foryoupage too much. They dilute the authority of your TikTok profile. It’s better to use more relevant, niche-related hashtags that reflect the topics of your TikTok content.

    Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your overall performance as the algorithm gets confused about your niche.

    4. Use a hashtag manager to store your hashtags

    Saving, organizing, and using hashtags can be challenging. But you don’t have to create sections in your Notes app to copy-paste or remember them by heart. It’s time-consuming and clunky. What if you had a hashtag manager built into your social media management tool?

    In Buffer, the hashtag manager helps you store and organize your hashtags. For instance, if you want to create a new category of hashtags to promote a sale, you can create a new group for it. Or you can categorize hashtags into your content pillars.

    Now, when you’re scheduling your TikTok content, Buffer will open the hashtag manager and in one click, you can paste all the hashtags you have stored.

    Pro tip: You’re not limited to storing hashtags in this tool! You can use it to save essential links or common CTAs you use often. 

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Make it easy for yourself to implement your hashtag strategy by signing up for Buffer.

    By now, you know how TikTok hashtags work and how quickly their relevance can fade. Keep an eye on the TikTok Creative Center to monitor trending hashtag challenges and use them where relevant. The algorithm loves trending content, too, so this will boost your performance.

    6. Create a branded hashtag

    Creating a branded hashtag gives you the opportunity to boost brand visibility and recall. You can even start using your own hashtags for sales, promotions, unique offers, or influencer partnerships.

    The only thing to remember is to ensure your own hashtags are easy to remember and catchy so more and more people get latched onto them.

    7. Measure hashtag performance

    Monitor your TikTok analytics to find which hashtags boost your reach the most and double down on them. If you have multiple sets of hashtags, notice which ones drive the most engagement.

    TikTok hashtags FAQs

    How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok post?

    TikTok has a five-hashtag limit. If you're aiming for clarity and relevance, stick to just a few highly targeted hashtags rather than stuffing as many as possible. This will keep your caption clear and engage people who are already interested in that topic.

    Do hashtags actually help with TikTok growth?

    Yes, when used strategically. Hashtags help categorize your content for the algorithm and make your videos discoverable in searches. While they won't make poor content go viral, they can significantly amplify the reach of quality videos by putting them in front of the right audience.

    A mix of both works best. Trending hashtags can help boost visibility to a broader audience, while niche hashtags connect you with a more targeted community. Aim for 1-2 trending hashtags and 2-3 niche hashtags that are directly relevant to your content.

    Where should I place hashtags in my TikTok caption?

    You can place hashtags either within your caption text (if they flow naturally) or at the end of your caption. Most creators opt to put them at the end to keep the main message clean and readable.

    How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

    Review your hashtag strategy at least monthly. TikTok trends change rapidly, so what works today might not work in a few weeks. Use your analytics to identify which hashtag combinations drive the most engagement and adjust accordingly.

    Hashtags can’t save a poor post, but they can increase the reach of a great one

    Hashtags aren’t the key to going viral. But if you create engaging content that your audience resonates with, hashtags can increase the number of new people you reach. I hope the best practices and list of hashtags helped you understand which hashtags you can use and how. Do you have any favorite hashtags that I missed? Comment below!

    More TikTok resources

  • Does X Premium Really Boost Your Reach? An Analysis of 18M+ Posts

    Does X Premium Really Boost Your Reach? An Analysis of 18M+ Posts

    In this article, we assess the impact of X Premium on the performance of posts.Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    TikTok hashtags aren’t a one-way ticket to virality — but they can absolutely help boost visibility. When done right, TikTok hashtags help categorize your content, enable the algorithm to understand what your content is about, and boost your discoverability through TikTok SEO.

    In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about TikTok hashtags

    • A curated list of 250 trending TikTok hashtags — organized by industry to help you reach the right audience and grow your presence.
    • What are TikTok hashtags?
    • Why you should use hashtags
    • How to find the right TikTok hashtags
    • How to use TikTok hashtags properly

    To navigate to a specific hashtag niche or guidance, hit one of the links below.

    Jump to a section:

    Top 250 TikTok hashtags of 2025 (so far)

    The above methods are handy when you have the time to jot down and organize your hashtag library. But for when you’re short on time, use this list to find popular hashtags for TikTok, specifically in your industry.

    These are general hashtags for your video content. They aren’t tied to a niche or any specific subject, so use them when you’re just starting out or experimenting with your video content.

    1. #fyp

    2. #viral

    3. #tiktok

    4. #foryou

    5. #funny

    6. #viral

    7. #duet

    8. #smallbusiness

    9. #trending

    10. #explore

    11. #foryoupage

    12. #trendingvideo

    13. #tiktokcreator

    14. #contentcreator

    15. #tiktokchallenge

    Top 20 hashtags for TikTok for apparel and accessories

    TikTok mixes retail hashtags under the umbrella of ‘apparel and accessories.’ Note that many popular hashtags are related to a season, such as spring or summer. If you’re reading this in winter or fall, find retail hashtags on TikTok that fit this new season.

    1. #spring

    2. #springfashion

    3. #springtok

    4. #summervibes

    5. #summer2025

    6. #prom

    7. #promdress

    8. #tiktokshoprestock

    9. #ootdfashion

    10. #ootdinspo

    11. #lululemon

    12. #tiktokfashion

    13. #onlineshopping

    14. #affordablefashion

    15. #shoplocal

    16. #gymoutfit

    17. #womenfashion

    18. #fashionfinds

    19. #newarrivals

    20. #activewear

    Top 10 TikTok hashtags for kids and maternity

    These are the best TikTok hashtags for parenting creators and small businesses who market to parents.

    1. #babies

    2. #boymomlife

    3. #toddlers

    4. #toddleractivities

    5. #ivfjourney

    6. #auntiesoftiktok

    7. #granddaughter

    8. #momoftwo

    9. #pacifier

    10. #newbornlife

    Top 25 beauty hashtags on TikTok

    TikTok often lumps together self-care hashtags and beauty hashtags on the social network. You’ll find a plethora of branded hashtags on this list, too. If you’re a creator, this means the products from these brands are a viral success and may be worth trying for your audience.

    1. #pedicure

    2. #hairinspo

    3. #toothpaste

    4. #ingrowntoenail

    5. #tanning

    6. #hydration

    7. #springnails

    8. #teethwhitening

    9. #glam

    10. #nailartist

    11. #cosmetics

    12. #viralproducts

    13. #nighttimeroutine

    14. #tartecosmetics

    15. #tarte

    16. #ultabeauty

    17. #cosmetology

    18. #pixiecut

    19. #easyhairstyles

    20. #menshair

    21. #cream

    22. #affordablemakeup

    23. #products

    24. #naturalmakeup

    25. #nailsofinstagram

    15 best TikTok hashtags for education

    These are impactful hashtags in the education industry. You’ll also notice a few ‘job’ and ‘writing’ related hashtags since they’re quite popular in the niche.

    1. #jobs

    2. #space

    3. #graduation

    4. #studytok

    5. #factory

    6. #elemantaryschool

    7. #premed

    8. #studytips

    9. #studyhacks

    10. #jobrating

    11. #writingcommunity

    12. #research

    13. #preschoolteacher

    14. #publicspeaking

    15. #creativewriting

    15 best TikTok hashtags for finance

    Some hashtags here are timely and news-related (like the tariffs one). Before using any hashtag, always check the latest results to ensure it isn't outdated.

    1. #trading

    2. #tariffs

    3. #contentcreation

    4. #stockmarket

    5. #inflation

    6. #daytrading

    7. #businesstips

    8. #workfromanywhere

    9. #sidehustlejob

    10. #innovation

    11. #wealthbuilding

    12. #management

    13. #businesstips

    14. #automation

    15. #smallbusinesstips

    30 best TikTok hashtags for food and beverage

    There are more hashtags for the food and beverage industry than any other category on this list. New trends keep emerging on this list as the seasons change, too (like #margarita in the summer). You’ll also notice a few branded hashtags like Crumbl of Crumbl cookies.

    1. #chicken

    2. #crumbl

    3. #banana

    4. #goodfood

    5. #foodphotography

    6. #weeknightdinner

    7. #watertok

    8. #hiddengem

    9. #pastry

    10. #matcha

    11. #icecream

    12. #dubaichocolate

    13. #cookies

    14. #eggs

    15. #brunch

    16. #fastfood

    17. #coffeetime

    18. #traderjoes

    19. #coffeelover

    20. #cakes

    21. #chocolatecoveredstrawberries

    22. #lunchtime

    23. #drinktok

    24. #pancakes

    25. #sweettreat

    26. #dessert

    27. #chips

    28. #fruits

    29. #margarita

    30. #foodiefinds

    15 best TikTok hashtags for gaming

    Gaming hashtags are often related to specific games — like Minecraft. These TikTok viral hashtags update frequently as new games release, so keep an eye on that.

    1. #minecraft

    2. #invincible

    3. #brainrot

    4. #cookierunkingdom

    5. #sololeveling

    6. #textstory

    7. #giveaway

    8. #minecraftmemes

    9. #gamingcommunity

    10. #dungeonsanddragons

    11. #idkwhatimdoing

    12. #multiplayer

    13. #peppapig

    14. #indiegames

    15. #narutoedit

    10 top TikTok hashtags for health and fitness

    These are the best hashtags in the health niche. The list below contains evergreen hashtags, so you don’t have to worry about using outdated hashtags here.

    1. #wellness

    2. #gymtok

    3. #fitness

    4. #workout

    5. #bodybuilding

    6. #training

    7. #health

    8. #mentalhealth

    9. #healthtips

    10. #nutrition

    15 best TikTok hashtags for home improvement

    These are the best hashtags for any house-related content — whether that’s gardening, showing your home essentials, or furniture.

    1. #gardening

    2. #garden

    3. #plants

    4. #furniture

    5. #mirror

    6. #landscape

    7. #gardentok

    8. #plantsoftiktok

    9. #springcleaning

    10. #architecture

    11. #mold

    12. #clay

    13. #backyard

    14. #gardening101

    15. #homeessentials

    10 best TikTok hashtags for household products

    Household products, while similar to home improvements, often contain time-sensitive hashtags of whatever’s popular at that moment. It also often has holiday-themed products, like #eastercrafts on this list. The most popular hashtags in this category keep shifting as new products gain popularity.

    1. #paper

    2. #ribbonrose

    3. #kidscrafts

    4. #moneybouquet

    5. #eastercrafts

    6. #crochetflowers

    7. #favoriteflower

    8. #craftwithme

    9. #paperflowers

    10. #junkcaseinspo

    10 best TikTok hashtags for entertainment

    TikTok viral hashtags in entertainment often include artist names who have released new music or any entertainment industry-related news that’s time-sensitive. Like with household products, you need to refresh the most popular hashtags more frequently than other categories.

    1. #rapper

    2. #undergroundmusic

    3. #concerts

    4. #viraledit

    5. #popmusic

    6. #tvseries

    7. #soundcloud

    8. #yellowjackets

    9. #chrisbrown

    10. #band

    15 best TikTok hashtags for the pet industry

    Pet-related hashtags are often about a specific animal, like dog lovers or cat lovers. But there are also often hashtag challenges going on that you could participate in with your pet. Find these trending hashtags on the TikTok Creative Center.

    1. #dogsoftiktok

    2. #bunny

    3. #chickens

    4. #catlovers

    5. #doglovers

    6. #pug

    7. #daycare

    8. #naptime

    9. #treats

    10. #poodle

    11. #adoption

    12. #blackcatsoftiktok

    13. #sunbathing

    14. #cattoys

    15. #fosteringsaveslives

    Top 10 sports hashtags on TikTok

    Sports hashtags are often dynamic depending on what’s going on in the sporting industry. For instance, many of the hashtags below are about a specific football league and match. If you’re practicing social listening — or you’re a sports fan — you’d already know about what games are on, and, by extension, the trending topics on TikTok.

    1. #baseball

    2. #volleyball

    3. #golf

    4. #mlb

    5. #softball

    6. #barcelona

    7. #realmadrid

    8. #track

    9. #championsleague

    10. #fishinglife

    10 best TikTok hashtags for electronics

    Electronics hashtags on TikTok are usually about specific gadgets and not that time-sensitive. But when there’s a new release of an electronic item, it might become a trending hashtag as everyone reviews/unpacks it.

    1. #portable

    2. #phonecharger

    3. #magnetic

    4. #bluetoothspeaker

    5. #phoneaccessories

    6. #phonemount

    7. #magsafe

    8. #wirelessheadphones

    9. #techgadgets

    10. #fastcharging

    11. #comfyfit

    15 best TikTok hashtags for travel

    Travel content is often about place hashtags — like Japan or Washington DC, but here are a few general ones about traveling.

    1. #beach

    2. #beachvibes

    3. #vacationmode

    4. #beachday

    5. #waltdisneyworld

    6. #epicuniverse

    7. #sunsets

    8. #cherryblossom

    9. #hikingadventures

    10. #park

    11. #capri

    12. #zoo

    13. #beachlife

    14. #poolparty

    15. #kidssactivities

    10 best TikTok hashtags for transportation

    Hashtags relevant in this category often include names of vehicles or accessories related to vehicles.

    1. #biketok

    2. #surron

    3. #ebike

    4. #caraccessories

    5. #cinematic

    6. #jeeplife

    7. #carshow

    8. #sportscar

    9. #carenthusiast

    10. #dashcam

    Save your favorite hashtags and add them to a post in one click with Buffer's free hashtag manager. It's baked right into the scheduler. Sign up for free →

    What are TikTok hashtags?

    TikTok hashtags are keywords or phrases preceded by a “#” symbol – usually in the video caption – that help categorize content on the platform.

    When you use hashtags for TikTok videos, you help the algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right community. Using relevant hashtags also makes your content searchable. Your video will pop up when someone searches for the keywords you used in your hashtag.

    Users interested in a topic will often even follow hashtags related to it — like #BookTok or #MomsofTikTok. This allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest conversation on the subject.

    5 benefits of using TikTok hashtags

    Incorporating TikTok hashtags in your marketing strategy has plenty of benefits. Here are a few:

    1. Boost visibility of your videos

    Adding hashtags for TikTok videos helps the TikTok algorithm understand what your content is about and put it in front of the right people.

    This is especially true for trending hashtags — TikTok pushes content with the most trending TikTok hashtags in its video caption. The more you use them, the more you increase your chances of landing in the relevant audience’s For You Page (FYP).

    2. Build a community

    Hashtags create communities around specific interests. Using hashtags for TikTok – esepcially niche ones — allows you to join the conversation and find your tribe. Hashtag challenges, for example, help you understand and participate in your industry's trends. #icebucketchallenge, anyone?

    3. Improve TikTok SEO

    TikTok is a search engine too. Just like Google, it relies on certain pieces of information to place content into the most appropriate categories, better organizing and surfacing them for searchers. 

    Hashtags are another helpful piece of the puzzle for the algorithm, a way to better optimize your videos for search (SEO). They can help you make sure your video gets in front of the right people. 

    4. Get content ideas

    When you search for specific hashtags, you can find other TikTok videos on the topic. This helps you understand what resonates with your target audience and find unique content ideas.

    5. Increase your chances of going viral

    Trending hashtags are often tied to a particular platform-wide trend, like hashtag challenges or trending formats. If you participate in these trends and challenges, using the right hashtags increases your chances of going viral on TikTok and reaching a broader audience.

    How to find the right TikTok hashtags?

    There are many ways to find the best TikTok hashtags for your posts. Here are three popular ones:

    1. Use the TikTok Creative Center

    The TikTok Creative Center is one of the best free tools for finding trending hashtags for TikTok and in your industry.

    Navigate to "Trends" → "Hashtags" in the Creative Center, and you’ll see a list of popular TikTok hashtags on the platform.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    These are the trending hashtags of the last seven days. You can also see specific hashtags for TikTok related to your industry. Filter using the “Industry” option – TikTok has organized its content into 16 industries. You can also filter to view the trending hashtags of the last 30 or 120 days, too.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    My favorite feature is that you can dive deep into a specific hashtag’s performance by clicking “See analytics.” Here, you’ll find:

    • How many posts are associated with the hashtag
    • How the user interest has evolved for the hashtag over time
    • Popular video examples that use the hashtag
    • Audience insights of TikTok users who use those hashtags (age, related interests, and regional popularity)
    • Trending creators who have used the hashtag
    • Related hashtags that pair well with the current hashtag 
    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    This lets you gain insights into using specific hashtags and forming a cohesive hashtag strategy. For example, you can monitor how interest in a hashtag fades or rises over time, spotting hashtags you can use for evergreen content.

    It can also help you spot whether tapping into a hashtag or trend will help you reach the right people. For example, if 18-24-year-olds are your ideal customer (or follower), creating content around #X is a great idea. If you’re looking to capture a slightly older crowd, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. 

    2. Use a hashtag generator

    There are various hashtag generators in the market that can help you find the best hashtags to go with your post. For example, Buffer's free TikTok Hashtag Generator offers you AI-powered hashtag recommendations based on a description of your post.

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    The problem with using a hashtag generator is its reliability: You have to verify if the hashtags the tool provides are actually popular on TikTok at this moment. Still, it can be a useful jumping-off point if you already have a video or post in mind. 

    Looking for hashtags for Instagram? Buffer’s free Instagram hashtag generator has you covered. Get a curated list of hashtags tailored to your content, tone, and audience, all in seconds. →

    3. Search TikTok manually

    The last way to find the best hashtags for your strategy is a bit manual — it involves going on hashtag searches of your own. AKA, using TikTok like a search engine. Type something broad related to your industry in the search bar.

    For example, if you’re hunting for fashion hashtags, type “fashion ideas.” If you’re searching for niche fashion hashtags, search for something more specific, like “sustainable fashion.”

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Once you get the results, analyze the hashtags other creators use. Do many creators use the same hashtags? Note it down – using it might help boost your brand visibility, too.

    If a creator appears repeatedly for your relevant hashtags in your industry, study their hashtag use — which TikTok trends they participate in, which hashtags they use on TikTok the most frequently, and how many hashtags they use. Think of this like a mini competitor analysis. This will help you:

    • Get a list of different hashtags you can use
    • Identify the top TikTok hashtags in your industry
    • Understand your target audience’s expectations

    The manual method of finding the best hashtags for your strategy might be a bit tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure you use relevant hashtags that boost engagement.

    How to use TikTok hashtags: 7 best practices

    TikTok hashtags are often a missed opportunity. Here’s how to use them properly to maximize their potential:

    There are popular hashtags with millions of posts, and then there are niche hashtags that aren’t that crowded. My advice? Use a mix of both. Famous hashtags will boost visibility and reach a broader audience; niche hashtags will ensure you establish authority in your niche and build a social media community.

    For example, if you’re a food creator, #foodie would be a popular hashtag, and #weeknightrecipes would be a niche one.

    2. Use no more than five hashtags per post

    It’s tempting to add hashtags to fill the caption character limit. But you don't need quantity when finding hashtags for TikTok. In fact, adding too many hashtags can appear spammy and put off your audience.

    Instead of adding as many hashtags as possible, add between three and five quality hashtags to your TikTok content. Mix popular hashtags with niche ones, as mentioned earlier.

    3. Steer clear of irrelevant hashtags

    Don’t use generic hashtags like #foryoupage too much. They dilute the authority of your TikTok profile. It’s better to use more relevant, niche-related hashtags that reflect the topics of your TikTok content.

    Using irrelevant hashtags can also hurt your overall performance as the algorithm gets confused about your niche.

    4. Use a hashtag manager to store your hashtags

    Saving, organizing, and using hashtags can be challenging. But you don’t have to create sections in your Notes app to copy-paste or remember them by heart. It’s time-consuming and clunky. What if you had a hashtag manager built into your social media management tool?

    In Buffer, the hashtag manager helps you store and organize your hashtags. For instance, if you want to create a new category of hashtags to promote a sale, you can create a new group for it. Or you can categorize hashtags into your content pillars.

    Now, when you’re scheduling your TikTok content, Buffer will open the hashtag manager and in one click, you can paste all the hashtags you have stored.

    Pro tip: You’re not limited to storing hashtags in this tool! You can use it to save essential links or common CTAs you use often. 

    Top 250 TikTok Hashtags for 2025 + How to Use Them for Growth

    Make it easy for yourself to implement your hashtag strategy by signing up for Buffer.

    By now, you know how TikTok hashtags work and how quickly their relevance can fade. Keep an eye on the TikTok Creative Center to monitor trending hashtag challenges and use them where relevant. The algorithm loves trending content, too, so this will boost your performance.

    6. Create a branded hashtag

    Creating a branded hashtag gives you the opportunity to boost brand visibility and recall. You can even start using your own hashtags for sales, promotions, unique offers, or influencer partnerships.

    The only thing to remember is to ensure your own hashtags are easy to remember and catchy so more and more people get latched onto them.

    7. Measure hashtag performance

    Monitor your TikTok analytics to find which hashtags boost your reach the most and double down on them. If you have multiple sets of hashtags, notice which ones drive the most engagement.

    TikTok hashtags FAQs

    How many hashtags should I use on a TikTok post?

    TikTok has a five-hashtag limit. If you're aiming for clarity and relevance, stick to just a few highly targeted hashtags rather than stuffing as many as possible. This will keep your caption clear and engage people who are already interested in that topic.

    Do hashtags actually help with TikTok growth?

    Yes, when used strategically. Hashtags help categorize your content for the algorithm and make your videos discoverable in searches. While they won't make poor content go viral, they can significantly amplify the reach of quality videos by putting them in front of the right audience.

    A mix of both works best. Trending hashtags can help boost visibility to a broader audience, while niche hashtags connect you with a more targeted community. Aim for 1-2 trending hashtags and 2-3 niche hashtags that are directly relevant to your content.

    Where should I place hashtags in my TikTok caption?

    You can place hashtags either within your caption text (if they flow naturally) or at the end of your caption. Most creators opt to put them at the end to keep the main message clean and readable.

    How often should I update my hashtag strategy?

    Review your hashtag strategy at least monthly. TikTok trends change rapidly, so what works today might not work in a few weeks. Use your analytics to identify which hashtag combinations drive the most engagement and adjust accordingly.

    Hashtags can’t save a poor post, but they can increase the reach of a great one

    Hashtags aren’t the key to going viral. But if you create engaging content that your audience resonates with, hashtags can increase the number of new people you reach. I hope the best practices and list of hashtags helped you understand which hashtags you can use and how. Do you have any favorite hashtags that I missed? Comment below!

    More TikTok resources

  • What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    In this article, we’ll break down the average Instagram engagement rate by follower tier and share what the numbers actually mean in practice.How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be.

    If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community.

    In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram.

    What is Instagram engagement?

    Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. 

    Whenever your audience takes an action after seeing your post, it qualifies as an engagement. These actions can be:

    • Liking
    • Commenting
    • Sharing
    • Reposting
    • Saving

    “The engagement rate on your content is more important than your follower count,” says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. “Followers are important, yes, but a better sign of how you’re doing on Instagram is how many likes, views, and reshares your content is getting.”

    Why does Instagram engagement matter?

    Engagement rate on Instagram isn’t just important because Mosseri said so (although that’s a pretty big deal). But also because:

    1. Instagram engagement helps you understand the kind of content that resonates with your target audience. When you know what your followers like, you can replicate that content and refine your strategy.

    2. The Instagram algorithm loves posts that get engagement. High engagement rate = sign that people love your post. So, the algorithm pushes it to more people. This means that when you work to increase your Instagram engagement, you create a domino effect where you also improve your reach and, by extension, gain more followers. Talk about a win-win!

    3. Lastly, engagement isn't just about metrics. Social media is about building a deeper connection with your audience. Strengthening engagement is an excellent way to achieve that.

    “A lot of creators (and brands) treat Instagram like a broadcast channel rather than a two-way street. Posting is easy to systemise. Engaging requires time, nuance, and often a willingness to step outside of your content calendar. That’s why it gets deprioritised,” says social media expert Annie-Mai Hodge.

    “The irony is that the same people who skip engagement are usually the ones frustrated when their audience doesn’t rally behind their launches or projects. The benefits of engaging are very real: you build trust, you create a sense of loyalty, and you make people feel like they’re part of your world, not just spectators of it.”

    So now that we've covered why engagement matters, let's look at how to actually measure it.

    How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

    You can measure engagement on Instagram for each post by seeing how many likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves it has.

    Here are the two most common formulas you can use to measure your Instagram engagement rate.

    • By impressions: (Total engagements ÷ Total impressions) × 100
    • By followers: (Total engagements ÷ Follower count) × 100

    Engagements include likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts. If you use Buffer, the analytics dashboard does the math for you.

    Instagram engagement rate based on impressions

    When you measure your engagement rate using impressions, you see insights based on how many people saw your post — regardless of whether they follow you. This method is best for Instagram Reels, where the reach extends beyond your followers.

    For example, if your post was seen 1,000 times (impressions) and received 30 engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts), your engagement rate would be 3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you use a social media management software like Buffer to schedule your Instagram posts, it calculates the engagement rate for you. Here’s how that looks in Buffer.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Use the impressions-based engagement rate calculator to understand how your Instagram engagement compares to your overall visibility. That’s great since Instagram is also increasingly pushing your content to non-followers.

    Instagram engagement rate based on follower count

    The engagement formula based on follower count helps you understand how your existing followers are interacting with your content. Here’s the formula to measure your engagement rate this way:

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    For example, if you have 1,000 followers and one of your posts had 70 likes, 15 comments, and five shares, your engagement rate would be 9%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Follower-based engagement rates are good for understanding whether your content is resonating with your followers. 

    But it doesn’t tell you how many of your existing followers actually saw your content — that’s where an impressions-based Instagram engagement calculator would work better.

    Instagram engagement rate calculators

    There are several free Instagram engagement rate calculators online to help you understand the overall engagement of your Instagram account (rather than just a single post). But these tools often use different formulas to calculate the engagement rate.

    For example, Modash’s free engagement rate calculator uses median likes divided by followers as its formula.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But the Socialinsider Instagram engagement rate calculator takes a follower-based approach. It measures the engagement rate by calculating the sum of likes and comments divided by the number of posts in the last 30 days. Then it divides that number by the total number of followers.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Whichever Instagram engagement calculator you use, remember to check the metrics they’re using in their formula. This will help you understand if you’re getting the insights about what you actually want to know.

    Most Instagram engagement rate calculators online take a follower-based approach. For more nuanced insights into your engagement rate based on impressions, rely on a tool like Buffer. Bonus: It can also help you manage your entire social media strategy in one place.

    What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

    A ‘good’ engagement rate depends on various factors. In some industries, even 1% can be a high engagement rate — it doesn’t mean your content is falling flat. But the factor that has the most influence on engagement rate is the follower count.

    Buffer analyzed 27 million posts from 273,000 accounts to understand how engagement shifts as creators grow. The median engagement rate for the average Instagram account is 4.3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But if you’re a small account with up to 1,000 followers, the median number climbs to 5.2%. The median continues to shift as you grow a large following.

    💡
    Learn more about how the median engagement rate changes as your followers increase: What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    While the above metrics are helpful as a benchmark, don’t chase numbers alone. Instead, focus on creating content that your audience finds valuable. Track your individual progress and focus on the posts that get the most interactions.

    How to get more engagement on Instagram: 11 ways

    Before we dive into the strategies, here's something to keep in mind:  Instagram offers a lot  of ways to engage with your audience. 

    Wondering how to use all these features can be overwhelming. Should you engage more on stories than broadcast channels? Should you prioritize responding to comments or DMs?

    “Mix features throughout the week so you’re meeting your audience at different touchpoints, whether that’s stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes, or comments. Think about these features less as a checklist of engagement, and more as different layers of interaction,” says Annie-Mai.

    “Stories and Notes are low-stakes and invite quick taps or replies, while comments and channels create space for deeper exchanges. Test all of them for a few months, then look closely at where your community actually invests attention. The balance should be driven by where you see the richest back-and-forth, not by trying to tick every box.”

    That said, here are 11 tried-and-tested tips to help you increase your Instagram engagement. Let’s get into it.

    1. Ask specific questions in your captions as a call-to-action

    Asking specific questions in your Instagram captions is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement. It helps start a dialogue and encourages your audience to comment on your post.

    “Create engaging content that sparks a conversation. And I don’t mean rage bait; I mean content that poses a question for the audience, that feels very relatable, or that touches on common pain points,” says Mireia Boronat, Marketing Manager at The Social Shepherd.

    “Such content will always spark conversation in the comment section, as well as making the post more likely to be engaged with (liked, saved, and shared).”

    For example, see some call-to-action prompts from fitness creator Adriana Blanc. Both of these posts entice people to interact with her content and share their own opinions or stories.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: Asking your audience if they’d like a second part of a post is also an excellent way to test content ideas.

    Another easy way to improve your post’s visibility is to add three to five relevant hashtags in each post. They help the algorithm categorize your content and boost your Instagram search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Your call-to-action (CTA) should be relevant to the context of your Instagram post (duh). Still, it can be incredibly helpful to keep the intent of ‘conversation’ front and center in the ideation stage.

    2. Respond to your audience in comments and DMs

    Your effort to build engagement doesn’t end when you encourage your audience to comment. Instead, it begins at that moment. Your community won’t be excited to comment on your posts if you don’t respond to them. No one wants to talk to a wall.

    When you reply to comments, your followers feel heard and valued. Instagram also sees the engagement as a positive signal and continues to push your post to potential new followers.

    “If you could only pick one way to engage with your audience, comments is the one to go for,” says Mireia. “Communicating with existing followers and cultivating that safe space for communication encourages them to comment again in the future.”

    To continue the previous example, Adriana doesn’t just start conversations using specific CTAs in her caption — she actually responds to as many comments as possible.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re using Buffer, you can schedule, analyze, and even engage directly from the tool. Head over to the ‘Community’ tab to filter for unanswered comments.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Your post comments can also be an excellent place to practice social listening. Analyzing the comments from your audience can help you ignite content ideas and dive deeper into your community’s struggles.

    Instagram even gives you the option to respond to comments with a reel. It’s a big way to show your audience that you’re listening.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips
    Source

    Responding to comments is an easy way to boost the engagement of your post. But also take out the time to reply to your audience’s direct messages (DMs) — even if that doesn’t directly increase your engagement rate. Remember, engagement isn’t just about metrics. It’s also about fostering a sense of belonging with your audience.

    “But my inbox is a mess!” I hear you. Luckily, Instagram is also working on making DMs more manageable for creators. You can sort your inbox based on various parameters — such as story replies, unread, unanswered, followers, and verified. You can even create new inbox folders to customize this for yourself.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To summarize: If your audience is showing up for you in comments and DMs, do the same for them. It’ll not only boost your engagement, but also help you feel more connected to the community you’re working so hard to build.

    3. Reshare your posts in Instagram Stories and Broadcast Channels

    This one’s an easy and quick tip — whenever you post to your feed, reshare your content on your stories and broadcast channel.

    Some Instagram users who follow you might miss your recent content if they haven’t opened the app in a while. They also won't know about a new post unless their algorithm shows it at the top. Resharing your content gives you a second chance to improve its visibility with your existing followers.

    Here’s an example of how skincare creator Aishwarya Kandpal uses her stories and Broadcast Channel to reshare her content.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: You can also reshare old content from your Instagram account if you find the opportunity. For example, if you’ve created a post about back-to-school season last year, you can reshare it again this September because the content is relevant again.

    Psstt…speaking of back-to-school content, we’ve added ideas for this theme’s post in our ever-growing template library. Use them if you don’t want to start from scratch.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If back-to-school ideas aren't your thing, there are plenty more templates where that came from!

    4. Post when your audience is online

    Posting when your target audience is online is an easy way to increase engagement. Publishing content when your audience is already online increases the chances they’ll see your post and engage.

    According to Buffer’s analysis of over two million posts, the best time to post on Instagram is 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To understand the worst times to post on Instagram and how we calculated these insights, watch this video:

    You can also see personalized insights about when your audience is the most active using your Instagram analytics.

    • On the app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.
    • Choose Insights → Total followers.
    • Scroll to Most active times to see the hours and days your community is online.
    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Note: You need an Instagram business account or creator account to get access to these insights.

    5. Share more carousels

    According to a Buffer study of over four million Instagram posts, carousels get 12% more engagement than reels.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Reels still take the cake when it comes to getting more reach. But carousels are the winners for increasing engagement (compared to both videos and single-image posts).

    The multiple frames in Instagram Carousels provide more chances for your post to show up in followers’ feeds. If someone swiped on one of your carousel images and didn’t see the rest, Instagram will reattempt to show them the remaining images or videos in that post.

    Instagram users also behave differently with carousels. In the reels tab, they’re more likely to keep swiping up. But in carousels — which appear more often on the home and explore feed — they’ll likely pause and interact.

    6. Use Instagram Stories to connect with your followers

    Instagram Stories can’t help you get more followers or reach new users, but they are an excellent feature to deepen the connection with your existing followers. And consistent interaction with the community that’s already invested in you is an essential element of a wholesome engagement strategy.

    “Stories are an important way of engaging accounts that already follow you. Behind-the-scenes content and day-in-the-life type of content tends to do the best on stories,” says Mosseri.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    “We’ve also found that creators who post to stories often see fewer unfollows than creators who don’t, which can lead to stronger growth over time.”

    The best part is that stories offer plenty of features to interact with your followers.

    • Question stickers help you answer your followers’ questions or collect audience opinions/examples on a topic.
    • Quiz stickers allow you to choose the ‘right’ answer from various options. You can use this to educate your followers on a topic, tease the date of a new launch, etc.
    • Poll stickers let your audience choose between two options. You can use these to understand follower preferences about anything.
    • Countdown stickers help you build hype about a new post, live, or any other event so your audience can set reminders to tune in as soon as the timer goes off.
    • Close Friends lets you add your loyal fanbase to a list of their own, giving them access to exclusive content, discounts, events, and more.
    • Emoji sliders can help you gauge what your followers feel about a particular topic.
    • Reveal stickers encourage your audience to DM you — which further enables a more direct line to your audience.
    • ‘Add yours’ sticker lets you create a public story thread in which your audience can participate, too. It’s an excellent way to collect loads of user-generated content (UGC).
    • Notify stickers let your audience turn on notifications so they don’t miss your content.

    Stories offer a lot of room to be creative and interactive with your audience. Show up here as frequently as possible to strengthen your connection with your followers. The best part is you don’t have to be super polished here. Stories are specifically designed for more real-time sharing — leaving room to have fun and show up as you are

    Using audio in your posts is one of the best ways to increase engagement.

    “I always recommend using audio on reels, photos, and carousels,” says Mosseri. “It can help with engagement. With reels specifically, it means you can show up on audio pages where a lot of people go for inspiration.”

    Now, the audio can be anything — a voiceover, a song, etc. But to expand your reach even further, use trending sounds with your posts. The algorithm loves them and pushes the content that contains trending audios to more people.

    🎶

    8. Collaborate with creators, influencers, or brands

    Partnering with other creators is a common way to boost your reach. But it can also help improve your engagement. The content you create together is automatically exposed to a new segment of users on the app — ones who already trust and follow your co-creator.

    Ombachi Dennis is an excellent example of how to ace collab posts with various kinds of creators. The only requirement is that they should be adjacent to your niche, allowing you to reach relevant new audiences. As a food creator, Ombachi often finds creators who share his interest in cooking or align with his overall mission and values.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re a small business, find and partner with relevant Instagram influencers to increase your reach and engagement. For example, Made Good Foods often partners with climate activist creator Lauren Bash to promote their products to a new audience.

    Partnering with creators or Instagram influencers in your niche also paves the way for more creative and fresh content in your own account.

    9. Create shareable Instagram content

    Instagram doesn’t just value likes and comments; it also looks at shares to understand how valuable your content is to your audience.

    “One of the most important signals we use in ranking is sends per reach. When you’re creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend,” advises Mosseri. 

    “Don’t force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.”

    It makes sense: Shares indicate a deeper level of interaction than passive likes.

    To create shareable content, take a few steps back and ask: What kind of posts would my audience share with their friends? Why?

    For example, I shared this post with my friend recently because she's moving to a new place and arranging her furniture to match the space.

    Now, yes, the shareability here was more about timing. But there are some common threads between the content that people usually share with their friends:

    • Relatable content: This can be memes or conversations within your niche that someone finds relatable. I often share book reels with my reader friends, for instance.
    • Conversation starters: Share an opinion (specific to your niche) and content that starts a conversation. I often share hot takes I want to discuss with friends.
    • Emotional and storytelling-driven content: Spark an emotion using a story. This can be a funny behind-the-scenes video or a mini, vulnerable rant. People often share this because it makes them laugh and connect with others.

    As Mosseri suggested, don’t force it. But do your best to mix a few easily shareable posts in your content calendar.

    10. Create save-worthy content

    Similar to shares, saves also encourage your audience to view (and potentially, engage) with your content multiple times. I know I’ve saved a ton of recipes, fashion hacks, tool recommendation reels, and travel tips that I’ve referred back to and engaged with.

    Take this example directly from my saved folder — the creator here has shared various healthy snacks she orders from an app I use frequently. I’ve saved it for those times when I have hunger pangs. I also open it when I’m restocking my snack stash.

    Here are some formats you can use to create saveable content:

    • How-to tutorials (how to bake banana bread at home)
    • Lists and roundups (your top favorite protein-packed recipes) 
    • Pro tips on acing something (3 tips to sneak more fibre in your diet)
    • Inspiration boards (5 weeknight recipes that are quick and easy to make)
    • Common mistakes to avoid (5 things to know before you start adding more protein in your daily diet)
    • Templates and frameworks (5 ingredients you can mix-and-match for a delicious and healthy smoothie)

    Pro tip: Nudge your audience to save a post if you think they’d want to refer to it later. Say it as a CTA: “Save this for when [specific situation]”. It’s a small thing, but it can help increase engagement on your posts.

    11. Try Instagram’s new features early

    Instagram rolls out new features frequently. Since the pandemic, they’ve launched Broadcast Channels, Notes, Reposts, Maps — I’m sure I’m still missing a few. Being an early adopter can lead to engagement spikes. Why? Instagram wants people to use their new features and creators who do so are rewarded with increased visibility.

    Case in point: Mosseri recently said that creators who use Instagram’s new app, Edits, to edit their videos will see a little more reach.

    How do you stay on top of Instagram’s new feature updates?

    Hopping on the bandwagon early also lets you adapt your strategy to the latest functionalities. The early-mover advantage will help you ace the new features before everyone else hops on.

    Engagement is not just about numbers

    It can be tempting to chase hacky growth tips that promise a boosted engagement rate. But metrics aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to engagement. At its core, engagement is about creating genuine, two-way conversations with your audience. Focus on that and the numbers will follow suit.

    And if you want to make engagement, posting, and tracking easier, give Buffer a try (at no cost!). You can schedule your posts, engage with your tribe, analyze your performance, and a lot more.

    More Instagram resources

  • How to Schedule Pinterest Posts in 2025 (3 Easy Methods + 5 Quick Tips)

    How to Schedule Pinterest Posts in 2025 (3 Easy Methods + 5 Quick Tips)

    Scheduling your pins is the easiest way to stay consistent, save time, and finally beat the ‘post-when-I-can’ cycle. Here’s how to do it. How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be.

    If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community.

    In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram.

    What is Instagram engagement?

    Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. 

    Whenever your audience takes an action after seeing your post, it qualifies as an engagement. These actions can be:

    • Liking
    • Commenting
    • Sharing
    • Reposting
    • Saving

    “The engagement rate on your content is more important than your follower count,” says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. “Followers are important, yes, but a better sign of how you’re doing on Instagram is how many likes, views, and reshares your content is getting.”

    Why does Instagram engagement matter?

    Engagement rate on Instagram isn’t just important because Mosseri said so (although that’s a pretty big deal). But also because:

    1. Instagram engagement helps you understand the kind of content that resonates with your target audience. When you know what your followers like, you can replicate that content and refine your strategy.

    2. The Instagram algorithm loves posts that get engagement. High engagement rate = sign that people love your post. So, the algorithm pushes it to more people. This means that when you work to increase your Instagram engagement, you create a domino effect where you also improve your reach and, by extension, gain more followers. Talk about a win-win!

    3. Lastly, engagement isn't just about metrics. Social media is about building a deeper connection with your audience. Strengthening engagement is an excellent way to achieve that.

    “A lot of creators (and brands) treat Instagram like a broadcast channel rather than a two-way street. Posting is easy to systemise. Engaging requires time, nuance, and often a willingness to step outside of your content calendar. That’s why it gets deprioritised,” says social media expert Annie-Mai Hodge.

    “The irony is that the same people who skip engagement are usually the ones frustrated when their audience doesn’t rally behind their launches or projects. The benefits of engaging are very real: you build trust, you create a sense of loyalty, and you make people feel like they’re part of your world, not just spectators of it.”

    So now that we've covered why engagement matters, let's look at how to actually measure it.

    How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

    You can measure engagement on Instagram for each post by seeing how many likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves it has.

    Here are the two most common formulas you can use to measure your Instagram engagement rate.

    • By impressions: (Total engagements ÷ Total impressions) × 100
    • By followers: (Total engagements ÷ Follower count) × 100

    Engagements include likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts. If you use Buffer, the analytics dashboard does the math for you.

    Instagram engagement rate based on impressions

    When you measure your engagement rate using impressions, you see insights based on how many people saw your post — regardless of whether they follow you. This method is best for Instagram Reels, where the reach extends beyond your followers.

    For example, if your post was seen 1,000 times (impressions) and received 30 engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts), your engagement rate would be 3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you use a social media management software like Buffer to schedule your Instagram posts, it calculates the engagement rate for you. Here’s how that looks in Buffer.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Use the impressions-based engagement rate calculator to understand how your Instagram engagement compares to your overall visibility. That’s great since Instagram is also increasingly pushing your content to non-followers.

    Instagram engagement rate based on follower count

    The engagement formula based on follower count helps you understand how your existing followers are interacting with your content. Here’s the formula to measure your engagement rate this way:

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    For example, if you have 1,000 followers and one of your posts had 70 likes, 15 comments, and five shares, your engagement rate would be 9%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Follower-based engagement rates are good for understanding whether your content is resonating with your followers. 

    But it doesn’t tell you how many of your existing followers actually saw your content — that’s where an impressions-based Instagram engagement calculator would work better.

    Instagram engagement rate calculators

    There are several free Instagram engagement rate calculators online to help you understand the overall engagement of your Instagram account (rather than just a single post). But these tools often use different formulas to calculate the engagement rate.

    For example, Modash’s free engagement rate calculator uses median likes divided by followers as its formula.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But the Socialinsider Instagram engagement rate calculator takes a follower-based approach. It measures the engagement rate by calculating the sum of likes and comments divided by the number of posts in the last 30 days. Then it divides that number by the total number of followers.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Whichever Instagram engagement calculator you use, remember to check the metrics they’re using in their formula. This will help you understand if you’re getting the insights about what you actually want to know.

    Most Instagram engagement rate calculators online take a follower-based approach. For more nuanced insights into your engagement rate based on impressions, rely on a tool like Buffer. Bonus: It can also help you manage your entire social media strategy in one place.

    What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

    A ‘good’ engagement rate depends on various factors. In some industries, even 1% can be a high engagement rate — it doesn’t mean your content is falling flat. But the factor that has the most influence on engagement rate is the follower count.

    Buffer analyzed 27 million posts from 273,000 accounts to understand how engagement shifts as creators grow. The median engagement rate for the average Instagram account is 4.3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But if you’re a small account with up to 1,000 followers, the median number climbs to 5.2%. The median continues to shift as you grow a large following.

    💡
    Learn more about how the median engagement rate changes as your followers increase: What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    While the above metrics are helpful as a benchmark, don’t chase numbers alone. Instead, focus on creating content that your audience finds valuable. Track your individual progress and focus on the posts that get the most interactions.

    How to get more engagement on Instagram: 11 ways

    Before we dive into the strategies, here's something to keep in mind:  Instagram offers a lot  of ways to engage with your audience. 

    Wondering how to use all these features can be overwhelming. Should you engage more on stories than broadcast channels? Should you prioritize responding to comments or DMs?

    “Mix features throughout the week so you’re meeting your audience at different touchpoints, whether that’s stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes, or comments. Think about these features less as a checklist of engagement, and more as different layers of interaction,” says Annie-Mai.

    “Stories and Notes are low-stakes and invite quick taps or replies, while comments and channels create space for deeper exchanges. Test all of them for a few months, then look closely at where your community actually invests attention. The balance should be driven by where you see the richest back-and-forth, not by trying to tick every box.”

    That said, here are 11 tried-and-tested tips to help you increase your Instagram engagement. Let’s get into it.

    1. Ask specific questions in your captions as a call-to-action

    Asking specific questions in your Instagram captions is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement. It helps start a dialogue and encourages your audience to comment on your post.

    “Create engaging content that sparks a conversation. And I don’t mean rage bait; I mean content that poses a question for the audience, that feels very relatable, or that touches on common pain points,” says Mireia Boronat, Marketing Manager at The Social Shepherd.

    “Such content will always spark conversation in the comment section, as well as making the post more likely to be engaged with (liked, saved, and shared).”

    For example, see some call-to-action prompts from fitness creator Adriana Blanc. Both of these posts entice people to interact with her content and share their own opinions or stories.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: Asking your audience if they’d like a second part of a post is also an excellent way to test content ideas.

    Another easy way to improve your post’s visibility is to add three to five relevant hashtags in each post. They help the algorithm categorize your content and boost your Instagram search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Your call-to-action (CTA) should be relevant to the context of your Instagram post (duh). Still, it can be incredibly helpful to keep the intent of ‘conversation’ front and center in the ideation stage.

    2. Respond to your audience in comments and DMs

    Your effort to build engagement doesn’t end when you encourage your audience to comment. Instead, it begins at that moment. Your community won’t be excited to comment on your posts if you don’t respond to them. No one wants to talk to a wall.

    When you reply to comments, your followers feel heard and valued. Instagram also sees the engagement as a positive signal and continues to push your post to potential new followers.

    “If you could only pick one way to engage with your audience, comments is the one to go for,” says Mireia. “Communicating with existing followers and cultivating that safe space for communication encourages them to comment again in the future.”

    To continue the previous example, Adriana doesn’t just start conversations using specific CTAs in her caption — she actually responds to as many comments as possible.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re using Buffer, you can schedule, analyze, and even engage directly from the tool. Head over to the ‘Community’ tab to filter for unanswered comments.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Your post comments can also be an excellent place to practice social listening. Analyzing the comments from your audience can help you ignite content ideas and dive deeper into your community’s struggles.

    Instagram even gives you the option to respond to comments with a reel. It’s a big way to show your audience that you’re listening.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips
    Source

    Responding to comments is an easy way to boost the engagement of your post. But also take out the time to reply to your audience’s direct messages (DMs) — even if that doesn’t directly increase your engagement rate. Remember, engagement isn’t just about metrics. It’s also about fostering a sense of belonging with your audience.

    “But my inbox is a mess!” I hear you. Luckily, Instagram is also working on making DMs more manageable for creators. You can sort your inbox based on various parameters — such as story replies, unread, unanswered, followers, and verified. You can even create new inbox folders to customize this for yourself.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To summarize: If your audience is showing up for you in comments and DMs, do the same for them. It’ll not only boost your engagement, but also help you feel more connected to the community you’re working so hard to build.

    3. Reshare your posts in Instagram Stories and Broadcast Channels

    This one’s an easy and quick tip — whenever you post to your feed, reshare your content on your stories and broadcast channel.

    Some Instagram users who follow you might miss your recent content if they haven’t opened the app in a while. They also won't know about a new post unless their algorithm shows it at the top. Resharing your content gives you a second chance to improve its visibility with your existing followers.

    Here’s an example of how skincare creator Aishwarya Kandpal uses her stories and Broadcast Channel to reshare her content.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: You can also reshare old content from your Instagram account if you find the opportunity. For example, if you’ve created a post about back-to-school season last year, you can reshare it again this September because the content is relevant again.

    Psstt…speaking of back-to-school content, we’ve added ideas for this theme’s post in our ever-growing template library. Use them if you don’t want to start from scratch.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If back-to-school ideas aren't your thing, there are plenty more templates where that came from!

    4. Post when your audience is online

    Posting when your target audience is online is an easy way to increase engagement. Publishing content when your audience is already online increases the chances they’ll see your post and engage.

    According to Buffer’s analysis of over two million posts, the best time to post on Instagram is 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To understand the worst times to post on Instagram and how we calculated these insights, watch this video:

    You can also see personalized insights about when your audience is the most active using your Instagram analytics.

    • On the app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.
    • Choose Insights → Total followers.
    • Scroll to Most active times to see the hours and days your community is online.
    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Note: You need an Instagram business account or creator account to get access to these insights.

    5. Share more carousels

    According to a Buffer study of over four million Instagram posts, carousels get 12% more engagement than reels.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Reels still take the cake when it comes to getting more reach. But carousels are the winners for increasing engagement (compared to both videos and single-image posts).

    The multiple frames in Instagram Carousels provide more chances for your post to show up in followers’ feeds. If someone swiped on one of your carousel images and didn’t see the rest, Instagram will reattempt to show them the remaining images or videos in that post.

    Instagram users also behave differently with carousels. In the reels tab, they’re more likely to keep swiping up. But in carousels — which appear more often on the home and explore feed — they’ll likely pause and interact.

    6. Use Instagram Stories to connect with your followers

    Instagram Stories can’t help you get more followers or reach new users, but they are an excellent feature to deepen the connection with your existing followers. And consistent interaction with the community that’s already invested in you is an essential element of a wholesome engagement strategy.

    “Stories are an important way of engaging accounts that already follow you. Behind-the-scenes content and day-in-the-life type of content tends to do the best on stories,” says Mosseri.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    “We’ve also found that creators who post to stories often see fewer unfollows than creators who don’t, which can lead to stronger growth over time.”

    The best part is that stories offer plenty of features to interact with your followers.

    • Question stickers help you answer your followers’ questions or collect audience opinions/examples on a topic.
    • Quiz stickers allow you to choose the ‘right’ answer from various options. You can use this to educate your followers on a topic, tease the date of a new launch, etc.
    • Poll stickers let your audience choose between two options. You can use these to understand follower preferences about anything.
    • Countdown stickers help you build hype about a new post, live, or any other event so your audience can set reminders to tune in as soon as the timer goes off.
    • Close Friends lets you add your loyal fanbase to a list of their own, giving them access to exclusive content, discounts, events, and more.
    • Emoji sliders can help you gauge what your followers feel about a particular topic.
    • Reveal stickers encourage your audience to DM you — which further enables a more direct line to your audience.
    • ‘Add yours’ sticker lets you create a public story thread in which your audience can participate, too. It’s an excellent way to collect loads of user-generated content (UGC).
    • Notify stickers let your audience turn on notifications so they don’t miss your content.

    Stories offer a lot of room to be creative and interactive with your audience. Show up here as frequently as possible to strengthen your connection with your followers. The best part is you don’t have to be super polished here. Stories are specifically designed for more real-time sharing — leaving room to have fun and show up as you are

    Using audio in your posts is one of the best ways to increase engagement.

    “I always recommend using audio on reels, photos, and carousels,” says Mosseri. “It can help with engagement. With reels specifically, it means you can show up on audio pages where a lot of people go for inspiration.”

    Now, the audio can be anything — a voiceover, a song, etc. But to expand your reach even further, use trending sounds with your posts. The algorithm loves them and pushes the content that contains trending audios to more people.

    🎶

    8. Collaborate with creators, influencers, or brands

    Partnering with other creators is a common way to boost your reach. But it can also help improve your engagement. The content you create together is automatically exposed to a new segment of users on the app — ones who already trust and follow your co-creator.

    Ombachi Dennis is an excellent example of how to ace collab posts with various kinds of creators. The only requirement is that they should be adjacent to your niche, allowing you to reach relevant new audiences. As a food creator, Ombachi often finds creators who share his interest in cooking or align with his overall mission and values.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re a small business, find and partner with relevant Instagram influencers to increase your reach and engagement. For example, Made Good Foods often partners with climate activist creator Lauren Bash to promote their products to a new audience.

    Partnering with creators or Instagram influencers in your niche also paves the way for more creative and fresh content in your own account.

    9. Create shareable Instagram content

    Instagram doesn’t just value likes and comments; it also looks at shares to understand how valuable your content is to your audience.

    “One of the most important signals we use in ranking is sends per reach. When you’re creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend,” advises Mosseri. 

    “Don’t force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.”

    It makes sense: Shares indicate a deeper level of interaction than passive likes.

    To create shareable content, take a few steps back and ask: What kind of posts would my audience share with their friends? Why?

    For example, I shared this post with my friend recently because she's moving to a new place and arranging her furniture to match the space.

    Now, yes, the shareability here was more about timing. But there are some common threads between the content that people usually share with their friends:

    • Relatable content: This can be memes or conversations within your niche that someone finds relatable. I often share book reels with my reader friends, for instance.
    • Conversation starters: Share an opinion (specific to your niche) and content that starts a conversation. I often share hot takes I want to discuss with friends.
    • Emotional and storytelling-driven content: Spark an emotion using a story. This can be a funny behind-the-scenes video or a mini, vulnerable rant. People often share this because it makes them laugh and connect with others.

    As Mosseri suggested, don’t force it. But do your best to mix a few easily shareable posts in your content calendar.

    10. Create save-worthy content

    Similar to shares, saves also encourage your audience to view (and potentially, engage) with your content multiple times. I know I’ve saved a ton of recipes, fashion hacks, tool recommendation reels, and travel tips that I’ve referred back to and engaged with.

    Take this example directly from my saved folder — the creator here has shared various healthy snacks she orders from an app I use frequently. I’ve saved it for those times when I have hunger pangs. I also open it when I’m restocking my snack stash.

    Here are some formats you can use to create saveable content:

    • How-to tutorials (how to bake banana bread at home)
    • Lists and roundups (your top favorite protein-packed recipes) 
    • Pro tips on acing something (3 tips to sneak more fibre in your diet)
    • Inspiration boards (5 weeknight recipes that are quick and easy to make)
    • Common mistakes to avoid (5 things to know before you start adding more protein in your daily diet)
    • Templates and frameworks (5 ingredients you can mix-and-match for a delicious and healthy smoothie)

    Pro tip: Nudge your audience to save a post if you think they’d want to refer to it later. Say it as a CTA: “Save this for when [specific situation]”. It’s a small thing, but it can help increase engagement on your posts.

    11. Try Instagram’s new features early

    Instagram rolls out new features frequently. Since the pandemic, they’ve launched Broadcast Channels, Notes, Reposts, Maps — I’m sure I’m still missing a few. Being an early adopter can lead to engagement spikes. Why? Instagram wants people to use their new features and creators who do so are rewarded with increased visibility.

    Case in point: Mosseri recently said that creators who use Instagram’s new app, Edits, to edit their videos will see a little more reach.

    How do you stay on top of Instagram’s new feature updates?

    Hopping on the bandwagon early also lets you adapt your strategy to the latest functionalities. The early-mover advantage will help you ace the new features before everyone else hops on.

    Engagement is not just about numbers

    It can be tempting to chase hacky growth tips that promise a boosted engagement rate. But metrics aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to engagement. At its core, engagement is about creating genuine, two-way conversations with your audience. Focus on that and the numbers will follow suit.

    And if you want to make engagement, posting, and tracking easier, give Buffer a try (at no cost!). You can schedule your posts, engage with your tribe, analyze your performance, and a lot more.

    More Instagram resources

  • How I Make Money as a Nano-Creator

    How I Make Money as a Nano-Creator

    You don’t need a massive audience to make money as a creator, but you do need strategy, consistency, and a strong, authentic voice. Here’s how I do it.How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be.

    If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community.

    In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram.

    What is Instagram engagement?

    Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. 

    Whenever your audience takes an action after seeing your post, it qualifies as an engagement. These actions can be:

    • Liking
    • Commenting
    • Sharing
    • Reposting
    • Saving

    “The engagement rate on your content is more important than your follower count,” says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. “Followers are important, yes, but a better sign of how you’re doing on Instagram is how many likes, views, and reshares your content is getting.”

    Why does Instagram engagement matter?

    Engagement rate on Instagram isn’t just important because Mosseri said so (although that’s a pretty big deal). But also because:

    1. Instagram engagement helps you understand the kind of content that resonates with your target audience. When you know what your followers like, you can replicate that content and refine your strategy.

    2. The Instagram algorithm loves posts that get engagement. High engagement rate = sign that people love your post. So, the algorithm pushes it to more people. This means that when you work to increase your Instagram engagement, you create a domino effect where you also improve your reach and, by extension, gain more followers. Talk about a win-win!

    3. Lastly, engagement isn't just about metrics. Social media is about building a deeper connection with your audience. Strengthening engagement is an excellent way to achieve that.

    “A lot of creators (and brands) treat Instagram like a broadcast channel rather than a two-way street. Posting is easy to systemise. Engaging requires time, nuance, and often a willingness to step outside of your content calendar. That’s why it gets deprioritised,” says social media expert Annie-Mai Hodge.

    “The irony is that the same people who skip engagement are usually the ones frustrated when their audience doesn’t rally behind their launches or projects. The benefits of engaging are very real: you build trust, you create a sense of loyalty, and you make people feel like they’re part of your world, not just spectators of it.”

    So now that we've covered why engagement matters, let's look at how to actually measure it.

    How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

    You can measure engagement on Instagram for each post by seeing how many likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves it has.

    Here are the two most common formulas you can use to measure your Instagram engagement rate.

    • By impressions: (Total engagements ÷ Total impressions) × 100
    • By followers: (Total engagements ÷ Follower count) × 100

    Engagements include likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts. If you use Buffer, the analytics dashboard does the math for you.

    Instagram engagement rate based on impressions

    When you measure your engagement rate using impressions, you see insights based on how many people saw your post — regardless of whether they follow you. This method is best for Instagram Reels, where the reach extends beyond your followers.

    For example, if your post was seen 1,000 times (impressions) and received 30 engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts), your engagement rate would be 3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you use a social media management software like Buffer to schedule your Instagram posts, it calculates the engagement rate for you. Here’s how that looks in Buffer.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Use the impressions-based engagement rate calculator to understand how your Instagram engagement compares to your overall visibility. That’s great since Instagram is also increasingly pushing your content to non-followers.

    Instagram engagement rate based on follower count

    The engagement formula based on follower count helps you understand how your existing followers are interacting with your content. Here’s the formula to measure your engagement rate this way:

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    For example, if you have 1,000 followers and one of your posts had 70 likes, 15 comments, and five shares, your engagement rate would be 9%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Follower-based engagement rates are good for understanding whether your content is resonating with your followers. 

    But it doesn’t tell you how many of your existing followers actually saw your content — that’s where an impressions-based Instagram engagement calculator would work better.

    Instagram engagement rate calculators

    There are several free Instagram engagement rate calculators online to help you understand the overall engagement of your Instagram account (rather than just a single post). But these tools often use different formulas to calculate the engagement rate.

    For example, Modash’s free engagement rate calculator uses median likes divided by followers as its formula.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But the Socialinsider Instagram engagement rate calculator takes a follower-based approach. It measures the engagement rate by calculating the sum of likes and comments divided by the number of posts in the last 30 days. Then it divides that number by the total number of followers.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Whichever Instagram engagement calculator you use, remember to check the metrics they’re using in their formula. This will help you understand if you’re getting the insights about what you actually want to know.

    Most Instagram engagement rate calculators online take a follower-based approach. For more nuanced insights into your engagement rate based on impressions, rely on a tool like Buffer. Bonus: It can also help you manage your entire social media strategy in one place.

    What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

    A ‘good’ engagement rate depends on various factors. In some industries, even 1% can be a high engagement rate — it doesn’t mean your content is falling flat. But the factor that has the most influence on engagement rate is the follower count.

    Buffer analyzed 27 million posts from 273,000 accounts to understand how engagement shifts as creators grow. The median engagement rate for the average Instagram account is 4.3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But if you’re a small account with up to 1,000 followers, the median number climbs to 5.2%. The median continues to shift as you grow a large following.

    💡
    Learn more about how the median engagement rate changes as your followers increase: What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    While the above metrics are helpful as a benchmark, don’t chase numbers alone. Instead, focus on creating content that your audience finds valuable. Track your individual progress and focus on the posts that get the most interactions.

    How to get more engagement on Instagram: 11 ways

    Before we dive into the strategies, here's something to keep in mind:  Instagram offers a lot  of ways to engage with your audience. 

    Wondering how to use all these features can be overwhelming. Should you engage more on stories than broadcast channels? Should you prioritize responding to comments or DMs?

    “Mix features throughout the week so you’re meeting your audience at different touchpoints, whether that’s stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes, or comments. Think about these features less as a checklist of engagement, and more as different layers of interaction,” says Annie-Mai.

    “Stories and Notes are low-stakes and invite quick taps or replies, while comments and channels create space for deeper exchanges. Test all of them for a few months, then look closely at where your community actually invests attention. The balance should be driven by where you see the richest back-and-forth, not by trying to tick every box.”

    That said, here are 11 tried-and-tested tips to help you increase your Instagram engagement. Let’s get into it.

    1. Ask specific questions in your captions as a call-to-action

    Asking specific questions in your Instagram captions is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement. It helps start a dialogue and encourages your audience to comment on your post.

    “Create engaging content that sparks a conversation. And I don’t mean rage bait; I mean content that poses a question for the audience, that feels very relatable, or that touches on common pain points,” says Mireia Boronat, Marketing Manager at The Social Shepherd.

    “Such content will always spark conversation in the comment section, as well as making the post more likely to be engaged with (liked, saved, and shared).”

    For example, see some call-to-action prompts from fitness creator Adriana Blanc. Both of these posts entice people to interact with her content and share their own opinions or stories.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: Asking your audience if they’d like a second part of a post is also an excellent way to test content ideas.

    Another easy way to improve your post’s visibility is to add three to five relevant hashtags in each post. They help the algorithm categorize your content and boost your Instagram search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Your call-to-action (CTA) should be relevant to the context of your Instagram post (duh). Still, it can be incredibly helpful to keep the intent of ‘conversation’ front and center in the ideation stage.

    2. Respond to your audience in comments and DMs

    Your effort to build engagement doesn’t end when you encourage your audience to comment. Instead, it begins at that moment. Your community won’t be excited to comment on your posts if you don’t respond to them. No one wants to talk to a wall.

    When you reply to comments, your followers feel heard and valued. Instagram also sees the engagement as a positive signal and continues to push your post to potential new followers.

    “If you could only pick one way to engage with your audience, comments is the one to go for,” says Mireia. “Communicating with existing followers and cultivating that safe space for communication encourages them to comment again in the future.”

    To continue the previous example, Adriana doesn’t just start conversations using specific CTAs in her caption — she actually responds to as many comments as possible.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re using Buffer, you can schedule, analyze, and even engage directly from the tool. Head over to the ‘Community’ tab to filter for unanswered comments.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Your post comments can also be an excellent place to practice social listening. Analyzing the comments from your audience can help you ignite content ideas and dive deeper into your community’s struggles.

    Instagram even gives you the option to respond to comments with a reel. It’s a big way to show your audience that you’re listening.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips
    Source

    Responding to comments is an easy way to boost the engagement of your post. But also take out the time to reply to your audience’s direct messages (DMs) — even if that doesn’t directly increase your engagement rate. Remember, engagement isn’t just about metrics. It’s also about fostering a sense of belonging with your audience.

    “But my inbox is a mess!” I hear you. Luckily, Instagram is also working on making DMs more manageable for creators. You can sort your inbox based on various parameters — such as story replies, unread, unanswered, followers, and verified. You can even create new inbox folders to customize this for yourself.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To summarize: If your audience is showing up for you in comments and DMs, do the same for them. It’ll not only boost your engagement, but also help you feel more connected to the community you’re working so hard to build.

    3. Reshare your posts in Instagram Stories and Broadcast Channels

    This one’s an easy and quick tip — whenever you post to your feed, reshare your content on your stories and broadcast channel.

    Some Instagram users who follow you might miss your recent content if they haven’t opened the app in a while. They also won't know about a new post unless their algorithm shows it at the top. Resharing your content gives you a second chance to improve its visibility with your existing followers.

    Here’s an example of how skincare creator Aishwarya Kandpal uses her stories and Broadcast Channel to reshare her content.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: You can also reshare old content from your Instagram account if you find the opportunity. For example, if you’ve created a post about back-to-school season last year, you can reshare it again this September because the content is relevant again.

    Psstt…speaking of back-to-school content, we’ve added ideas for this theme’s post in our ever-growing template library. Use them if you don’t want to start from scratch.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If back-to-school ideas aren't your thing, there are plenty more templates where that came from!

    4. Post when your audience is online

    Posting when your target audience is online is an easy way to increase engagement. Publishing content when your audience is already online increases the chances they’ll see your post and engage.

    According to Buffer’s analysis of over two million posts, the best time to post on Instagram is 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To understand the worst times to post on Instagram and how we calculated these insights, watch this video:

    You can also see personalized insights about when your audience is the most active using your Instagram analytics.

    • On the app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.
    • Choose Insights → Total followers.
    • Scroll to Most active times to see the hours and days your community is online.
    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Note: You need an Instagram business account or creator account to get access to these insights.

    5. Share more carousels

    According to a Buffer study of over four million Instagram posts, carousels get 12% more engagement than reels.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Reels still take the cake when it comes to getting more reach. But carousels are the winners for increasing engagement (compared to both videos and single-image posts).

    The multiple frames in Instagram Carousels provide more chances for your post to show up in followers’ feeds. If someone swiped on one of your carousel images and didn’t see the rest, Instagram will reattempt to show them the remaining images or videos in that post.

    Instagram users also behave differently with carousels. In the reels tab, they’re more likely to keep swiping up. But in carousels — which appear more often on the home and explore feed — they’ll likely pause and interact.

    6. Use Instagram Stories to connect with your followers

    Instagram Stories can’t help you get more followers or reach new users, but they are an excellent feature to deepen the connection with your existing followers. And consistent interaction with the community that’s already invested in you is an essential element of a wholesome engagement strategy.

    “Stories are an important way of engaging accounts that already follow you. Behind-the-scenes content and day-in-the-life type of content tends to do the best on stories,” says Mosseri.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    “We’ve also found that creators who post to stories often see fewer unfollows than creators who don’t, which can lead to stronger growth over time.”

    The best part is that stories offer plenty of features to interact with your followers.

    • Question stickers help you answer your followers’ questions or collect audience opinions/examples on a topic.
    • Quiz stickers allow you to choose the ‘right’ answer from various options. You can use this to educate your followers on a topic, tease the date of a new launch, etc.
    • Poll stickers let your audience choose between two options. You can use these to understand follower preferences about anything.
    • Countdown stickers help you build hype about a new post, live, or any other event so your audience can set reminders to tune in as soon as the timer goes off.
    • Close Friends lets you add your loyal fanbase to a list of their own, giving them access to exclusive content, discounts, events, and more.
    • Emoji sliders can help you gauge what your followers feel about a particular topic.
    • Reveal stickers encourage your audience to DM you — which further enables a more direct line to your audience.
    • ‘Add yours’ sticker lets you create a public story thread in which your audience can participate, too. It’s an excellent way to collect loads of user-generated content (UGC).
    • Notify stickers let your audience turn on notifications so they don’t miss your content.

    Stories offer a lot of room to be creative and interactive with your audience. Show up here as frequently as possible to strengthen your connection with your followers. The best part is you don’t have to be super polished here. Stories are specifically designed for more real-time sharing — leaving room to have fun and show up as you are

    Using audio in your posts is one of the best ways to increase engagement.

    “I always recommend using audio on reels, photos, and carousels,” says Mosseri. “It can help with engagement. With reels specifically, it means you can show up on audio pages where a lot of people go for inspiration.”

    Now, the audio can be anything — a voiceover, a song, etc. But to expand your reach even further, use trending sounds with your posts. The algorithm loves them and pushes the content that contains trending audios to more people.

    🎶

    8. Collaborate with creators, influencers, or brands

    Partnering with other creators is a common way to boost your reach. But it can also help improve your engagement. The content you create together is automatically exposed to a new segment of users on the app — ones who already trust and follow your co-creator.

    Ombachi Dennis is an excellent example of how to ace collab posts with various kinds of creators. The only requirement is that they should be adjacent to your niche, allowing you to reach relevant new audiences. As a food creator, Ombachi often finds creators who share his interest in cooking or align with his overall mission and values.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re a small business, find and partner with relevant Instagram influencers to increase your reach and engagement. For example, Made Good Foods often partners with climate activist creator Lauren Bash to promote their products to a new audience.

    Partnering with creators or Instagram influencers in your niche also paves the way for more creative and fresh content in your own account.

    9. Create shareable Instagram content

    Instagram doesn’t just value likes and comments; it also looks at shares to understand how valuable your content is to your audience.

    “One of the most important signals we use in ranking is sends per reach. When you’re creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend,” advises Mosseri. 

    “Don’t force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.”

    It makes sense: Shares indicate a deeper level of interaction than passive likes.

    To create shareable content, take a few steps back and ask: What kind of posts would my audience share with their friends? Why?

    For example, I shared this post with my friend recently because she's moving to a new place and arranging her furniture to match the space.

    Now, yes, the shareability here was more about timing. But there are some common threads between the content that people usually share with their friends:

    • Relatable content: This can be memes or conversations within your niche that someone finds relatable. I often share book reels with my reader friends, for instance.
    • Conversation starters: Share an opinion (specific to your niche) and content that starts a conversation. I often share hot takes I want to discuss with friends.
    • Emotional and storytelling-driven content: Spark an emotion using a story. This can be a funny behind-the-scenes video or a mini, vulnerable rant. People often share this because it makes them laugh and connect with others.

    As Mosseri suggested, don’t force it. But do your best to mix a few easily shareable posts in your content calendar.

    10. Create save-worthy content

    Similar to shares, saves also encourage your audience to view (and potentially, engage) with your content multiple times. I know I’ve saved a ton of recipes, fashion hacks, tool recommendation reels, and travel tips that I’ve referred back to and engaged with.

    Take this example directly from my saved folder — the creator here has shared various healthy snacks she orders from an app I use frequently. I’ve saved it for those times when I have hunger pangs. I also open it when I’m restocking my snack stash.

    Here are some formats you can use to create saveable content:

    • How-to tutorials (how to bake banana bread at home)
    • Lists and roundups (your top favorite protein-packed recipes) 
    • Pro tips on acing something (3 tips to sneak more fibre in your diet)
    • Inspiration boards (5 weeknight recipes that are quick and easy to make)
    • Common mistakes to avoid (5 things to know before you start adding more protein in your daily diet)
    • Templates and frameworks (5 ingredients you can mix-and-match for a delicious and healthy smoothie)

    Pro tip: Nudge your audience to save a post if you think they’d want to refer to it later. Say it as a CTA: “Save this for when [specific situation]”. It’s a small thing, but it can help increase engagement on your posts.

    11. Try Instagram’s new features early

    Instagram rolls out new features frequently. Since the pandemic, they’ve launched Broadcast Channels, Notes, Reposts, Maps — I’m sure I’m still missing a few. Being an early adopter can lead to engagement spikes. Why? Instagram wants people to use their new features and creators who do so are rewarded with increased visibility.

    Case in point: Mosseri recently said that creators who use Instagram’s new app, Edits, to edit their videos will see a little more reach.

    How do you stay on top of Instagram’s new feature updates?

    Hopping on the bandwagon early also lets you adapt your strategy to the latest functionalities. The early-mover advantage will help you ace the new features before everyone else hops on.

    Engagement is not just about numbers

    It can be tempting to chase hacky growth tips that promise a boosted engagement rate. But metrics aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to engagement. At its core, engagement is about creating genuine, two-way conversations with your audience. Focus on that and the numbers will follow suit.

    And if you want to make engagement, posting, and tracking easier, give Buffer a try (at no cost!). You can schedule your posts, engage with your tribe, analyze your performance, and a lot more.

    More Instagram resources

  • 13 Ways to Get More Views on YouTube in 2025 (With Examples)

    13 Ways to Get More Views on YouTube in 2025 (With Examples)

    Getting more views on YouTube is challenging, but it’s also not as difficult as it seems. Learn 13 practical ways to boost your YouTube views.How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be.

    If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community.

    In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram.

    What is Instagram engagement?

    Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. 

    Whenever your audience takes an action after seeing your post, it qualifies as an engagement. These actions can be:

    • Liking
    • Commenting
    • Sharing
    • Reposting
    • Saving

    “The engagement rate on your content is more important than your follower count,” says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. “Followers are important, yes, but a better sign of how you’re doing on Instagram is how many likes, views, and reshares your content is getting.”

    Why does Instagram engagement matter?

    Engagement rate on Instagram isn’t just important because Mosseri said so (although that’s a pretty big deal). But also because:

    1. Instagram engagement helps you understand the kind of content that resonates with your target audience. When you know what your followers like, you can replicate that content and refine your strategy.

    2. The Instagram algorithm loves posts that get engagement. High engagement rate = sign that people love your post. So, the algorithm pushes it to more people. This means that when you work to increase your Instagram engagement, you create a domino effect where you also improve your reach and, by extension, gain more followers. Talk about a win-win!

    3. Lastly, engagement isn't just about metrics. Social media is about building a deeper connection with your audience. Strengthening engagement is an excellent way to achieve that.

    “A lot of creators (and brands) treat Instagram like a broadcast channel rather than a two-way street. Posting is easy to systemise. Engaging requires time, nuance, and often a willingness to step outside of your content calendar. That’s why it gets deprioritised,” says social media expert Annie-Mai Hodge.

    “The irony is that the same people who skip engagement are usually the ones frustrated when their audience doesn’t rally behind their launches or projects. The benefits of engaging are very real: you build trust, you create a sense of loyalty, and you make people feel like they’re part of your world, not just spectators of it.”

    So now that we've covered why engagement matters, let's look at how to actually measure it.

    How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

    You can measure engagement on Instagram for each post by seeing how many likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves it has.

    Here are the two most common formulas you can use to measure your Instagram engagement rate.

    • By impressions: (Total engagements ÷ Total impressions) × 100
    • By followers: (Total engagements ÷ Follower count) × 100

    Engagements include likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts. If you use Buffer, the analytics dashboard does the math for you.

    Instagram engagement rate based on impressions

    When you measure your engagement rate using impressions, you see insights based on how many people saw your post — regardless of whether they follow you. This method is best for Instagram Reels, where the reach extends beyond your followers.

    For example, if your post was seen 1,000 times (impressions) and received 30 engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts), your engagement rate would be 3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you use a social media management software like Buffer to schedule your Instagram posts, it calculates the engagement rate for you. Here’s how that looks in Buffer.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Use the impressions-based engagement rate calculator to understand how your Instagram engagement compares to your overall visibility. That’s great since Instagram is also increasingly pushing your content to non-followers.

    Instagram engagement rate based on follower count

    The engagement formula based on follower count helps you understand how your existing followers are interacting with your content. Here’s the formula to measure your engagement rate this way:

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    For example, if you have 1,000 followers and one of your posts had 70 likes, 15 comments, and five shares, your engagement rate would be 9%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Follower-based engagement rates are good for understanding whether your content is resonating with your followers. 

    But it doesn’t tell you how many of your existing followers actually saw your content — that’s where an impressions-based Instagram engagement calculator would work better.

    Instagram engagement rate calculators

    There are several free Instagram engagement rate calculators online to help you understand the overall engagement of your Instagram account (rather than just a single post). But these tools often use different formulas to calculate the engagement rate.

    For example, Modash’s free engagement rate calculator uses median likes divided by followers as its formula.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But the Socialinsider Instagram engagement rate calculator takes a follower-based approach. It measures the engagement rate by calculating the sum of likes and comments divided by the number of posts in the last 30 days. Then it divides that number by the total number of followers.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Whichever Instagram engagement calculator you use, remember to check the metrics they’re using in their formula. This will help you understand if you’re getting the insights about what you actually want to know.

    Most Instagram engagement rate calculators online take a follower-based approach. For more nuanced insights into your engagement rate based on impressions, rely on a tool like Buffer. Bonus: It can also help you manage your entire social media strategy in one place.

    What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

    A ‘good’ engagement rate depends on various factors. In some industries, even 1% can be a high engagement rate — it doesn’t mean your content is falling flat. But the factor that has the most influence on engagement rate is the follower count.

    Buffer analyzed 27 million posts from 273,000 accounts to understand how engagement shifts as creators grow. The median engagement rate for the average Instagram account is 4.3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But if you’re a small account with up to 1,000 followers, the median number climbs to 5.2%. The median continues to shift as you grow a large following.

    💡
    Learn more about how the median engagement rate changes as your followers increase: What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    While the above metrics are helpful as a benchmark, don’t chase numbers alone. Instead, focus on creating content that your audience finds valuable. Track your individual progress and focus on the posts that get the most interactions.

    How to get more engagement on Instagram: 11 ways

    Before we dive into the strategies, here's something to keep in mind:  Instagram offers a lot  of ways to engage with your audience. 

    Wondering how to use all these features can be overwhelming. Should you engage more on stories than broadcast channels? Should you prioritize responding to comments or DMs?

    “Mix features throughout the week so you’re meeting your audience at different touchpoints, whether that’s stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes, or comments. Think about these features less as a checklist of engagement, and more as different layers of interaction,” says Annie-Mai.

    “Stories and Notes are low-stakes and invite quick taps or replies, while comments and channels create space for deeper exchanges. Test all of them for a few months, then look closely at where your community actually invests attention. The balance should be driven by where you see the richest back-and-forth, not by trying to tick every box.”

    That said, here are 11 tried-and-tested tips to help you increase your Instagram engagement. Let’s get into it.

    1. Ask specific questions in your captions as a call-to-action

    Asking specific questions in your Instagram captions is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement. It helps start a dialogue and encourages your audience to comment on your post.

    “Create engaging content that sparks a conversation. And I don’t mean rage bait; I mean content that poses a question for the audience, that feels very relatable, or that touches on common pain points,” says Mireia Boronat, Marketing Manager at The Social Shepherd.

    “Such content will always spark conversation in the comment section, as well as making the post more likely to be engaged with (liked, saved, and shared).”

    For example, see some call-to-action prompts from fitness creator Adriana Blanc. Both of these posts entice people to interact with her content and share their own opinions or stories.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: Asking your audience if they’d like a second part of a post is also an excellent way to test content ideas.

    Another easy way to improve your post’s visibility is to add three to five relevant hashtags in each post. They help the algorithm categorize your content and boost your Instagram search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Your call-to-action (CTA) should be relevant to the context of your Instagram post (duh). Still, it can be incredibly helpful to keep the intent of ‘conversation’ front and center in the ideation stage.

    2. Respond to your audience in comments and DMs

    Your effort to build engagement doesn’t end when you encourage your audience to comment. Instead, it begins at that moment. Your community won’t be excited to comment on your posts if you don’t respond to them. No one wants to talk to a wall.

    When you reply to comments, your followers feel heard and valued. Instagram also sees the engagement as a positive signal and continues to push your post to potential new followers.

    “If you could only pick one way to engage with your audience, comments is the one to go for,” says Mireia. “Communicating with existing followers and cultivating that safe space for communication encourages them to comment again in the future.”

    To continue the previous example, Adriana doesn’t just start conversations using specific CTAs in her caption — she actually responds to as many comments as possible.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re using Buffer, you can schedule, analyze, and even engage directly from the tool. Head over to the ‘Community’ tab to filter for unanswered comments.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Your post comments can also be an excellent place to practice social listening. Analyzing the comments from your audience can help you ignite content ideas and dive deeper into your community’s struggles.

    Instagram even gives you the option to respond to comments with a reel. It’s a big way to show your audience that you’re listening.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips
    Source

    Responding to comments is an easy way to boost the engagement of your post. But also take out the time to reply to your audience’s direct messages (DMs) — even if that doesn’t directly increase your engagement rate. Remember, engagement isn’t just about metrics. It’s also about fostering a sense of belonging with your audience.

    “But my inbox is a mess!” I hear you. Luckily, Instagram is also working on making DMs more manageable for creators. You can sort your inbox based on various parameters — such as story replies, unread, unanswered, followers, and verified. You can even create new inbox folders to customize this for yourself.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To summarize: If your audience is showing up for you in comments and DMs, do the same for them. It’ll not only boost your engagement, but also help you feel more connected to the community you’re working so hard to build.

    3. Reshare your posts in Instagram Stories and Broadcast Channels

    This one’s an easy and quick tip — whenever you post to your feed, reshare your content on your stories and broadcast channel.

    Some Instagram users who follow you might miss your recent content if they haven’t opened the app in a while. They also won't know about a new post unless their algorithm shows it at the top. Resharing your content gives you a second chance to improve its visibility with your existing followers.

    Here’s an example of how skincare creator Aishwarya Kandpal uses her stories and Broadcast Channel to reshare her content.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: You can also reshare old content from your Instagram account if you find the opportunity. For example, if you’ve created a post about back-to-school season last year, you can reshare it again this September because the content is relevant again.

    Psstt…speaking of back-to-school content, we’ve added ideas for this theme’s post in our ever-growing template library. Use them if you don’t want to start from scratch.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If back-to-school ideas aren't your thing, there are plenty more templates where that came from!

    4. Post when your audience is online

    Posting when your target audience is online is an easy way to increase engagement. Publishing content when your audience is already online increases the chances they’ll see your post and engage.

    According to Buffer’s analysis of over two million posts, the best time to post on Instagram is 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To understand the worst times to post on Instagram and how we calculated these insights, watch this video:

    You can also see personalized insights about when your audience is the most active using your Instagram analytics.

    • On the app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.
    • Choose Insights → Total followers.
    • Scroll to Most active times to see the hours and days your community is online.
    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Note: You need an Instagram business account or creator account to get access to these insights.

    5. Share more carousels

    According to a Buffer study of over four million Instagram posts, carousels get 12% more engagement than reels.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Reels still take the cake when it comes to getting more reach. But carousels are the winners for increasing engagement (compared to both videos and single-image posts).

    The multiple frames in Instagram Carousels provide more chances for your post to show up in followers’ feeds. If someone swiped on one of your carousel images and didn’t see the rest, Instagram will reattempt to show them the remaining images or videos in that post.

    Instagram users also behave differently with carousels. In the reels tab, they’re more likely to keep swiping up. But in carousels — which appear more often on the home and explore feed — they’ll likely pause and interact.

    6. Use Instagram Stories to connect with your followers

    Instagram Stories can’t help you get more followers or reach new users, but they are an excellent feature to deepen the connection with your existing followers. And consistent interaction with the community that’s already invested in you is an essential element of a wholesome engagement strategy.

    “Stories are an important way of engaging accounts that already follow you. Behind-the-scenes content and day-in-the-life type of content tends to do the best on stories,” says Mosseri.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    “We’ve also found that creators who post to stories often see fewer unfollows than creators who don’t, which can lead to stronger growth over time.”

    The best part is that stories offer plenty of features to interact with your followers.

    • Question stickers help you answer your followers’ questions or collect audience opinions/examples on a topic.
    • Quiz stickers allow you to choose the ‘right’ answer from various options. You can use this to educate your followers on a topic, tease the date of a new launch, etc.
    • Poll stickers let your audience choose between two options. You can use these to understand follower preferences about anything.
    • Countdown stickers help you build hype about a new post, live, or any other event so your audience can set reminders to tune in as soon as the timer goes off.
    • Close Friends lets you add your loyal fanbase to a list of their own, giving them access to exclusive content, discounts, events, and more.
    • Emoji sliders can help you gauge what your followers feel about a particular topic.
    • Reveal stickers encourage your audience to DM you — which further enables a more direct line to your audience.
    • ‘Add yours’ sticker lets you create a public story thread in which your audience can participate, too. It’s an excellent way to collect loads of user-generated content (UGC).
    • Notify stickers let your audience turn on notifications so they don’t miss your content.

    Stories offer a lot of room to be creative and interactive with your audience. Show up here as frequently as possible to strengthen your connection with your followers. The best part is you don’t have to be super polished here. Stories are specifically designed for more real-time sharing — leaving room to have fun and show up as you are

    Using audio in your posts is one of the best ways to increase engagement.

    “I always recommend using audio on reels, photos, and carousels,” says Mosseri. “It can help with engagement. With reels specifically, it means you can show up on audio pages where a lot of people go for inspiration.”

    Now, the audio can be anything — a voiceover, a song, etc. But to expand your reach even further, use trending sounds with your posts. The algorithm loves them and pushes the content that contains trending audios to more people.

    🎶

    8. Collaborate with creators, influencers, or brands

    Partnering with other creators is a common way to boost your reach. But it can also help improve your engagement. The content you create together is automatically exposed to a new segment of users on the app — ones who already trust and follow your co-creator.

    Ombachi Dennis is an excellent example of how to ace collab posts with various kinds of creators. The only requirement is that they should be adjacent to your niche, allowing you to reach relevant new audiences. As a food creator, Ombachi often finds creators who share his interest in cooking or align with his overall mission and values.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re a small business, find and partner with relevant Instagram influencers to increase your reach and engagement. For example, Made Good Foods often partners with climate activist creator Lauren Bash to promote their products to a new audience.

    Partnering with creators or Instagram influencers in your niche also paves the way for more creative and fresh content in your own account.

    9. Create shareable Instagram content

    Instagram doesn’t just value likes and comments; it also looks at shares to understand how valuable your content is to your audience.

    “One of the most important signals we use in ranking is sends per reach. When you’re creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend,” advises Mosseri. 

    “Don’t force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.”

    It makes sense: Shares indicate a deeper level of interaction than passive likes.

    To create shareable content, take a few steps back and ask: What kind of posts would my audience share with their friends? Why?

    For example, I shared this post with my friend recently because she's moving to a new place and arranging her furniture to match the space.

    Now, yes, the shareability here was more about timing. But there are some common threads between the content that people usually share with their friends:

    • Relatable content: This can be memes or conversations within your niche that someone finds relatable. I often share book reels with my reader friends, for instance.
    • Conversation starters: Share an opinion (specific to your niche) and content that starts a conversation. I often share hot takes I want to discuss with friends.
    • Emotional and storytelling-driven content: Spark an emotion using a story. This can be a funny behind-the-scenes video or a mini, vulnerable rant. People often share this because it makes them laugh and connect with others.

    As Mosseri suggested, don’t force it. But do your best to mix a few easily shareable posts in your content calendar.

    10. Create save-worthy content

    Similar to shares, saves also encourage your audience to view (and potentially, engage) with your content multiple times. I know I’ve saved a ton of recipes, fashion hacks, tool recommendation reels, and travel tips that I’ve referred back to and engaged with.

    Take this example directly from my saved folder — the creator here has shared various healthy snacks she orders from an app I use frequently. I’ve saved it for those times when I have hunger pangs. I also open it when I’m restocking my snack stash.

    Here are some formats you can use to create saveable content:

    • How-to tutorials (how to bake banana bread at home)
    • Lists and roundups (your top favorite protein-packed recipes) 
    • Pro tips on acing something (3 tips to sneak more fibre in your diet)
    • Inspiration boards (5 weeknight recipes that are quick and easy to make)
    • Common mistakes to avoid (5 things to know before you start adding more protein in your daily diet)
    • Templates and frameworks (5 ingredients you can mix-and-match for a delicious and healthy smoothie)

    Pro tip: Nudge your audience to save a post if you think they’d want to refer to it later. Say it as a CTA: “Save this for when [specific situation]”. It’s a small thing, but it can help increase engagement on your posts.

    11. Try Instagram’s new features early

    Instagram rolls out new features frequently. Since the pandemic, they’ve launched Broadcast Channels, Notes, Reposts, Maps — I’m sure I’m still missing a few. Being an early adopter can lead to engagement spikes. Why? Instagram wants people to use their new features and creators who do so are rewarded with increased visibility.

    Case in point: Mosseri recently said that creators who use Instagram’s new app, Edits, to edit their videos will see a little more reach.

    How do you stay on top of Instagram’s new feature updates?

    Hopping on the bandwagon early also lets you adapt your strategy to the latest functionalities. The early-mover advantage will help you ace the new features before everyone else hops on.

    Engagement is not just about numbers

    It can be tempting to chase hacky growth tips that promise a boosted engagement rate. But metrics aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to engagement. At its core, engagement is about creating genuine, two-way conversations with your audience. Focus on that and the numbers will follow suit.

    And if you want to make engagement, posting, and tracking easier, give Buffer a try (at no cost!). You can schedule your posts, engage with your tribe, analyze your performance, and a lot more.

    More Instagram resources

  • 16 Facebook Statistics to Know for 2025

    16 Facebook Statistics to Know for 2025

    This roundup covers Facebook statistics in 2025.How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    You’re showing up consistently on Instagram— creating high-quality content, getting views, reaching new people. But maybe you're wondering why the likes, comments, and shares aren't quite where you'd hoped they'd be.

    If you’re doing all that, our content itself probably isn’t the issue. You just need to fine-tune your Instagram engagement strategy to better connect with your audience and build a loyal community.

    In this blog post, I’ll share 11 evidence-backed strategies that will help you increase your engagement rate on Instagram.

    What is Instagram engagement?

    Instagram engagement is a measure of how your audience interacts with your content beyond just viewing it. 

    Whenever your audience takes an action after seeing your post, it qualifies as an engagement. These actions can be:

    • Liking
    • Commenting
    • Sharing
    • Reposting
    • Saving

    “The engagement rate on your content is more important than your follower count,” says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. “Followers are important, yes, but a better sign of how you’re doing on Instagram is how many likes, views, and reshares your content is getting.”

    Why does Instagram engagement matter?

    Engagement rate on Instagram isn’t just important because Mosseri said so (although that’s a pretty big deal). But also because:

    1. Instagram engagement helps you understand the kind of content that resonates with your target audience. When you know what your followers like, you can replicate that content and refine your strategy.

    2. The Instagram algorithm loves posts that get engagement. High engagement rate = sign that people love your post. So, the algorithm pushes it to more people. This means that when you work to increase your Instagram engagement, you create a domino effect where you also improve your reach and, by extension, gain more followers. Talk about a win-win!

    3. Lastly, engagement isn't just about metrics. Social media is about building a deeper connection with your audience. Strengthening engagement is an excellent way to achieve that.

    “A lot of creators (and brands) treat Instagram like a broadcast channel rather than a two-way street. Posting is easy to systemise. Engaging requires time, nuance, and often a willingness to step outside of your content calendar. That’s why it gets deprioritised,” says social media expert Annie-Mai Hodge.

    “The irony is that the same people who skip engagement are usually the ones frustrated when their audience doesn’t rally behind their launches or projects. The benefits of engaging are very real: you build trust, you create a sense of loyalty, and you make people feel like they’re part of your world, not just spectators of it.”

    So now that we've covered why engagement matters, let's look at how to actually measure it.

    How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate

    You can measure engagement on Instagram for each post by seeing how many likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves it has.

    Here are the two most common formulas you can use to measure your Instagram engagement rate.

    • By impressions: (Total engagements ÷ Total impressions) × 100
    • By followers: (Total engagements ÷ Follower count) × 100

    Engagements include likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts. If you use Buffer, the analytics dashboard does the math for you.

    Instagram engagement rate based on impressions

    When you measure your engagement rate using impressions, you see insights based on how many people saw your post — regardless of whether they follow you. This method is best for Instagram Reels, where the reach extends beyond your followers.

    For example, if your post was seen 1,000 times (impressions) and received 30 engagements (likes, comments, shares, saves, and reposts), your engagement rate would be 3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you use a social media management software like Buffer to schedule your Instagram posts, it calculates the engagement rate for you. Here’s how that looks in Buffer.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Use the impressions-based engagement rate calculator to understand how your Instagram engagement compares to your overall visibility. That’s great since Instagram is also increasingly pushing your content to non-followers.

    Instagram engagement rate based on follower count

    The engagement formula based on follower count helps you understand how your existing followers are interacting with your content. Here’s the formula to measure your engagement rate this way:

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    For example, if you have 1,000 followers and one of your posts had 70 likes, 15 comments, and five shares, your engagement rate would be 9%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Follower-based engagement rates are good for understanding whether your content is resonating with your followers. 

    But it doesn’t tell you how many of your existing followers actually saw your content — that’s where an impressions-based Instagram engagement calculator would work better.

    Instagram engagement rate calculators

    There are several free Instagram engagement rate calculators online to help you understand the overall engagement of your Instagram account (rather than just a single post). But these tools often use different formulas to calculate the engagement rate.

    For example, Modash’s free engagement rate calculator uses median likes divided by followers as its formula.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But the Socialinsider Instagram engagement rate calculator takes a follower-based approach. It measures the engagement rate by calculating the sum of likes and comments divided by the number of posts in the last 30 days. Then it divides that number by the total number of followers.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Whichever Instagram engagement calculator you use, remember to check the metrics they’re using in their formula. This will help you understand if you’re getting the insights about what you actually want to know.

    Most Instagram engagement rate calculators online take a follower-based approach. For more nuanced insights into your engagement rate based on impressions, rely on a tool like Buffer. Bonus: It can also help you manage your entire social media strategy in one place.

    What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

    A ‘good’ engagement rate depends on various factors. In some industries, even 1% can be a high engagement rate — it doesn’t mean your content is falling flat. But the factor that has the most influence on engagement rate is the follower count.

    Buffer analyzed 27 million posts from 273,000 accounts to understand how engagement shifts as creators grow. The median engagement rate for the average Instagram account is 4.3%.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    But if you’re a small account with up to 1,000 followers, the median number climbs to 5.2%. The median continues to shift as you grow a large following.

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    Learn more about how the median engagement rate changes as your followers increase: What Is A Good Instagram Engagement Rate? Data from 27 Million+ Instagram Posts

    While the above metrics are helpful as a benchmark, don’t chase numbers alone. Instead, focus on creating content that your audience finds valuable. Track your individual progress and focus on the posts that get the most interactions.

    How to get more engagement on Instagram: 11 ways

    Before we dive into the strategies, here's something to keep in mind:  Instagram offers a lot  of ways to engage with your audience. 

    Wondering how to use all these features can be overwhelming. Should you engage more on stories than broadcast channels? Should you prioritize responding to comments or DMs?

    “Mix features throughout the week so you’re meeting your audience at different touchpoints, whether that’s stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes, or comments. Think about these features less as a checklist of engagement, and more as different layers of interaction,” says Annie-Mai.

    “Stories and Notes are low-stakes and invite quick taps or replies, while comments and channels create space for deeper exchanges. Test all of them for a few months, then look closely at where your community actually invests attention. The balance should be driven by where you see the richest back-and-forth, not by trying to tick every box.”

    That said, here are 11 tried-and-tested tips to help you increase your Instagram engagement. Let’s get into it.

    1. Ask specific questions in your captions as a call-to-action

    Asking specific questions in your Instagram captions is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement. It helps start a dialogue and encourages your audience to comment on your post.

    “Create engaging content that sparks a conversation. And I don’t mean rage bait; I mean content that poses a question for the audience, that feels very relatable, or that touches on common pain points,” says Mireia Boronat, Marketing Manager at The Social Shepherd.

    “Such content will always spark conversation in the comment section, as well as making the post more likely to be engaged with (liked, saved, and shared).”

    For example, see some call-to-action prompts from fitness creator Adriana Blanc. Both of these posts entice people to interact with her content and share their own opinions or stories.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: Asking your audience if they’d like a second part of a post is also an excellent way to test content ideas.

    Another easy way to improve your post’s visibility is to add three to five relevant hashtags in each post. They help the algorithm categorize your content and boost your Instagram search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

    Your call-to-action (CTA) should be relevant to the context of your Instagram post (duh). Still, it can be incredibly helpful to keep the intent of ‘conversation’ front and center in the ideation stage.

    2. Respond to your audience in comments and DMs

    Your effort to build engagement doesn’t end when you encourage your audience to comment. Instead, it begins at that moment. Your community won’t be excited to comment on your posts if you don’t respond to them. No one wants to talk to a wall.

    When you reply to comments, your followers feel heard and valued. Instagram also sees the engagement as a positive signal and continues to push your post to potential new followers.

    “If you could only pick one way to engage with your audience, comments is the one to go for,” says Mireia. “Communicating with existing followers and cultivating that safe space for communication encourages them to comment again in the future.”

    To continue the previous example, Adriana doesn’t just start conversations using specific CTAs in her caption — she actually responds to as many comments as possible.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re using Buffer, you can schedule, analyze, and even engage directly from the tool. Head over to the ‘Community’ tab to filter for unanswered comments.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Your post comments can also be an excellent place to practice social listening. Analyzing the comments from your audience can help you ignite content ideas and dive deeper into your community’s struggles.

    Instagram even gives you the option to respond to comments with a reel. It’s a big way to show your audience that you’re listening.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips
    Source

    Responding to comments is an easy way to boost the engagement of your post. But also take out the time to reply to your audience’s direct messages (DMs) — even if that doesn’t directly increase your engagement rate. Remember, engagement isn’t just about metrics. It’s also about fostering a sense of belonging with your audience.

    “But my inbox is a mess!” I hear you. Luckily, Instagram is also working on making DMs more manageable for creators. You can sort your inbox based on various parameters — such as story replies, unread, unanswered, followers, and verified. You can even create new inbox folders to customize this for yourself.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To summarize: If your audience is showing up for you in comments and DMs, do the same for them. It’ll not only boost your engagement, but also help you feel more connected to the community you’re working so hard to build.

    3. Reshare your posts in Instagram Stories and Broadcast Channels

    This one’s an easy and quick tip — whenever you post to your feed, reshare your content on your stories and broadcast channel.

    Some Instagram users who follow you might miss your recent content if they haven’t opened the app in a while. They also won't know about a new post unless their algorithm shows it at the top. Resharing your content gives you a second chance to improve its visibility with your existing followers.

    Here’s an example of how skincare creator Aishwarya Kandpal uses her stories and Broadcast Channel to reshare her content.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Pro tip: You can also reshare old content from your Instagram account if you find the opportunity. For example, if you’ve created a post about back-to-school season last year, you can reshare it again this September because the content is relevant again.

    Psstt…speaking of back-to-school content, we’ve added ideas for this theme’s post in our ever-growing template library. Use them if you don’t want to start from scratch.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If back-to-school ideas aren't your thing, there are plenty more templates where that came from!

    4. Post when your audience is online

    Posting when your target audience is online is an easy way to increase engagement. Publishing content when your audience is already online increases the chances they’ll see your post and engage.

    According to Buffer’s analysis of over two million posts, the best time to post on Instagram is 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    To understand the worst times to post on Instagram and how we calculated these insights, watch this video:

    You can also see personalized insights about when your audience is the most active using your Instagram analytics.

    • On the app, open your profile and tap the ☰ menu in the top-right corner.
    • Choose Insights → Total followers.
    • Scroll to Most active times to see the hours and days your community is online.
    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Note: You need an Instagram business account or creator account to get access to these insights.

    5. Share more carousels

    According to a Buffer study of over four million Instagram posts, carousels get 12% more engagement than reels.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    Reels still take the cake when it comes to getting more reach. But carousels are the winners for increasing engagement (compared to both videos and single-image posts).

    The multiple frames in Instagram Carousels provide more chances for your post to show up in followers’ feeds. If someone swiped on one of your carousel images and didn’t see the rest, Instagram will reattempt to show them the remaining images or videos in that post.

    Instagram users also behave differently with carousels. In the reels tab, they’re more likely to keep swiping up. But in carousels — which appear more often on the home and explore feed — they’ll likely pause and interact.

    6. Use Instagram Stories to connect with your followers

    Instagram Stories can’t help you get more followers or reach new users, but they are an excellent feature to deepen the connection with your existing followers. And consistent interaction with the community that’s already invested in you is an essential element of a wholesome engagement strategy.

    “Stories are an important way of engaging accounts that already follow you. Behind-the-scenes content and day-in-the-life type of content tends to do the best on stories,” says Mosseri.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    “We’ve also found that creators who post to stories often see fewer unfollows than creators who don’t, which can lead to stronger growth over time.”

    The best part is that stories offer plenty of features to interact with your followers.

    • Question stickers help you answer your followers’ questions or collect audience opinions/examples on a topic.
    • Quiz stickers allow you to choose the ‘right’ answer from various options. You can use this to educate your followers on a topic, tease the date of a new launch, etc.
    • Poll stickers let your audience choose between two options. You can use these to understand follower preferences about anything.
    • Countdown stickers help you build hype about a new post, live, or any other event so your audience can set reminders to tune in as soon as the timer goes off.
    • Close Friends lets you add your loyal fanbase to a list of their own, giving them access to exclusive content, discounts, events, and more.
    • Emoji sliders can help you gauge what your followers feel about a particular topic.
    • Reveal stickers encourage your audience to DM you — which further enables a more direct line to your audience.
    • ‘Add yours’ sticker lets you create a public story thread in which your audience can participate, too. It’s an excellent way to collect loads of user-generated content (UGC).
    • Notify stickers let your audience turn on notifications so they don’t miss your content.

    Stories offer a lot of room to be creative and interactive with your audience. Show up here as frequently as possible to strengthen your connection with your followers. The best part is you don’t have to be super polished here. Stories are specifically designed for more real-time sharing — leaving room to have fun and show up as you are

    Using audio in your posts is one of the best ways to increase engagement.

    “I always recommend using audio on reels, photos, and carousels,” says Mosseri. “It can help with engagement. With reels specifically, it means you can show up on audio pages where a lot of people go for inspiration.”

    Now, the audio can be anything — a voiceover, a song, etc. But to expand your reach even further, use trending sounds with your posts. The algorithm loves them and pushes the content that contains trending audios to more people.

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    8. Collaborate with creators, influencers, or brands

    Partnering with other creators is a common way to boost your reach. But it can also help improve your engagement. The content you create together is automatically exposed to a new segment of users on the app — ones who already trust and follow your co-creator.

    Ombachi Dennis is an excellent example of how to ace collab posts with various kinds of creators. The only requirement is that they should be adjacent to your niche, allowing you to reach relevant new audiences. As a food creator, Ombachi often finds creators who share his interest in cooking or align with his overall mission and values.

    How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram in 2025: 11 Tried-and-Tested Tips

    If you’re a small business, find and partner with relevant Instagram influencers to increase your reach and engagement. For example, Made Good Foods often partners with climate activist creator Lauren Bash to promote their products to a new audience.

    Partnering with creators or Instagram influencers in your niche also paves the way for more creative and fresh content in your own account.

    9. Create shareable Instagram content

    Instagram doesn’t just value likes and comments; it also looks at shares to understand how valuable your content is to your audience.

    “One of the most important signals we use in ranking is sends per reach. When you’re creating content, think about creating something that people would want to send to a friend,” advises Mosseri. 

    “Don’t force it, but sends are one of the biggest signals we use in ranking and can help your reach over time.”

    It makes sense: Shares indicate a deeper level of interaction than passive likes.

    To create shareable content, take a few steps back and ask: What kind of posts would my audience share with their friends? Why?

    For example, I shared this post with my friend recently because she's moving to a new place and arranging her furniture to match the space.

    Now, yes, the shareability here was more about timing. But there are some common threads between the content that people usually share with their friends:

    • Relatable content: This can be memes or conversations within your niche that someone finds relatable. I often share book reels with my reader friends, for instance.
    • Conversation starters: Share an opinion (specific to your niche) and content that starts a conversation. I often share hot takes I want to discuss with friends.
    • Emotional and storytelling-driven content: Spark an emotion using a story. This can be a funny behind-the-scenes video or a mini, vulnerable rant. People often share this because it makes them laugh and connect with others.

    As Mosseri suggested, don’t force it. But do your best to mix a few easily shareable posts in your content calendar.

    10. Create save-worthy content

    Similar to shares, saves also encourage your audience to view (and potentially, engage) with your content multiple times. I know I’ve saved a ton of recipes, fashion hacks, tool recommendation reels, and travel tips that I’ve referred back to and engaged with.

    Take this example directly from my saved folder — the creator here has shared various healthy snacks she orders from an app I use frequently. I’ve saved it for those times when I have hunger pangs. I also open it when I’m restocking my snack stash.

    Here are some formats you can use to create saveable content:

    • How-to tutorials (how to bake banana bread at home)
    • Lists and roundups (your top favorite protein-packed recipes) 
    • Pro tips on acing something (3 tips to sneak more fibre in your diet)
    • Inspiration boards (5 weeknight recipes that are quick and easy to make)
    • Common mistakes to avoid (5 things to know before you start adding more protein in your daily diet)
    • Templates and frameworks (5 ingredients you can mix-and-match for a delicious and healthy smoothie)

    Pro tip: Nudge your audience to save a post if you think they’d want to refer to it later. Say it as a CTA: “Save this for when [specific situation]”. It’s a small thing, but it can help increase engagement on your posts.

    11. Try Instagram’s new features early

    Instagram rolls out new features frequently. Since the pandemic, they’ve launched Broadcast Channels, Notes, Reposts, Maps — I’m sure I’m still missing a few. Being an early adopter can lead to engagement spikes. Why? Instagram wants people to use their new features and creators who do so are rewarded with increased visibility.

    Case in point: Mosseri recently said that creators who use Instagram’s new app, Edits, to edit their videos will see a little more reach.

    How do you stay on top of Instagram’s new feature updates?

    Hopping on the bandwagon early also lets you adapt your strategy to the latest functionalities. The early-mover advantage will help you ace the new features before everyone else hops on.

    Engagement is not just about numbers

    It can be tempting to chase hacky growth tips that promise a boosted engagement rate. But metrics aren’t the only thing that matters when it comes to engagement. At its core, engagement is about creating genuine, two-way conversations with your audience. Focus on that and the numbers will follow suit.

    And if you want to make engagement, posting, and tracking easier, give Buffer a try (at no cost!). You can schedule your posts, engage with your tribe, analyze your performance, and a lot more.

    More Instagram resources