Many creators think hashtags are dead. They aren’t—they’ve simply evolved. The Instagram algorithm uses hashtags to categorize your post and show it to highly targeted users. The secret is the Ladder Strategy.
What is the Hashtag Ladder Strategy?
Instead of copying the most popular tags, you distribute your tags across three categories based on competition level:
- Niche (under 100k posts): Easy to rank, keeps your post visible in 'recent' lists for weeks.
- Medium (100k - 1M posts): Balanced ranking potential for active accounts.
- High (over 1M posts): Competitive, triggers initial rapid indexing.
A balanced list uses roughly 30% from each tier to build momentum.