Module 5: Hashtag Strategy for Fashion Brands
Okay, let’s talk hashtags. I know this topic can feel confusing—everyone has different advice, and Instagram keeps changing how hashtags work. But stick with me, because using hashtags strategically can genuinely help new people discover your content.
What Hashtags Actually Do
Think of hashtags as filing labels. When you use #sustainablefashion, you’re essentially filing your post in the “sustainable fashion” category. People who search for or follow that hashtag can find your content.
Hashtags help you reach people who don’t follow you yet. They’re a discovery tool.
But here’s the catch: not all hashtags are created equal, and using them wrong can actually hurt more than help.
The Different Types of Hashtags
Understanding hashtag categories helps you choose the right mix:
Branded hashtags (your own):
- Your brand name: #YourBrandName
- Your tagline or campaign: #WearResponsibly #SlowFashionMovement
- Community hashtags you create: #YourBrandCommunity
- Very specific to your product or aesthetic
- Examples: #linen dressesforwomen #handmadesilkscarf #slowfashionjewelry
- Less competition, more targeted audience
- Broader than niche but not massive
- Examples: #sustainablestyle #ethicalfashionbrand #consciousfashion
- Good balance of reach and relevance
- Very broad topics
- Examples: #fashion #style #ootd #fashioninspo
- Huge competition, but occasional visibility boost
- Centered around movements or communities
- Examples: #shopsmall #supportindependentdesigners #womenownedbusiness
- Help you connect with like-minded businesses and customers
- 3-5 niche hashtags (your sweet spot for reaching the right people)
- 5-10 mid-size hashtags (decent reach with relevance)
- 2-5 popular hashtags (long shot, but why not)
- 1-2 branded hashtags (building your own community)
- Sustainable dresses
- Handmade jewelry
- Minimalist workwear
- Vintage-inspired clothing
- Ethical accessories
- How many posts use it?
- Are those posts actually relevant to your brand?
- Is the content quality good or spammy?
- Could your content fit naturally here?
- Use 10-20 hashtags
- Mix sizes strategically
- You can include them in caption or first comment
- Update your hashtag sets every few months
- Use only 3-5 hashtags
- Include both niche and broad (TikTok’s algorithm relies more on content than hashtags)
- Put hashtags directly in your caption
- Use trending hashtags when your content actually fits the trend
- Use hashtags naturally within your pin description
- Focus on search keywords more than hashtags
- 3-10 hashtags is plenty
- Pinterest SEO matters more than hashtag quantity
- High-quality, engaging content
- Consistent posting
- Active engagement with your community
- Strong captions with keywords
- Using Reels and other formats Instagram is pushing
- Easy to remember: #YourBrandName is simplest
- Easy to spell: Don’t get too creative or people won’t use it correctly
- Unique: Search to make sure another brand isn’t already using it
- Relevant: It should make sense for your brand
- In your Instagram bio
- On your packaging
- In your email signature
- On thank-you cards included with orders
These won’t help with discovery at first (no one’s searching for you yet), but they help collect content, build community, and make it easy for customers to share.
Niche hashtags (under 100K posts):
Mid-size hashtags (100K-500K posts):
Popular hashtags (500K+ posts):
Community hashtags:
The Hashtag Strategy That Works
Here’s the approach I recommend:
Use a mix of hashtag sizes:
That gives you 10-20 hashtags total, which is a good range.
How Many Hashtags Should You Use?
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags, but more isn’t always better.
The current best practice: 10-20 relevant hashtags tend to perform better than stuffing all 30. Quality over quantity.
On TikTok: Use 3-5 hashtags maximum. TikTok relies more on content and keywords than hashtags.
On Pinterest: Use 3-10 hashtags in your pin description, naturally woven into your text.
Finding the Right Hashtags for Your Brand
Let’s walk through how to build your hashtag list:
Step 1: Start with your product and niche
Write down specific descriptions of what you make:
Now search these phrases on Instagram with a # in front. You’ll see how many posts use each hashtag and related hashtags Instagram suggests.
Step 2: Check the size and relevance
Click into each hashtag. Look at:
If a hashtag has 5 million posts and they’re all completely different styles or not relevant to you, skip it.
Step 3: Look at what similar brands use
Find 3-5 brands similar to yours (similar style, similar price point, similar values). Look at what hashtags they use consistently.
Don’t copy their exact list, but use it as inspiration. If you notice certain hashtags appearing across multiple similar brands, those are probably good ones.
Step 4: Mix sizes strategically
Let’s say you design sustainable jewelry. Your mix might look like:
Niche (under 100K):
#sustainablejewelrydesign
#ethicaljewelrybrands
#recycledsilver jewelry
#handmadejewelrystudio
#slowfashionaccessories
Mid-size (100K-500K):
#sustainablejewelry
#ethicaljewelry
#handmadejewelry
#consciousjewelry
#minimalistjewelry
Popular (500K+):
#jewelry
#jewelrydesigner
#jewelrylover
#instajewelry
Branded:
#YourBrandName
#YourBrandCommunity
Creating Your Hashtag Sets
Here’s a smart system: create 3-5 different hashtag sets you can rotate through.
Set 1: Focus on your product type (e.g., dresses, jewelry, bags)
Set 2: Focus on your values (sustainable, ethical, handmade)
Set 3: Focus on your aesthetic (minimalist, bohemian, vintage-inspired)
Set 4: Focus on your customer (workwear, wedding guest, everyday style)
Set 5: Mix of everything
Rotating through sets means you’re not using the exact same hashtags every time, which is better for reach.
Save these sets in your Notes app or a document for easy copy-pasting.
Hashtags to Avoid
Stay away from:
Banned or restricted hashtags: Some hashtags have been restricted by Instagram due to spam or inappropriate content. If you use them, your post might not be shown. Search the hashtag first to make sure it’s working properly.
Irrelevant popular hashtags: Don’t use #love or #instagood just because they’re popular. They won’t reach your target customer and might actually hurt your performance.
Too many broad hashtags: #fashion #style #beautiful aren’t going to help you. Everyone uses them, your post will be buried immediately.
Spammy hashtags: Anything like #like4like #followforfollow #instalike screams spam and isn’t your brand.
Hashtags for content that isn’t yours: If you’re posting about your dresses, don’t use #menshoes just to get more eyeballs. It’s deceptive and annoying.
Where to Put Your Hashtags
You have two options:
In your caption: You can include hashtags naturally within your caption or at the end. This is fine, but it can look cluttered.
Example: “Introducing our new linen collection ✨ Perfect for summer days when you want to look put-together without trying too hard. #linendress #summerstyle #sustainablefashion #slowfashion”
In the first comment: Many brands put hashtags in the first comment to keep their caption clean. This works just as well for reach.
Either way is fine. Choose based on your aesthetic preference.
Platform-Specific Hashtag Strategies
Instagram:
TikTok:
Pinterest:
Hashtags for Different Post Types
Adjust your hashtags based on what you’re posting:
Product posts: Focus on product-specific hashtags (#linendress #summerdress #sustainabledress)
Behind-the-scenes: Use community and process hashtags (#makersgonnamake #smallbusinessowner #designerlife)
Educational content: Use topic-based hashtags (#sustainablefashiontips #howtostyle #fashionhacks)
Customer features: Use community hashtags (#customerappreciation #shopsmallbusiness #supportindependentdesigners)
Tracking What Works
Pay attention to which hashtags actually bring people to your content.
Instagram Insights shows you how many people discovered your post through hashtags. Check this for your recent posts and note which hashtag sets performed best.
If certain hashtags consistently bring you relevant engagement, use them more. If others never lead to discovery, replace them.
The Hashtag Mistakes to Avoid
Using the same 30 hashtags on every single post**: This can look spammy to Instagram and your reach might get limited. Rotate your sets.
Copying someone else’s hashtag list: What works for another brand might not work for you. Their audience, style, and niche might be different.
Using hashtags on posts with low-quality content: Hashtags help people find your content, but if the content itself isn’t engaging, hashtags won’t save it.
Never updating your hashtag list: Hashtag effectiveness changes over time. Refresh your list every few months.
Ignoring your insights: If your data shows hashtags aren’t bringing any new people, adjust your strategy.
Do Hashtags Still Work in 2025?
You might have heard that hashtags are “dead” or that Instagram doesn’t prioritize them anymore. Here’s the truth:
Hashtags aren’t as powerful as they were a few years ago. Instagram’s algorithm now relies more on content quality, engagement, and AI understanding of your content.
But hashtags still help with discovery, especially for smaller accounts. They’re one tool in your toolkit, not the only tool.
Think of hashtags as helpful but not magic. They work best when combined with:
Creating Your Branded Hashtag
Every brand should have at least one branded hashtag. This is a hashtag unique to your brand that you can use to collect all content related to you.
Make it:
Encourage customers to use your branded hashtag when they post photos wearing your pieces. This creates a library of user-generated content you can share and showcases your products in real life.
Put your branded hashtag:
Beyond Hashtags: Keywords Matter Too
Here’s something important: Instagram’s algorithm now reads the text in your captions and uses AI to understand what your content is about.
This means naturally including keywords in your captions is just as important as hashtags.
Instead of just relying on #sustainablefashion, also write captions like: “This dress is made from sustainable materials using ethical production practices…”
The algorithm picks up on those keywords and can show your content to people interested in sustainable fashion, even without hashtags.
Your Hashtag Action Plan
Here’s what to do right now:
1. Research: Spend 30 minutes finding 30-50 relevant hashtags across different size categories
2. Organize: Create 3-5 different hashtag sets of 10-20 hashtags each
3. Save: Put these sets somewhere easily accessible (Notes app, Google Doc)
4. Implement: Start rotating through these sets on your posts
5. Track: After a month, check your Instagram Insights to see which hashtags are actually bringing discovery
6. Adjust: Replace hashtags that aren’t working with new ones to test
Hashtags aren’t sexy or exciting, but they’re a simple, free way to help the right people find your content. Use them strategically, and they become one more tool helping you grow your brand organically.
Next up, we’re diving into Instagram specifically—how to optimize your profile, create scroll-stopping feed content, master Stories, and use Reels to reach new audiences. This is where everything comes together.