Cadenza

Instagram5 min read

The Only Hashtag Strategy You Need in 2026

Hashtags have changed. The old 'spam 30 hashtags' approach is dead. Here's what actually works.

Marcus Johnson
Marcus Johnson

Growth Lead

The 3-5-3 Framework

Use 8-12 hashtags per post, organized in three tiers:

  • 3 broad hashtags(100K-1M posts): Your industry or niche
  • 5 medium hashtags(10K-100K posts): Your specific topic
  • 3 niche hashtags(1K-10K posts): Your exact audience

Hashtags to Avoid

Skip anything over 5M posts. Your post will be buried in seconds.

Marcus Johnson
Marcus Johnson

Growth Lead

Marcus is obsessed with what makes small businesses grow online. He's scaled social media accounts from zero to 100K followers and believes every local business deserves a world-class content strategy.

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