If you’ve opened Instagram recently, you know Reels are big on the platform. The short-form video format has quickly become a favorite of both brands and consumers.

The good news is you can add Instagram hashtags to Reels the same way you add hashtags to posts to boost visibility, reach and engagement.

In this post, you’ll find a curated list of the top Instagram Reel hashtags for travel, fitness, food, fashion and other categories. We’ll also talk about the value of using Reel hashtags for Instagram and share tips for finding the best hashtags for your brand.

Why use hashtags with your Instagram Reels

Using hashtags can do more than just get more eyes on your content. Hashtags are also excellent targeting and analytics tools. Here are three benefits of using Instagram Reel hashtags for your business:

Make your content easier to find

Hashtags can put your content in front of a larger audience, including users who don’t follow you on Instagram. Adding them to Reels offers the same benefits as adding hashtags to posts. It helps people interested in your topics or themes easily find your videos.

An example of a Sprout Social Reel that uses hashtags in the caption

This, in turn, gets your content more engagement in the form of likes, comments and shares—the holy grail of social media success. Take it a step further and engage with users who interact with your hashtags to strengthen your brand’s relationship with its audience.

Finally, by monitoring trending hashtags and incorporating them into your posts, you can help your content ride the wave of current events, conversations and Instagram trends. This not only gets you more exposure, but also positions your brand as relevant and up-to-date.

Target your niche demographics and audiences

Your videos might go viral, but not everyone on Instagram is a potential customer. Adding hashtags to Reels lets you target niche communities and specific demographics with your content—people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.

As a result, you’ll attract more qualified leads and boost visibility among your target audience, ultimately translating into higher ROI for your business.

Use hashtag analytics to refine your Instagram content strategy

Analyzing the performance of different hashtags can provide valuable insights into what resonates most with your audience.

By tracking Instagram metrics like reach and engagement for Reels with specific hashtags, you can refine your strategy and better understand consumer preferences and behavior.

Sprout Social’s Hashtag Tracking tools can help you pinpoint exactly which hashtags work best for your Instagram strategy. Track your most-used and top hashtags or manually add hashtags that are important to your brand to keep tabs on performance.

Sample Instagram Outbound Hashtag Performance data which contrasts hashtag usage during a given reporting period with hashtags that drew the most engagement.

Tips for finding the right Instagram Reel hashtags for your brand

You know the value of using Reel hashtags on Instagram—but how do you find the right ones? Follow the best practices below to add hashtags that are relevant to your brand and resonate deeply with your audience.

Know your buyer personas

Before you start writing down hashtags, you need to truly understand your target audience. What does your ideal buyer look like? Which accounts do they follow on Instagram? What type of content do they like to engage with?

Dig into original research and analytics to find out key characteristics of your potential customers. Note the hashtags used in Reels these people are interacting with the most.

Then, use these insights to guide your own hashtag strategy. Incorporate relevant hashtags in your Reels that align with the niches and interests of your target audience.

Remember—you are a business creating content to achieve certain goals, whether that’s brand awareness, lead generation or sales. Targeting everyone and anyone is not going to get you results. Focusing on users who match your buyer personas will.

Analyze your competitors

Keeping an eye on your competitors’ content can give you ideas for hashtags you can use in your own Reels. Watch for videos that get the most engagement or views. What hashtags are they using? How many hashtags are they adding to their videos? Are they going after niche keywords or broader hashtags?

Streamline this process with Instagram competitor reports.

Sprout’s competitive analysis features can help you with that. Our tool allows you to track competitor posts, engagement rates, the hashtags they’re using and more. Better yet, compare their metrics with your own to benchmark performance and set realistic goals.

Screenshot of the Profile tab from Sprout's Instagram Competitor Analysis Report

Use competitor analysis to inspire your own content and hashtags. But don’t always copy hashtags off other accounts and Reels—keep experimenting. You might stumble upon some highly engaging hashtags your competitors might be neglecting.

Use branded hashtags on Reels and other content

Capitalizing on existing hashtags is great—but what about creating your own hashtag?

Using branded hashtags in Reels and posts can help you build brand awareness and instill a sense of community in your followers. Branded hashtags are also one of the best ways to encourage user-generated content.

For example, Canva launched a branded hashtag challenge to encourage creators to use the software and share their designs:

An example of a Canva Reel that uses and promotes a branded hashtag

Best Instagram Reel hashtags for 2024

Looking for inspiration? Below is a list of 250+ top hashtags for various industries like fashion, travel, fitness and food. We’ve also added popular hashtags for viral and funny Reels—all relevant to brands and marketers.

Remember, rends can change quickly, so always be on the lookout for new and emerging hashtags.

Top 30 trending Instagram Reel hashtags

  1. #reels
  2. #reelsinstagram
  3. #instagramreels
  4. #reelsvideo
  5. #instareels
  6. #reelitfeelit
  7. #viral
  8. #viralvideos
  9. #explore
  10. #explorepage
  11. #foryou
  12. #foryoupage
  13. #trending
  14. #trend
  15. #instagood
  16. #love
  17. #like
  18. #follow
  19. #photography
  20. #trendy
  21. #reel
  22. #viralreel
  23. #viralreels
  24. #trendingsound
  25. #fyp
  26. #reeloftheday
  27. #trendingreels
  28. #trendingnow
  29. #feature
  30. #repost

Top 45 fitness hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #fitness
  2. #fitnessmotivation
  3. #workout
  4. #gym
  5. #fitfam
  6. #gymlife
  7. #training
  8. #health
  9. #fitnessjourney
  10. #fit
  11. #healthylifestyle
  12. #motivation
  13. #bodybuilding
  14. #lifestyle
  15. #weightloss
  16. #exercise
  17. #personaltrainer
  18. #healthy
  19. #fitlife
  20. #gymmotivation
  21. #strong
  22. #fitspo
  23. #healthandfitness
  24. #muscle
  25. #crossfit
  26. #nutrition
  27. #homeworkout
  28. #wellness
  29. #yoga
  30. #cardio
  31. #fitnesscommunity
  32. #pilates
  33. #zumba
  34. #running
  35. #cycling
  36. #swimming
  37. #legday
  38. #armday
  39. #absworkout
  40. #glutes
  41. #strengthtraining
  42. #bodybuilding
  43. #fitnessgoals
  44. #getfit
  45. #instafit

Top 45 travel hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #travel
  2. #travelgram
  3. #travelphotography
  4. #instatravel
  5. #wanderlust
  6. #traveltheworld
  7. #travelblogger
  8. #traveladdict
  9. #travelgoals
  10. #travelinspiration
  11. #travellife
  12. #traveldiaries
  13. #globetrotter
  14. #adventure
  15. #vacation
  16. #explore
  17. #nature
  18. #landscape
  19. #photography
  20. #beautifuldestinations
  21. #travelreels
  22. #travelvideo
  23. #travelvlogger
  24. #roadtrip
  25. #cityscape
  26. #solotravel
  27. #travelcouple
  28. #hiddengems
  29. #travelling
  30. #trip
  31. #holiday
  32. #travelholic
  33. #worldtraveler
  34. #tourist
  35. #travelbug
  36. #passportready
  37. #exploremore
  38. #seetheworld
  39. #mytravelgram
  40. #travelguide
  41. #traveltips
  42. #backpacking
  43. #travelcommunity
  44. #neverstopexploring
  45. #staycation

Top 45 food hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #food
  2. #foodie
  3. #foodporn
  4. #foodphotography
  5. #instafood
  6. #foodlover
  7. #foodblogger
  8. #delicious
  9. #foodgasm
  10. #yummy
  11. #foodstagram
  12. #cooking
  13. #recipe
  14. #homemade
  15. #healthyfood
  16. #vegan
  17. #vegetarian
  18. #baking
  19. #dessert
  20. #breakfast
  21. #lunch
  22. #dinner
  23. #brunch
  24. #drinks
  25. #cocktails
  26. #coffee
  27. #wine
  28. #foodiegram
  29. #foodreels
  30. #eat
  31. #foodpics
  32. #glutenfree
  33. #foodielife
  34. #foodheaven
  35. #foodgram
  36. #fooddiary
  37. #instaeat
  38. #recipeoftheday
  39. #plantbasedfood
  40. #vegetarianrecipes
  41. #eatyourveggies
  42. #mealprepping
  43. #mealprep
  44. #recipeshare
  45. #healthyeating

Top 45 fashion hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #fashion
  2. #fashionstyle
  3. #style
  4. #ootd (Outfit of the Day)
  5. #fashionblogger
  6. #fashionista
  7. #instafashion
  8. #fashionphotography
  9. #fashionweek
  10. #streetstyle
  11. #fashiondiaries
  12. #fashionlover
  13. #fashioninspo
  14. #outfitinspiration
  15. #styleoftheday
  16. #trendy
  17. #fashionmodel
  18. #menswear
  19. #womenswear
  20. #vintage
  21. #sustainablefashion
  22. #fashionreels
  23. #fashiontrends
  24. #slowfashion
  25. #highfashion
  26. #prelovedfashion
  27. #secondhandfashion
  28. #handmadeclothing
  29. #vintagestyle
  30. #vintagefashion
  31. #vintageclothing
  32. #unisexfashion
  33. #unisexclothing
  34. #styleinspiration
  35. #lookoftheday
  36. #thriftedfashion
  37. #thriftedstyle
  38. #inclusivefashion
  39. #streetwear
  40. #streetweardaily
  41. #streetfashion
  42. #howtostyle
  43. #grwm
  44. #getreadywithme
  45. #capsulewardrobe

Top 45 funny hashtags for Instagram Reels

  1. #funny
  2. #funnyvideos
  3. #funnyvideosdaily
  4. #funnymemes
  5. #funnymemesdaily
  6. #memestagram
  7. #funnyreels
  8. #funnyisfunny
  9. #funnymoments
  10. #comedy
  11. #comedyvideos
  12. #comedyreels
  13. #sketchcomedy
  14. #dailyfluff
  15. #dailylaugh
  16. #dailydose
  17. #standupcomedy
  18. #relatablereels
  19. #jokes
  20. #hilarious
  21. #funnyclips
  22. #funnyvids
  23. #justforlaughs
  24. #humor
  25. #humour
  26. #laughoutloud
  27. #laughing
  28. #smile
  29. #memes
  30. #haha
  31. #lol
  32. #lmao
  33. #comedian
  34. #instafunny
  35. #funnyposts
  36. #satire
  37. #parody
  38. #comedymemes
  39. #cantstoplaughing
  40. #funnyanimals
  41. #fails
  42. #pranks
  43. #funnydogs
  44. #funnycats
  45. #laugh

Use Instagram Reel hashtags to grow your brand

Adding hashtags to your Instagram Reels should be a no-brainer. Hashtags are the easiest way to categorize your content, drive visibility and boost engagement on your videos.

But what’s more important is using the right hashtags. You need keywords that align with your brand and match the needs and interests of your target audience. Only then can you expect to see business growth and results from your social media efforts.

This is where hashtag analytics can help. Track your most-used and top hashtags, competitor hashtags and trending keywords your audience is loving. Use the data to guide your Instagram strategy and watch views and engagement on your content skyrocket.

FAQs about Instagram Reel hashtags

Do hashtags really work?

Yes, hashtags are proven to drive engagement and visibility on Instagram. When used strategically across Reels and posts, hashtags can put your content in front of the right audience—users who are interested in your niche, topics, products or services. They’re also great tools for categorizing your content and providing context.

Which hashtags are best for reels?

The best hashtags for Instagram Reels are those that are relevant to your target audience and the content you’re sharing. Trending and popular hashtags can be effective for increasing visibility, but it’s also important to use niche hashtags that align with the interests and demographics of your ideal customers.

Do hashtags work on Instagram Reels?

Yes, hashtags work on Instagram Reels in the same way they do for regular Instagram posts. Using relevant hashtags in your Reel captions can boost their reach and help you attract more views, likes, comments and shares.

Do Instagram Reels do better without hashtags?

No, Instagram Reels generally perform better when you include relevant hashtags in the caption. Without hashtags, your Reels are less likely to be found by users outside of your existing follower base. This limits your content’s potential reach and engagement.

How many hashtags should I use on Instagram Reels?

While Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags on Reels, it’s recommended to use between 5-10 relevant and targeted hashtags. This helps your content get found by users interested in specific topics, without making you look like spam. Focus on a mix of popular and niche hashtags to reach a wider audience.

What are the best Instagram Reels hashtags to go viral?

As of date, viral Instagram hashtags reels include:

  • #viralreels
  • #viralvideos
  • #trendingsound
  • #trendingnow
  • #reeloftheday