Hashtags were once the lifeblood of social media discovery, a simple tool that connected users to trending topics and helped content reach wider audiences. But as social platforms evolve at lightning speed, a question remains: Are hashtags dead?
Over the last five years, their role has dramatically shifted. They’re no longer essential for discoverability, and in some cases, even obsolete. Let’s dive into why hashtags are facing a quiet extinction, and how the future of social media is reshaping the way we discover and interact with content.
The concept that “hashtags are dead” has been circulating for a while, especially with the rapid evolution of social media algorithms and user behaviors. Once seen as crucial for discoverability and categorizing content, hashtags no longer hold the same weight they once did. Several factors contribute to this shift, such as algorithms, overuse, misuse, and discovery features.
When it comes to platforms like Instagram and Twitter, we have seen a big shift from chronological feeds to algorithmic ones. Algorithmic feeds prioritize content based on user preferences, engagement, and behavior. A result of this? Content isn’t as dependent on hashtags for visibility anymore. These algorithms are better at surfacing relevant content without the need for hashtags.
We have all seen that person who uses 30+ hashtags on their post. The overuse and even misuse of hashtags are a big reason why they feel spammy and irrelevant. When it comes to brands and influencers, too many hashtags often leave their audience wishing for a more genuine connection. Not to mention, the clutter is also quite unappealing.
We saw this coming. Over the last five years, we have all witnessed a steady decline in hashtags. The rise of interest-based feeds was born with hashtags, but algorithms and AI have new ways of pushing the content we want to see without us having to go out of our way to search for it. The newest AI models put even more emphasis on visual search capabilities so it can recommend similar styles and looks of videos you like.
You can still find new things to explore by using more recent tabs, like the explore tab, which can show you a variety of things you might like versus a singular feed. This helps promote content that shows more interest or engagement across various communities as well.
The news that Instagram was removing the ability to follow hashtags was not very surprising to many users. Most people did not even realize that they still followed hashtags. With this ability gone, there will be less discovery of niche topics and less organic reach. Creators will begin shifting their strategies to content that gets the most engagement.
Because of the decline of hashtags, we are seeing more advanced search abilities on socials. AI is powering better recommendations that serve relevant content to users by using natural language processing. This allows a user to search by intent instead of specific keywords.
While hashtags were once essential for engagement and discoverability, their role has diminished as platforms prioritize more advanced algorithms, AI-driven recommendations, and visual search tools. These shifts are leading to a more personalized, dynamic approach to social media content consumption, where hashtags are no longer as pivotal as they once were. So, we hate to say it, but: #Hashtags #Are #Dead.
Want to learn more tips for Social Media write our specialist and author of this piece Olivia Husa at olivia@farmboyinc.com
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