Hashtags are out on Instagram! Keywords are in!

Have you clicked on a hashtag on Instagram lately to explore? It’s pure chaos! Hashtags are OUT on Instagram.As a social media marketing company we’ve noticed that they don’t serve a purpose for us or our clients anymore. So, since hashtags are out, we want to guide you with a clear, forward-looking strategy that reflects current best practices.

The good news is if you’ve been stressing about which hashtags to use, stress no more. It’s time to speak your real, authentic message! How many times have you looked up a restaurant or a brewery on Instagram before heading out the door instead of going to Google? 

For us, we rarely try a new place before seeing what their about on social media.

So, how do we implement this new best practice?

Instagram is shifting away from hashtags and placing more emphasis on keywords and keyword phrases within captions. This reflects how users are interacting with the platform — treating it more like a search engine than just a scrolling feed.

What are Keywords?

Keywords are individual, relevant words that describe what your post is about.

At MSTD, we prioritize connection over conversion — and storytelling is how we build that connection. We’ve got more good news! Instagram’s shift toward caption-based search means that we can blend powerful storytelling with strong keyword use to make posts both meaningful and discoverable.

We want our message to be loud and clear in our words and images— the right people will come with that.

Why this matters:

• Instagram reads your captions/stories for SEO. Keywords inside stories are just as searchable. So now you can tell your story without having to worry about the laundry list of # hashtags that need to go at the end. 
• People stop scrolling for a story, not a hard sell.
• Trust grows when you share real experiences, not just polished marketing messages. 
• Telling a story that includes keywords makes your post feel organic and still searchable.

How can you build a keyword-rich story:

• Start with a real moment (the hook).
  Make it emotional, humorous, thoughtful, or surprising.
  
• Include client context or a problem/solution.
  What is the brand doing for this person or situation?
  
• Use natural phrasing that includes keywords.
  Don’t just insert “private jet” — describe what the private jet was doing.
  
• Think SEO not hashtags.

Don’t use keywords the way we used hashtags! Here’s what to avoid:

• Overloading captions with keywords or hashtags in an unnatural way. People are looking for a story, a conversation starter and not our laundry list of hashtags. 
  
  
• Repeating the exact same keyword phrases every post — variety helps with reach and avoids sounding robotic. 
• Writing in a way that loses the brand voice just to insert a searchable phrase. This will also lose the storytelling piece.

We hope this helps start you off on the right track when it comes to keywords and social media posts. As storytellers, Misty Saves the Day is excited to see this shift in the algorithm and search engines. With this shift we get to do what we do best: tell a business’s story in a meaningful way and increase their reach, discovery and ultimately their revenue!