Reels have become one of the most popular ways to create engaging video content on social media. With reels being a relatively new format, many creators are still figuring out best practices when it comes to tagging their reels to optimize reach and discovery. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about tagging reels, from choosing the right tags to maximizing your visibility.
Why are tags important for reels?
Tags serve multiple important purposes for reels:
- Help users find your content through search
- Categorize your content so it reaches the right audiences
- Signal to the algorithm what your content is about
- Increase chances of getting featured on browse pages and suggested reels
Using relevant tags that properly describe what your reel is about is key to getting discovered by new viewers who are interested in your type of content. Tags essentially optimize your reel to be recommended by the platform’s algorithm.
How many tags should you use?
Most platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow you to add up to 30 tags per reel. As a general rule of thumb:
- Use 20-30 tags for most reels to maximize optimization
- Use 10-15 tags for shorter reels under 15 seconds
- Use all 30 tags for reels over 60 seconds
You want to take advantage of all the tags allowed to increase the chances of your reel being found. However, shorter reels don’t need as many tags because the content is limited.
What types of tags should you use?
There are several categories of tags that are helpful for reels:
Topic Tags
These tags describe what the actual content of your reel is about. For example, #cooking #dance #prank
Use as many specific topic tags as you can think of that are relevant to your reel.
Caption Tags
Pull 1-2 of the most important words or phrases directly from your caption to use as tags. This helps link the visuals in your reel to the textual caption.
Trending Hashtags
Use 1-3 trending hashtags (usually with millions or billions of views) that are relevant to your niche and content. However, don’t force an irrelevant trending hashtag just for views.
Niche Community Hashtags
Include hashtags used by your niche community. For cooking, this could be #foodtiktok or #foodie. Helps target your content to those interested in your niche.
Location Tags
If your reel is related to a specific location, use the geotag/location hashtag. This helps people find content related to that spot.
Brand Tags
If you mention or show a brand, use their official hashtag. Helps expand reach as brand followers may engage with the content.
Best practices for tagging reels
Follow these best practices for optimizing tags on your reels:
- Place tags at the start of the caption so they are visible.
- Use a mix of popular and long-tail, specific tags.
- Only use hashtags relevant to what is shown in the reel.
- Be consistent with spacing and punctuation usage in tags.
- Separate individual tag words with hyphens for multi-word phrases.
- Re-use top performing tags that have gotten your previous reels noticed.
- Delete and replace underperforming hashtags as you test new options.
Tools to find the best reel tags
These tools can help you brainstorm tag ideas and see top performing options:
Ritetag
Ritetag scans top content in your niche to generate relevant hashtag and caption recommendations. The free plan provides 100 tag suggestions per month.
Display Purposes
This tool provides tag recommendations based on analyzing the top content for any keyword or topic you search. A free account includes 500 searches per month.
Meta Tags
Meta Tags helps optimize your profile’s bio hashtags and analyzes your content tags to provide suggestions for better-performing options. The free plan has limited capabilities.
Tagboard
Tagboard allows you to search by keyword to see the most popular hashtags and influencers related to your topic. This can help spur new tag ideas. There is a free version with limited features.
Tracking tag performance
It’s crucial to analyze which tags are working well for your reels versus underperforming ones you should switch up. Here are some tips for tracking:
- Use social media analytics tools like Sprout Social to monitor tag performance.
- Compare engagement rates on reels using the same hashtags to identify lowest and highest performers.
- Test small batches of new tags and check metrics to determine keepers.
- Schedule an annual “tag audit” to clean up and update your go-to tags.
By regularly tracking metrics around your tag strategy, you can continue optimizing the discoverability of your reels.
Example: Tag strategy for a cooking reel
Here is an example of an effective tag strategy for a 60 second cooking reel on Instagram:
Topic Tags:
#cooking #recipe #food #dinner #lunch #breakfast #chef
Caption Tags:
#cookwithme #chickenrecipes
Trending Hashtags:
#foodtiktok #foodie
Niche Community Tags:
#homechef #foodlover #foodies #delicious #tasty
Location Tag:
#sanfrancisco
Brand Tags:
#vitamix #nordickitchen
This provides a good mix of popular tags as well as specific tags closely relevant to the content that will help reach the right audience. Tracking metrics over time could help identify lower performing tags to test replacements for.
Key takeaways
- Use 20-30 tags on most reels to maximize optimization.
- Mix trending hashtags with niche, targeted phrases related to your content.
- Place tags at the start of the caption for visibility.
- Re-use top performing tags but also test new options.
- Frequently analyze tag metrics to identify opportunities.
An effective tagging strategy is crucial for discoverability and engagement on reels. Take advantage of all available tags and consistently track performance to build an optimal approach over time. With the right tags, your reels will reach much bigger audiences with each post.