I got asked this question recently. It’s a great question because the best practices on hashtags change occasionally, and the optimal number varies by platform.

As far as whether to put hashtags in the caption or the first comment, I’ve found no difference in reach for my clients – the post gets seen by as many people either way.

So, it’s really an aesthetic preference. Some people don’t like seeing lists of hashtags in the caption, so they prefer putting them in a comment. If you do that, you HAVE to post the comment immediately after the post is published, or the platform doesn’t necessarily show the post to as many people. And that’s your goal in adding hashtags: get your content seen by more people.

Personally, hashtags in the post don’t bother me as a user, but I do find it a bit annoying if they’re immediately after the test. So, hit return a couple times before adding them. (This is not so easy if you’re posting to Instagram on the app, which is yet another reason I usually schedule posts.)

As for how many hashtags, on Instagram you’re still allowed to use up to 30. (But make sure they’re relevant and not banned ones – see a recent post on that.) But I’ve recently heard some fellow social media managers say they’re told to keep it under 10. As always, I say try both and see how it goes for you. I’ve still found the reach is better with more hashtags.

On Facebook and LinkedIn, stick to 3-5 hashtags, and make sure they’re relevant! I can’t tell you how often people copy and paste a post from Instagram with 20-30 hashtags to Facebook or LinkedIn; most aren’t used on those platforms. It’s annoying and not helping you at all.

I hope that helps! Now it’s your turn: What is your biggest question about social media marketing? Why would it be helpful to you to solve that problem?