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If you’ve been wondering whether hashtags still matter on social media in 2026, then you’re not alone. With Instagram and TikTok continuing to roll out major algorithm updates focused on searchability, keywords, and content quality, almost everybody has been asking the same thing: are hashtags dead?

To put it simply, hashtags still matter, but not in the way they used to. At the end of 2025, we saw a big change in how hashtags work. And now, in 2026, hashtags are probably no longer going to be considered the hero of your reach strategy. Instead, they’re part of the wider Instagram and TikTok SEO ecosystem, where they work alongside keywords, captions, and on-screen text to help the algorithm understand what your post is about and who it’s for.

In order to get you up to speed, here’s what’s changed, what still works, and how to use hashtags smartly across Instagram and TikTok.

The algorithm shift: Search-first content is here

Back in 2024, Instagram began prioritising keyword search, meaning posts are now indexed based on the language you use in your captions, the context of your content, and relevance rather than just hashtags. TikTok quickly followed suit, leaning heavily on video SEO signals like on-screen text, voice, and captions. It’s one of the reasons why so many individuals use TikTok as a search engine these days.

TikTok has gone even further, becoming a genuine search engine for Gen Z and younger millennials, with content ranked based on:

In other words, the algorithm is no longer relying on hashtags to understand content, it’s analysing everything.

Recent insights across the industry consistently show that:

Engagement signals have more impact than hashtags

Keywords and context are now critical for discoverability

Content quality and relevance outweigh metadata hacks

In short, the algorithm wants clear context, not clustered clutter.

Despite the algorithm updates, hashtags still have an important supporting role to play on both platforms. Here’s why they still add value:

 Helping platforms quickly understand topic and niche

 Contributing to placement in relevant feeds and searches

 Especially for branded campaigns, UGC, and events

 Still helpful for joining conversations and challenges

So yes, hashtags are still important, just not in the same way they were five years ago.

Hashtags vs. keywords: Finding the new balance

Now let’s move onto the important bit. The real secret to growth in 2026, believe it or not, isn’t about choosing between hashtags or keywords, it’s about using both strategically.

Think of hashtags as labels that help algorithms categorise your content, and think of keywords as language that helps algorithms understand your content. Together, they create a powerful discoverability combo.

Use 3–5 relevant hashtags, ideally niche, branded, or campaign-specific.

Focus your captions on keywords your audience searches for (e.g. “social media strategy for small businesses” instead of “#socialmedia”).

Add hashtags naturally to the end of your caption, there’s no need to stuff them.

Include up to 5 hashtags (TikTok no longer allows more than 5) that combine trends, niche topics, and your brand.

Align your hashtags with keywords in your captions and on-screen text.

If you’re including a voiceover in your video, say your key phrase out loud. Fun fact: TikTok’s AI reads audio and speech for SEO indexing.

In 2026, the smartest brands will be using hashtags with clear purpose and understanding.

Use a mix of trending, niche and branded hashtags.

Research what your audience is actually following or searching for.

Keep them relevant to your post content and caption keywords.

Track which hashtags actually bring new engagement or views (TikTok shows you how your audience found your content).

Spamming irrelevant or overused hashtags (#love #instagood #trending).

Copying the same hashtag set for every single post.

Overloading your caption with too many tags.

To wrap things up, real discoverability on Instagram and TikTok lies in the power of SEO on social media. That means combining keywords, captions, and hashtags to make your content as clear and relevant as possible for both algorithms and audiences.

At Swwim, we can help brands understand their hashtag and keyword use, building smarter, search-friendly content that actually gets seen.

Want the bigger picture on why this shift is happening in the first place? Read our piece on 

why people are searching TikTok instead of Google

Are you after some help evolving your social media SEO strategy? 

 and we’ll help make sure your content gets found.

Instagram & TikTok SEO: Are Hashtags Still Important in 2026?

If you’re still stuck in the mindset that social media is a place where people simply go for entertainment, you’re already behind.

Nowadays, people aren’t just scrolling on social media, they’re searching, and it’s changing what it means to do SEO. More and more people are moving away from Google, heading straight to TikTok or Instagram instead to find:

And trust us, the shift isn’t small. Over the years, social media has quietly (and quickly) become one of the most powerful search engines in the world, and brands still haven’t caught up. That’s where social media SEO comes in.

Social media SEO is the process of optimising your content so it can be discovered through search on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

The shift: from search engines to social search

So what’s changed? Instead of typing “best skincare for acne”, users are now searching that exact phrase on TikTok and are getting thousands of videos showing them:

Not blog posts written for algorithms. Why? Because when people search on social media they’re finding content that feels more authentic, more visual, and faster to consume. They’re not having to read five articles to find the information they need, they’re just watching a 30-second video and making a decision instead.

Why TikTok (and Instagram) are winning search

Unlike Google, social platforms push content to users. You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking for because the algorithm will help you find it. Think of it this way: content is discovery first. A short video can show results, demonstrate a product, and explain something clearly, all in just a few seconds. That’s pretty hard to compete with in text form (think blog posts, articles, long captions, etc).

Now, user-generated content, creators and informal reviews feel much more honest than polished brand messaging, which let’s be honest, isn’t the most trustworthy. And trust drives decisions.

We hate to break it to you, but if your brand isn’t showing up in social search, then you’re invisible to a huge chunk of your audience. Your potential customers aren’t just Googling anymore, they’re searching TikTok, browsing Instagram, and watching before they buy. If your content isn’t designed to be found in those moments, you’re missing out massively.

The problem: most brands are posting, not optimising

It’s great to see more and more brands becoming active on social media, but sadly, activity doesn’t mean visibility. We see it all the time: posting consistently, creating “nice” content, following random trends that aren’t always relevant to the brand, but brands still struggling to grow. Why? Because their content hasn’t been designed for search.

Here’s what to do about it (practical steps)

1. Start thinking like a search engine. Yes, seriously.

This is where the opportunity lies for your brand. Ask yourself: what is my audience actually searching for, and what problems are they trying to solve? Then create content that answers those questions directly.

Your captions, on-screen text, and voiceovers all matter on social media. For example, if someone is searching “how to style wide leg jeans” and you don’t mention that in your video, it will become much harder to find because the algorithm won’t understand what your video is about.

Don’t try to be cool with your captions. Trust us, now isn’t the time to be vague. Content that performs in social search is direct, specific, and easy to understand. Instead, think “3 ways to grow on Instagram in 2026” not “social media tips you need to know”.

It’s no secret that video is still one of the best performing pieces of content. If you’re not using it, you’re limiting your visibility, both on Instagram and TikTok.

The best-performing content will always be the one that doesn’t feel like marketing. It’s natural, it’s entertaining and it’s relatable. Instead of saying “buy our product” think “here’s how to solve X problem”.

Despite more and more brands becoming active on social media, there’s still a gap to stand out and capture the attention of your audience. Yes, consumers have changed their behaviour, but if you adapt early, you win. Showing up when someone is actively searching will be one of the best things you can do for your brand.

So no, to put it bluntly, social media isn’t just a channel for entertaining anymore. It’s where people discover, research, and decide, and increasingly, where they search for new products to buy.

So the question nowadays isn’t only “are you posting enough?”, but “are you showing up where it matters?” If your content isn’t being found, it’s not doing its job.

Want the tactical breakdown? Read our guide on 

whether hashtags are still important for Instagram and TikTok SEO in 2026

At Swwim, we help brands turn social media into something more than just “staying active”, creating a 

 that actually drives visibility and growth.

 and we’ll help make sure your content gets found by the people searching for it.

Social Media SEO: Why People Are Searching TikTok Instead of Google

Are Instagram saves still important in 2026?

There was a time when saves were considered the ultimate metric to monitor on Instagram, especially when likes were being de-emphasised. But now that Reels dominate reach (which relies on metrics like watch-time, shares and re-posts) the picture is more nuanced.

Ultimately, whether saves matter most depends on the kind of content you’re sharing and the feeling or action you want to spark in your audience.

Instagram saves are most important when you are:

Sharing recipes, workout routines or shopping guides

Showcasing design, décor, or fashion inspiration

Providing a tutorial, insider tips or 'how-to' explanations

Sharing frameworks or step-by-step strategies to follow

Creating relatable memes or trends (these are quick-hits)

Tapping into cultural commentary or hot takes (the moment fades fast)

Celebrating team wins or behind-the-scenes moments (high connection but less need to refer back)

Posting motivational quotes or affirmations (occasionally saveable, but more likely a share or feeling in-the-moment)

Swwim’s Top Tips for generating more Instagram saves

Now that hashtags are dying, the caption itself has never been more important. Focusing on keywords will signal to the algorithm what the content is about. But writing longer, more in depth captions is a great way to make your post more saveable. Sometimes, users are saving the post, just for the caption. Think about recipes, often the full instructions are in the caption. So don’t be afraid to include lots of detail in your caption and worry less about including it all in the post itself.

Encourage your audience to save posts by using interactive stickers in Stories to drive to posts. Including call-to-actions in your captions is helpful. Using phrases like, ‘save this for later’ or ‘come back and tell us...’ are great ways to boost saves.

Evergreen content is content that retains its relevance over time. Things like recommendation-packed posts, travel itineraries, insider tips, checklists and how-tos are great ways to get your audience to save content that will be relevant to them for weeks or months to come. See our blog post on 

Collections are a super handy feature for users. It allows users to organise saved posts by category such as workouts, tutorials, industry news, restaurants, home inspiration etc. Of course, posts that fit into those categories are more likely to be saved. But a great thing to do is simply remind your audience to use the collection feature!

Keep this phrase in mind. When sharing educational content, aim for short, actionable tips that can be consumed in 30 seconds. This is often saved for later. Think checklists, frameworks, or three-step guides.

See how we've included Instagram as part of our client's social media strategy in this 

If you'd like more ideas and help with your 

person viewing instagram saves on their phone

Are Instagram Saves Important?

If you're wondering how to use TikTok for business, you're not the only marketing manager weighing it up. We hear so many prospects shut down the idea of using TikTok because:

they don't have in-house talent who like being on camera, or

they think it's the wrong place for their brand.

Now, not every brand needs to be on TikTok. But those two concerns shouldn't be a barrier to using the platform in 2026. Ultimately, TikTok is just another tool that can be used to connect your brand with your audience.

Here's why those concerns shouldn't hold you back today.

Quick start: how to use TikTok for business in 3 steps

Check whether your audience is actually there, the demographic data below usually settles this.

Pick a format that doesn't rely on an on-camera presenter, such as carousels, edited clips or voiceover.

Post consistently so the algorithm learns your audience and starts serving your content to them.

Myth 1: You need in-house talent who like being on camera

TikTok as a platform for business has changed a lot over the years. What used to be known for lip-syncing and trend-focused videos is now all about being original. Users are constantly finding new ways to use the platform and the same applies to businesses too.

Here are some brand accounts successfully utilising TikTok without featuring employees on camera:

 -  the British newspaper uses the carousel format to break down information.

 - a great example of turning simple short clips into inspiring ideas and entertaining ways to relate to an audience.

 - demonstrates how to edit together simple clips and images to tell stories, without featuring a presenter.

Myth 2: TikTok isn't right for our audience

Usually this is followed by something like:

Did you know that the largest percentage of TikTok users is not the youngest cohort? Here's the current breakdown:

Statista, TikTok global user age distribution

The number of global users is estimated at 1.9 billion.

TikTok reports having crossed 30 million monthly active users

There's no escaping it. Whether you're targeting mums, tech businesses or builders, your audience is on TikTok.

Obviously marketing teams have budget restraints to consider. You don't need to be on all the platforms and there may be a different platform to prioritise right now.

But if there's a budget to experiment with another platform, TikTok has some excellent advantages worth considering for businesses.

How to get started: setting up your TikTok business account

Once you've decided TikTok is worth testing, getting set up is straightforward:

 in your profile settings to unlock analytics, advertising tools and TikTok Shop integrations. 

 - brand awareness, community building or driving traffic, rather than trying to do everything at once.

3. Choose a format that suits your team's comfort level

, such as carousels, voiceover-led edits or trend-adapted clips, rather than defaulting to talking-head video.

 to your bio, captions and on-screen text so TikTok's search and recommendation system understands what your content is about and shows it to the right audience.

 and review TikTok Analytics regularly to see what's resonating and adjust your approach. This is the most powerful thing you can do. 

3 reasons it might be worth thinking about for your brand

It's quick and low cost to produce the content.

The algorithm is driven by interest and consumption, so as long as you're giving it the right signals, it will help bring your relevant audience to you.

There's now a local feed, which makes it easier for brands to connect with relevant local audiences.

Not every brand needs to be on TikTok and it's fine to prioritise other channels if the budget or audience fit isn't there yet. But if the concerns holding your team back are "we don't have on-camera talent" or "our audience isn't there," the evidence above suggests neither has to be a dealbreaker in 2026.

Not sure if TikTok is right for your brand?

Swwim helps marketing teams build TikTok strategies that don't rely on in-house talent or trend-chasing. 

Get in touch for a free TikTok strategy consultation.

How to Use TikTok for Business: A 2026 Guide for Marketing Teams

If you've searched ‘how to grow on Instagram’, you've probably landed on the same advice a hundred times: post vertical, post short, post often, use trending audios and jump on trends.

Which is why our recent advice to a creator might surprise you.

They asked us if vertical videos were the best option for a new content series on Instagram.

For context, the creator is about to skateboard 500 miles for charity and is documenting the whole thing as he goes. He's also got a background in film, with a natural eye for something more documentary in style than short-form, low-fi and TikTok-esque. So we talked through whether horizontal video on Instagram is actually the mistake everyone assumes it is.

Here’s why we think horizontal videos on Instagram can be a huge flex.

Reason 1: Being different is how you grow on Instagram right now

Trends get copied fast. Scroll for five minutes and you'll see the same transitions, same audio, same vertical crop. It’s boring. We’re not saying vertical video is wrong. But sameness has become a real barrier to growth.

That's exactly why something different, like a horizontal, cinematic video, makes people stop scrolling. The creator in question has a more documentary style, so leaning into the horizontal format lets him stay true to his taste and stand out from a feed full of near-identical content. If your content already has a distinct look or story to tell, fighting that to force it into a trending format can do more harm than good.

Reason 2: Horizontal video is already making a comeback

Content formats move in cycles, just like fashion. Some brands and creators are deliberately shooting in cinematic, horizontal formats again, as a signal of quality and intentionality.

The platforms seem to be backing this shift too. YouTube's monetisation model rewards videos watched for over 8 minutes with extra ad slots, meaning Shorts might be how people discover a channel, but it's often horizontal, long-form content that actually earns for creators. Instagram is testing something similar: its TV app (currently Samsung-only in the US) is trialling a dedicated ‘home’ section for horizontal video. Horizontal might not be what fills your phone screen today, but it looks like where content is heading next.

Reason 3: Shooting horizontal now saves you the headache later

If there's ever a chance your content will end up as a long-form video, on YouTube, on a website, in a case study, shooting horizontally from the start makes that far easier. This creator will be posting regular updates throughout his trip, but there's a good chance he'll also want to turn the full journey into a long-form YouTube video once he's done.

Shoot everything in 16:9 and that future edit is simple. Shoot vertical and you're stuck cropping, reshooting, or compromising the footage to make it fit.

So, should you post horizontal videos on Instagram?

Not always but it's not the mistake it's made out to be either. If your content is naturally trend-led, fast-paced and built for the scroll, vertical still makes sense.

But if you've got a story to tell, a distinct style, or footage you'll want to repurpose beyond Instagram, horizontal is worth serious consideration.

Growing on Instagram in 2026 is about originality. The goal should be about becoming known for something unique. That could be a certain style, a series or a niche topic.

Want some advice on your content strategy?

Whether it’s content direction, format optimisations or outbound community management, we help brands work out how to make a measurable commercial impact through social media marketing.

Are Horizontal Videos on Instagram Bad?

Ask most brands what stops them booking a proper product photoshoot and it’s usually the assumption that a content agency only works on long-term contracts. The worry is you have to sign up for months of social media management just to get a few decent shots of your new product. But that’s not the case.

At Swwim, one-off product photography and video shoots are one of our most requested services. So if you've got a product launch coming up or a campaign that needs fresh social content, this one's for you.

Not every business needs a content agency on retainer..A single, focused shoot works well when:

You're launching a new product and need imagery ready before it goes live, rather than scrambling for content after the fact.

You're running a campaign that needs a distinct visual identity, separate from your everyday social media content.

Your product photography has gone stale. Same shots, same backdrops, same angles you've been reusing for a year.

You need video for a specific push, a TikTok, a paid ad, a landing page and one strong shoot can cover all of it.

You want professional content in the bank without committing to an ongoing contract.

What's included in a product photoshoot with Swwim

Every shoot is scoped around what you actually need. In practice, that usually covers:

Photography and video shot together in a single session.

Content edited and formatted for the platforms your brand uses. Reels, TikToks, static posts and paid ad formats, not just one crop that gets posted across everything.

A studio setup or on-location shoot, whichever suits the product.

A quick turnaround, because we all know how the world of retail is.

Getting a shoot booked in is straightforward:

 What's launching, who your audience is, what the campaign's about and where the content needs to live.

 Location, styling, shot list and how many pieces of content you'll walk away with.


 Photography and video captured together, on the day.

 Edited, formatted and ready to post, no separate agency needed to make it usable.

No retainer. No lock-in. Just the content you need, when you need it.

Whether it's a product launch, a campaign refresh, or your feed just needs a proper glow-up, get in touch and we'll talk through what a shoot could look like for you.

You Don't Need a Retainer to Get Great Product Photography

Are polished videos still effective on TikTok?

Everyone's talking about authenticity these days. But is that the only option?

For example, beauty brands often use clean lighting and sharp editing to demonstrate results. Fashion brands may use cinematic clips to highlight texture and movement.

On TikTok, overly polished content sometimes blends into paid ads in the feed.

Does down-to-earth content perform better on TikTok?

TikTok was built on casual, spontaneous content. Users expect personality, humour and relatability.

Creators who film on their phones in everyday settings often outperform brands with studio-style setups.

Content that feels natural often keeps people watching longer because it feels less like a sales message.

tend to hold attention better than highly produced promotional videos.

What if my background or filming space is not ideal?

Filming close-up to reduce visible background

Many creators film in bedrooms, kitchens or offices. Clean and simple works better than cluttered.

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