The first hashtag is thought to have appeared in 2007 by Twitter user, Chris Messina, who suggested using the symbol as a way to group tweets together. Thanks Chris, you maverick!
Fast-forward over a decade, and hashtags are an intrinsic part of modern day culture. Theyâre still used ad nauseam on social media, but theyâve also become part of many peopleâs vocabulary.
Hashtags are also a powerful marketing tool for restaurants. But, like anything powerful, theyâre easily misused, and that can result in lots of wasted time and social media posts which simply disappear into the ether.
Weâve got 70 awesome hashtags for restaurants which work brilliantly on Instagram. But first, letâs consider why hashtags are worthy of your invaluable time.
What is a hashtag?
Today, hashtags are largely used for the same reason Messina devised them 13 years ago. Theyâre still one of the best ways to search for specific topics, discussion threads or a collection of posts related to the same subject.
Theyâre also used as forms of expression. For instance, youâve probably witnessed people using hashtags to describe an emotion or feeling. âI feel so #blessed to have this familyâ, isnât the kind of application Messina had in mind for hashtags, but itâs now an accepted (some would say overused) form of communication.
Most social media platforms have taken advantage of hashtags, and while you donât necessarily need them to get found on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, theyâre still a vitally important signal for engagement and ranking.
Here are some of the key benefits of using hashtags on your restaurantâs Instagram posts:
- the more hashtags you use on Instagram, the more likely youâll find a bigger audience
- hashtags will automatically increase your postâs popularity with Instagram itself (if you use them wisely)
- hashtags will help you attain more followers by making your Instagram account a reference point for a specific trend or discussion
- Instagram promotes images that fall within popular hashtags on its community pages - yours could be among them
Restaurant Instagram hashtag best practices
As noted, you need to be careful with hashtags. Too many, and youâll overwhelm the reader; too few, and your content wonât find the right audience.
Itâs also easy to use a hashtag which conveys the wrong message or inadvertently places you in front of the wrong audience.
Like so many things in marketing hashtags simply need some common sense and knowledge of best practice. On Instagram, youâll be glad to hear the latter is pretty straightforward.
The Facebook-owned image sharing platform allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post, but that doesnât mean you should use all of them. Despite this, Instagram generally fares better when it comes to judicious hashtag usage than a platform like Twitter.
Itâs generally agreed that around ten hashtags is the sweet spot on Instagram. Theyâre best placed at the end of the post or as a separate comment to avoid cluttering the post itself.
One of the main reasons for using hashtags as part of your restaurantâs marketing campaign is to improve the visibility of your brand.
This is why location-based hashtags are so important - and powerful, when used correctly.
Someone halfway across the world may love the Instaworthy snap of you signature main course, but theyâre unlikely to become a customer. But, the hungry would-be lunch customer who lives a 20-minute car journey away? A well-timed and well-placed location-based hashtag might sniff them out.
When choosing location hashtags for your restaurant on Instagram, the format is simple - you just pick a popular hashtag (weâll get to those soon), and lead into it with your location.
For instance:
- #ManchesterEats
- #ManchesterFoods
- #ManchesterRestaurants
Alternatively, simply add your locationâs hashtag on its own, among the other hashtags youâve chosen.
Itâs also very important to keep in mind your audience and the popularity of hashtags in your location. Some examples:
- #PhillyVegan
- #PhillyStreetFood
- #PhillySpice
- #PhillyFrench
Every restaurant Instagram marketing plan needs a solid base of hashtags to work from. Below, weâve listed 30 go-to hashtags you can rely on.
- 1. #foodie
- 2. #recipe
- 3. #dinner
- 4. #SundayBrunch
- 5. #brunch
- 6. #lunch
- 7. #breakfast
- 8. #foodporn
- 9. #Foodography
- 10. #GoodEats
- 11. #Vegan
- 12. #eats
- 13. #burger
- 14. #foodstagram
- 15. #happyhour
- 16. #pizza
- 17. #wine
- 18. #delish
- 19. #paleo
- 20. #vegetarian
- 21. #cleaneating
- 22. #hungry
- 23. #nomnom
- 24. #nom
- 25. #yummy
- 26. #yum
- 27. #foodlover
- 28. #foodgasm
- 29. #instafood
- 30. #delicious
1. #foodporn (235,274,373 posts to date)
You almost feel like you shouldnât look - but you canât help it.
2. #GoodEats (8,181,400 posts to date)
Healthy living doesnât have to be boring.
3. #instafood (176,686,342 posts to date)
Arguably one of the most recognisable hashtags relating to food and restaurants - and for good reason.
Instagram is all about the imagery. Combine one or several of the hashtags below with general or location-based hashtags.
- 1. #foodstyling
- 2. #buzzfeast
- 3. #foodies
- 4. #foodblog
- 5. #foodlover
- 6. #onthetable
- 7. #eeeeeats
- 8. #foodpics
- 9. #foodphoto
- 10. #foodphotography
- 11. #foodpic
- 12. #foodforfoodies
- 13. #beautifulcuisines
- 14. #foodshare
- 15. #nomnom
- 16. #foodspotting
- 17. #forkyeah
- 18. #hungry
- 19. #foodgram
- 20. #igfood
1. #eeeeeats (20,029,760 to date)
Just try and get the number of âeâs right!
2. #forkyeah (7,867,815 posts to date)
Scarily easily misspelt, but perfect for restaurants.
3. #foodstyling (9,615,296 posts to date)
Itâs art, right?
A well-timed and considered promotion will win you plenty of long term customers, and Instagram is one of the best ways to pique their attention.
- 1. #[YourRestaurant]win
- 2. #win
- 3. #competition
- 4. #winitwednesday
- 5. #giveaways
- 6. #[YourRestaurant]giveaway
- 7. #[YourRestaurant]sweepstakes
- 8. #contestentry
- 9. #contestalert
- 10. #[YourRestaurant] contest
10 new hashtag trends in 2021
- 1. #MadeFromScratch
- 2. #FoodInTheAir
- 3. #EatingForTheInsta
- 4. #Instachef
- 5. #tastethisnext
- 6. #eattheworld
- 7. #appetitejournal
- 8. #buzzfeedtasty
- 9. #foodpornshare
- 10. #cheateats
Before you goâŚ
Raring to get started with your restaurantâs social media strategy? Here are some related articles which will help you make the most of this vital marketing platform.
