Hashtags or simply tags are symbols that allow Internet search engines categorize keywords, images and messages on social sites like twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Tags help string together messages belonging to one category or the other; and in doing so making more people view and react to them. On Instagram for instance, the use of tags is almost synonymous with uploading an image. Almost every user adds a tag to their post; some of which are descriptive, some of which are expressive, entertaining, inspiring or cryptic. Below, we shall look at ten of the most popular tags for free Instagram video views on this site, and see what they mean to the users.

1. #Likeforlike

Instagram is evidently the most conducive place for vanity chasers. It is a place where people spend hours all-day long looking for ‘likes’,  ‘followers’ and engagement on their pictures for no apparent gain, and it is no wonder why tags such as #likeforlike,  #like4like, #likeforfollow, and  #tagsforlike appear in thousands of people’s posts. #Likeforlike is such a popular tag because it can be used in almost any occasion or type of post. It is also a self-explanatory tag, as anyone who clicks on it knows they will be reaching out to people who want more likes or followers on their posts as well. In some rare occasions however, this tag can be used to express other meanings. For instance you can use the tag to ask your followers to share your image or attend your event so that you can do the same to them in future.

2. #WCW

On Wednesdays, almost half of the posts you will find on your Instagram feed will have this tag on it. It simply means #Woman crush Wednesday, and it is aimed at expressing love and appreciation to a woman you appreciate the most during that week. There are actually no boundaries on which woman you could appreciate. It could be your mom, your significant other, your mentor or your daughter. Also note that there is a male version of #WCW; #MCM, but it is not as popular as #wcw.

3. #ThrowbackThursday (#tbt)

Unless you are largely absent from social networks, you’ve probably seen #tbt on your feed. It is also one of the most effective tags on any social network. #ThrowbackThursday aims at letting people see your pictures and images from the past, and probably appreciate how far you’ve come since then. For many reasons, people love to engage on #tbt photos. At times they are humorous, others are simply inspiring. The wide popularity of #tbt therefore makes it one of the best tools to use and reach out to people on Thursday. It is also offers a great chance to post a picture or image you took several weeks ago but didn’t have the chance to post it on your account due to timeliness.

4. #Nofilters

#Nofliters has been rising and is still rising at a fast pace. It is in fact one of the most popular tags used by people who want to post selfies these days. It simply shows that the image you just posted was authentic and didn’t require the use of filters to make it better. The hashtag was introduced to counter the wide use of Instagram filters by people, and mostly women who felt they needed to look better on the network. The tag has seen a lot of positive feedback since introduced, as many people tend to appreciate natural beauty more. Whether people lie while using the tag is still a topic for debate however, but using the tag itself is a sure way to increase likes and followers on Instagram.

5. #Instadaily

#Instadaily is a tag to express the love people have for Instagram. It is used by millions of people every day, and using it along few other tags while marketing could guarantee you a highly effective path to the traffic and customers you need. Also note that most people who use #Instadaily use it along other popular hashtags like #picoftheday to get a wider reach.

6. #Love/ #selflove

Earlier on, we said Instagram offer a conducive environment for narcissists or people who have deep love for themselves, and this is well exemplified by tags like #love, #me, and #selflove. They are mainly used along selfies to help reach out to a greater audience, and thus result in more likes.

7. #quoteoftheday

There are all sorts of people on Instagram, and people who love to inspire or entertain with quotes make a great number of the users. Anyone can use a quote alongside their visual posts after all, which is why tags like #quoteoftheday are quite popular. It is also common to find shorter versions of quote related tags like #tag, or #inspiration.

8. #regram

When you find something interesting and worth sharing on other people’s accounts, you can repost it, give credit to the person who created it and use #regram as a simple way of reinforcing the fact that you are sharing the image.

9. #Foodie

People love food, and as much as it is not wise to keep posting images about your meals on Instagram, people can’t help it. #foodie is a worldwide popular tag for chefs, bakers and people who love food will sue the tag everyday.

10. #flashbackfriday

Should you miss to post a throwback image you love on Thursday, you have the chance to post it on Friday with the tag #ff or #flashback Friday in full. The tag acts as a great way to share your past memories with your current Instagram friends and followers.

The above list is by no means conclusive. There are hundreds of other worldwide tags that are used on a daily purpose by Instagram lovers. For instance, #selfiesunday, #transformationtuesday and #allaboutme are some of the most popular tags you can find week in week out. Tags help link your posts to other people’s updates. They are effective at attracting more likes, more engagement and more followers.