I just lost $200 on a 'viral hashtag pack' for my small business page

I saw an ad for a set of hashtags that were supposed to be 'algorithm proof' and guarantee more eyes on my posts. The seller said they were custom for my niche, which is handmade pottery. I paid $200 for the list and used them for two weeks straight. My reach actually DROPPED because Instagram flagged some as spam. Has anyone found a real, free way to research good hashtags that actually work?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_lane3029d ago

Check if the hashtags are even active before you buy a list... some sellers just scrape old data. I use a free website that shows you how many posts a tag really has.

carter.troy28d ago

The real danger is buying a list that gets you flagged as spam. Instagram's algorithm can bury your posts if it looks like you're just dumping the same tags over and over.

nguyen.thomas29d ago

Ugh that's the worst... fell for something similar last year with a "growth kit" for my art page. Spent way too much on a PDF full of hashtags that were just copied from the top posts in my field. Half of them were banned or way too big to ever get seen in. It feels so shady when they sell you a list that actually hurts your account. What worked for me was just looking at smaller, active artists I really like and seeing what tags they use that aren't super crowded. Then I make a big list in my notes app and mix them up each time.