hashtag-strategy

# Hashtag Strategy The most valuable thing this skill does is correct an outdated belief. In 2026, **hashtags are not a reach hack** — platforms understand content directly (captions, on-screen text, audio, visuals, engagement), so tags now mostly **categorize** a post and **aid search**. Instagram even removed hashtag-following (2024) and **caps hashtags at 5** (2025), and its own head has said more tags don't mean more reach. So this skill does two jobs, in order: 1. **The keyword / social-SEO layer first** — the real discovery lever. Platforms are search engines now; they index your caption, on-screen text, and spoken audio. 2. **A tight, relevant hashtag set** on top — per platform, within caps, niche over generic — plus branded/campaign tags where community applies. (Full reasoning in `references/the-2026-reality.md`.) ## Step 0 — Read the foundation + the post Load `brand-profile.md` and `audience.md`, and look at the actual content/caption being tagged. Tags must match real content and the audience's real searches. ## Step 1 — Set the keyword / social-SEO layer (the real lever) Pick the **primary keyword** (how the audience actually searches) + a couple of variations, and place them where platforms index: - **Caption, front-loaded** (the first ~80 chars carry most weight). - **On-screen text** (Reels/TikTok/Shorts). - **Spoken audio** (video) — say the keyword aloud; on TikTok the "triple mention" (say + show + caption) is the core ranking move. This ...