hashtag-strategy — Claude Code skill: tags and discoverability

---
name: hashtag-strategy
description: >-
  Use to build a hashtag and discoverability strategy for social posts — the modern (2026)
  approach, not the outdated "30 hashtags to go viral" playbook. Run when the user says
  "hashtags," "what hashtags should I use," "how many hashtags," "hashtag strategy," "help me get
  discovered/reach," asks "do hashtags still work / are hashtags dead," or asks how to tag a post. Reads brand-profile and audience first. Sets the keyword/social-SEO layer
  first (caption, on-screen text, spoken audio) because that — plus engagement and the content
  itself — drives discovery far more than hashtags now; then picks a tight, relevant, per-platform
  hashtag set (respecting caps like Instagram's enforced 5-tag limit), favors niche/mid-tier tags
  over generic mega-tags, and designs branded/campaign hashtags for community and tracking. Rotates
  sets rather than copy-pasting one block, and hands placement/publishing to scheduling-and-queue.
  Sets honest expectations: hashtags categorize and aid search; they are not a reach hack.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
license: MIT
---

# 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The most valuable thing this skill does is correct an outdated belief.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 does more for discovery than any tag. Don't skip it to jump to hashtags.

## Step 2 — Pick a tight, relevant hashtag set per platform

Per `references/platform-playbook.md`: Instagram 3–5 (hard cap 5), TikTok 3–5 as keywords, LinkedIn
3–5 specific, X 0–2, Threads 1, Pinterest/YouTube keywords-led. Favor **mid-tier/niche tags
(~10K–500K posts)** over mega-tags; mix topic + niche/community + (sometimes) location/branded. Vet
each tag on its page before using (see `references/research-and-types.md`).

## Step 3 — Add branded / campaign tags where they apply

For community/UGC/tracking, design a **branded** tag (ongoing) or **campaign** tag (time-bound):
short, unique, unused, typo-safe, on-brand, and promoted in bio/caption/CTA. This is the one place
hashtags still pull real weight.

## Step 4 — Rotate sets; place; publish

- Build **2–4 reusable sets per pillar** and rotate by what each post is about — don't paste one
  identical block.
- **Placement:** caption (best for search/SEO on most platforms).
- **Publish:** hand the post + tags to `scheduling-and-queue`. Respect the **IG 5-cap** so a post
  isn't blocked/trimmed.

## Quality bar — self-check

- Did I lead with the **keyword/SEO layer**, not hashtags?
- Is the tag set **tight, relevant, niche/mid-tier**, and **within the platform's cap**?
- Is it **per-platform**, not one block everywhere?
- Did I avoid **generic mega-tags / #fyp / 30-tag dumps**?
- Did I add a **branded/campaign tag** where community/UGC applies?
- Are sets **rotated**, and is the expectation set **honestly** (categorize + search, not reach)?
- **No analytics claims** WoopSocial can't back?

## Edge cases & pushback

- **"Give me 30 to go viral"** → push back: more tags ≠ more reach; IG caps at 5; redirect to
  keywords + content + engagement. Deliver a tight set.
- **"Add #fyp #viral #explore"** → decline generic mega-tags; explain #fyp doesn't affect the FYP;
  offer niche/mid-tier.
- **"Same block on every post"** → rotate relevant sets; note copy-paste is low-effort (and frame
  the shadowban claim accurately — unconfirmed, but relevance/rotation still wins).
- **"Which hashtags perform best for us?"** → no WoopSocial analytics; point to native
  reach-from-hashtags insights or qualitative review.
- **Wrong platform** → don't tag X like Instagram; match the playbook.
- **Regulated/sensitive** → avoid tags implying unverifiable claims; carry brand guardrails.

## Related skills

- `brand-profile`, `audience-research` — relevance + how the audience searches.
- `caption-writer`, `tiktok-script`, `reels-script`, `carousel-writer`, `linkedin-post-writer` —
  where the keyword/SEO layer and tags actually live.
- `social-seo`, `ai-search-optimization` — the deeper search/discoverability skills.
- `trend-jacking` — riding a live tag/sound moment (vs. evergreen tags here).
- `scheduling-and-queue` — publish with the tags in the caption.

## References

- `references/the-2026-reality.md` — why hashtags ≠ reach now; what they do; the real levers; myths.
- `references/platform-playbook.md` — per-platform counts, caps, and the real lever for each.
- `references/research-and-types.md` — the 8 tag types, vetting, rotating sets, branded/campaign design.
- `references/examples.md` — worked keyword+tag sets per platform, vs the old 30-tag block.