How many hashtags?

It depends. More than one or two on Twiter and the algorithm will cut your reach. And that’s according to Twitter itself. Meanwhile, on Instagram, use too few and you won’t make most of the potential reach and should be aiming for something like six. For other social networks, think hard about the aesthetics: too many hashtags can make a post look chaotic and put users off.

Which hashtags?

On Twitter you need to choose wisely as more than a couple will potentially damage your reach. Choosing tags is a bit like SEO – if you go for something too broad then you are likely to get lost in the volume of other publishers, if you go too niche then you risk not being visible to many people. Use the ‘Goldilocks Principle’ – not too broad, not too niche to find the sweet spot.

Do hashtags actually boost reach?

They do if used wisely.