Too Many Hashtags on Facebook Reels?

Stuffing Facebook Reels with excessive hashtags often backfires. Discover why a smart, minimal hashtag approach yields better results and engagement.

Have you ever been scrolling through your Facebook feed and come across Reels videos absolutely crammed with a ridiculous number of hashtags in the caption? It's an off-putting eyesore that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and turned off to the content.

The mistaken belief that jamming as many hashtags as possible into your Reels will supercharge their visibility is a counterproductive strategy that usually has the opposite effect.

In this article, we'll look at the reasons why hashtag stuffing on Facebook Reels hurts more than it helps, and how a stripped-down, smarter hashtag approach can lead to way better visibility and viewer engagement.

The Hashtag Overload Problem

Hashtag Stuffing Makes a Mess of Your Captions

Imagine you're peacefully scrolling Reels videos and suddenly one pops up with a caption that's just a tangled clump of hashtag after hashtag. It's like someone vomited up a ball of gibberish all over an otherwise fine video.

This messy, unsightly blob of hashtags is tough on the eyes and instantly makes the content look spammy and unprofessional. It's a surefire way to get viewers bouncing away from your Reel without watching.

Cluttered, cramped captions overloaded with excessive hashtags are a major turnoff that defeats the whole purpose - getting people to actually watch your content. This visual noise distracts from your message and discourages engagement before the Reel even starts playing.

More Hashtags Don't Mean More Reach

You'd think stuffing your Facebook Reel with a bajillion hashtags would make it uber-visible and rake in a ton of views, right? Wrong. Counterintuitively, the more you overdo it on hashtags, the less your content actually gets seen and engaged. Facebook's algorithm is smart enough to identify and penalize what looks like spammy, excessive hashtag use.

When you ridiculously overload your Reels with hashtag after hashtag, Facebook's algorithm tends to interpret that as low-quality, desperate spam tactics. Your Reel then gets flushed out of the feed and falls flat. Plus viewers will perceive it as low-effort, inauthentic content and scroll right past. Hashtag stuffing backfires every time.

Examples of oversaturated Facebook hashtags to avoid using

Here are some examples of oversaturated, overly broad hashtags that are best to avoid or use very sparingly on Facebook Reels:

#Viral #Trending #Explore #FYP #ForYouPage

These are extremely generic hashtags that millions upon millions of posts use. They provide little to no value for targeting a specific audience.

#Funny #Comedy

While using #FunnyReels or #ComedyReels can be useful for that type of content, just using #Funny or #Comedy is way too broad.

#Like #Follow

Call-to-action hashtags like these come across as desperate for engagement rather than focusing on content value.

#Love #Instagood

These ambiguous hashtags are massively overused across all types of content.

#Instagram #Facebook #YouTube

Using the names of the platforms themselves as hashtags is redundant.

#Life #Lifestyle

Again, these are overwhelmingly general concepts that don't help target visibility.

The more vague, generic, and obvious a hashtag is, the less strategic value it provides. Oversaturated hashtags get lost in the endless sea of noise.

Instead, aim for super clear, specific hashtags that directly align with your niche, industry, content angle or skills showcased. For example:

#DIYHomeDecor

#AcrylicPourPainting

#PlantBasedMeals

#BeginnerYoga

#ChronicIllnessSupport

The more niche-focused your hashtag selections are, the better you can surgically reach your target audience on Facebook Reels. Avoid those broad, vapid hashtags that seem like lazy hashtag stuffing.

Related article: Best Practices For Facebook Hashtags in 2024

The Smart Hashtag Strategy

Quality Hashtags Over Quantity Spam

The path to effective hashtag usage isn't about just vomiting up as many hashtags as you can think of. It's about carefully, purposefully selecting a handful of specific, highly relevant hashtags for each of your Reels. Rather than random hashtag bingo, you need to curate quality hashtags that pinpoint the exact topics and audience you're targeting.

By using a few on-point, descriptive hashtags that nail your content's focus, you increase the chances of your Reel getting discovered organically by viewers who are literally searching for that subject matter. This precision-strike approach yields way better visibility in the right places rather than just blasting out generic, watered-down hashtag spam.

Examples of Quality Hashtags for Facebook Reels

For Cooking/Recipe Reels:

#foodreels #recipes #easyrecipes #cooking #foodtok #homecooking #quickmeals

For Fitness/Workout Reels:

#homeworkouts #fitnesstips #gymreels #nutritionreels #weightlossreels #yogareels

For Travel/Adventure Reels:

#travelreels #adventurereels #wanderlust #exploremore #traveltok #bucketlist

For Beauty/Makeup Reels:

#makeupreels #makeuptutorial #beautyhacks #makeupartist #makeuplooks #skincarereels

For Comedy/Funny Reels:

#funnyreels #comedyreels #humorvideos #laughtok #relatable #skits

For Business/Marketing Reels:

#marketingreels #businesstips #socialmediatips #entrepreneurtips #startupreels

For Family/Parenting Reels:

#momsofinstagram #dadstories #parentingreels #momreels #babyreels #toddlerreels

The key is to use 3-5 very specific, descriptive hashtags that clearly identify the core topic and angle of your particular Reel content. You want to hone in on your niche rather than using broad, general hashtags that are oversaturated.

Sprinkle in trending hashtags when applicable too. The right blend of quality, niche-focused hashtags can significantly boost targeted visibility and engagement.

Related Article: The Ultimate Guide to Discovering Low Competition Hashtags on Facebook

Always Stay Hashtag Trending Savvy

Hashtag trends are constantly shifting and evolving across social media. What was a red-hot hashtag last month could be a dead, dried-up wasteland this month. To keep your Facebook Reel visibility game strong, you need to keep a real pulse on what hashtags are actually trending and popular for your niche right now.

Make it a habit to regularly check in on what hashtags are burning up in your realm, and fold those fresh, relevant trends into your Reel hashtag strategy. By hopping on buzzworthy hashtags as they're peaking, you'll ride the wave of maximum eyeballs at that moment. Getting ahead of the trending curve keeps your content surfaced and visible to the right audience.

Write Captivating Captions that Accent Hashtags

While smartly incorporating hashtags is key for discoverability, they shouldn't be the whole show. You need a captivating, well-written Reel caption to convince viewers to keep watching once they land on your content. Don't just barf out a clumsy string of hashtags - craft a concise, punchy caption that whets the appetite.

The best approach is to blend a few highly relevant hashtags into your caption seamlessly and contextually. Don't make the caption itself all about hashtags - use them as complementary accent spices to your main message. This natural method showcases the substance of your content while optimizing for the algorithm. It's hashtag harmony.

Best Practices For Facebook Hashtags

Read this: Are Facebook Reels Actually Good for Gen Z's Attention, or Just Mindless Entertainment?

Final Thoughts

Facebook Reels hashtag stuffing to oblivion is a surefire path to poor performance. Treating hashtags as "more is better" usually has the unintended consequence of sinking your visibility and engagement.

Instead, take a more tactical, quality-over-quantity mindset. Use a small, concentrated blend of hyper-relevant hashtags. Stay student to what's hashtag hot.

Write snappy captions that use hashtags as complementary punchlines, not the whole meal. With a refined, smarter hashtag strategy, your Facebook Reels can shine and rack up the views you're chasing.