hashtag-strategylisted
Install: claude install-skill social-media-skills/skills
# 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The most valuable thing this skill does is correct an outdated belief.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