Winter is a great time for photography enthusiasts. If you want to make your Instagram profile more popular, why not go for seasonal topics? Snowy vistas and frosted window panes are easy to photograph and the resulting pics are worth sharing with the world.
It’s not all landscapes and ice crystals, though. There are many other snow-related subjects worth exploring.
You can take cheerful snowman selfies or arrange cute winter fashion photo shoots. Kids and pets playing in the snow is always a popular subject for short videos. Winter sports are another beloved Instagram post topic.
Finding the right hashtags is the best way to attract followers. Once you get people hooked on your posts, they’ll stay with you all year round. So what are the best hashtags to use on Instagram this winter?
A Short Note on Hashtags
You can select up to 30 hashtags on each post. Why do you need so many?
Say you tag your video or photo with #snow. This tag has been used on over 73 million posts so far.
This means that your pictures would have extremely tough competition. #winter is even more prominent, as it has been used on over 99 million posts. Around 2 million posts come with the hashtag #snowy.
It’s perfectly fine to use some of these extremely popular tags on your post, but if you want to gain more followers, you should also add less popular hashtags. These will help you stand out in the crowd.
Your best strategy is to pile up a bunch of different hashtags, ranging from the popular to the obscure.
Other Well-Loved Snowy Hashtags
#coldday is an improvement over the above options, as it’s been used on 1.17 million posts so far. Only 24,000 posts have used #coldday with a snowflake emoji added at the end. Remember that emojis are treated like any other character on Instagram, so they change your hashtag completely.
Some Instagrammers enjoy using lone emojis as hashtags. The snowflake emoji has been used 866,000 times so far, which makes it a perfect choice. It is always a good idea to aim for widely-used tags with fewer than a million posts.
#winterwonderland is very evocative but too popular, with over 7 million posts. Adding a snowflake emoji narrows the post number down to around 31,000. If you’re into pop culture references, try #winteriscoming with and without the snowflake.
Hashtag Ideas:
#instawinter, #instaweather, #snowfall, #colddays, #winterdays, #winternights, #winternight, #wintersun, #snowedin, #wintertime, #snowflakes, #coldweather, #snowday, #snowwhite, #snowstorm, #frosty, #frosting, #frosted, #freezing, #snowing, #snowin
Add Locations to Your Winter Posts
If you’re doing nature photography, consider hashtags like #winterlandscape, which has been used 186,000 times so far. You can also opt for #winternature, #winterwildlife, or #winterphotography.
It is always a great idea to get more specific. Your city or general area might have a popular winter hashtag of its own. Using these is a great way to form Instagram connections.
It’s up to you to experiment with hashtags related to your location.
For example, #newyorkwinter is a good option or you could go with #newyorksnow. If the tags relating to your city are too obscure, try using your state instead.
In general, it’s better to put the name of your location at the beginning of the hashtag. For instance, #chicagowinter has 58,000 posts, while #winterchicago only has 817,000.
Hashtag Ideas:
#winterlandscapes, #winterphotoshoot, #winterphotos, #winterphoto, #winteranimals, #winterplants, #snowymountains, #snowycity, #snowylake, #snowyrooftops, #snowystreets, #eastcoastsnow, #eastcoastwinter, #westcoastwinter, #europewinter, #aussiesnow
Lifestyle, Sports, and Pets
Nature photography is always a huge hit on Instagram, but lifestyle photos can be even more successful.
Why not share your #winteroutfits with the world? #winterstyle is another excellent hashtag option, as it has been used 884,000 times.
The #wintermood hashtag encompasses anything from cute moments in the snow to interior decorating ideas. You can also use the #cozywinter, #beautifulsnow, or #winterlover tags to express your feelings.
How about something more dynamic?
#playinginthesnow has been used on around 88,500 posts. Kid pics and pet photos are a popular choice for this hashtag. #snowballs are another tag you should consider. If you opt for #snowbunnies, add a snowflake and a bunny emoji.
#sledding has been used on 693,000 posts, which makes it the perfect hashtag. #skiing is a little too popular, as it’s been used on 6.9 million posts. Consider using the skier emoji instead.
Don’t forget to tag your #winterholidays. Your followers may enjoy posts about your #christmasparty or they’ll want updates from your #snowvacation.
If you like blogging about your pet, this is the perfect time to do it. #snowdog has been used over 1.18 million times. #snowcat also has a respectable number of posts, as people have used it around 97,000 times.
Hashtag Ideas:
#winterlove, #snowbunny, #snowfun, #snowfunny, #snowgames, #snowman, #doyouwanttobuildasnowman, #snowmobile, #snowmobiles, #winterskating, #snowvacation #thecoldneverbotheredmeanyway, #snowdogs, #winterdog, #wintercat
A Final Thought
Winter is a great time to get creative with what you post. For example, the #iceart tag has been used on 43,000 posts and it covers both ice carvings and nature photos. You can also post about the #wintercrafts and #wintermeals that you’ve worked on.
Take the time to explore the hashtags used by other Instagrammers. It’s easy and fun to put a seasonal spin on your usual niche.
At the same time, this is the perfect chance to broaden your horizons. Try taking snow-themed photos outside of your usual style. Don’t hesitate to post a #snowselfie when you’re in the mood for it.
This is the season for New Year’s resolutions and bold new beginnings, so why not work on your Instagram presence, too? Start striking up conversations and put some extra thought into your hashtags.
