Hashtags That Work in 2026: Complete Guide for Belgian and Dutch Businesses

"Are hashtags still important in 2026?" That's the question I get ten times a week.

The answer is: yes, but not like before. The days of thirty hashtags in the comments and growth spurts on #love and #instagood are over. What works today is different, more targeted and actually simpler than what many SMEs think.

In this guide: how Instagram and Facebook really use hashtags today, which hashtags work for Belgian and Dutch businesses, and concrete examples per sector.

What Instagram really does with hashtags

In 2024, Instagram updated its algorithm. Since then, hashtags carry less ranking weight than before, but they do play an important role in classification. The algorithm uses them to understand what your post is about and who to show it to.

In practice: three to five relevant hashtags help Instagram show your content to the right people. Fifteen to thirty hashtags, especially generic ones like #love or #foodie, no longer help, and can even flag your content as spam.

The new motto: fewer hashtags, better chosen.

Three types of hashtags that work

For a Belgian or Dutch SME, this is the ideal recipe of three to five hashtags:

One location hashtag. Something like #brugge, #antwerpen, #utrecht or #amsterdam. This helps Instagram show your content to local users. For smaller municipalities: use your town plus province (#oudenaarde + #ostvlaanderen).

One sector hashtag. What do you do? #bakker, #kapper, #italianrestaurant. Specific enough to target your audience, not so broad that you disappear in a sea of content.

One to three niche hashtags. These are hashtags that relate specifically to your style or offering. #ambachtelijkbrood, #kleurspecialist, #handmadepasta, #naturalwine. This is where you find your real fans.

Avoid: hashtags with more than one million posts. You'll drown there. Avoid: hashtags with fewer than 1,000 posts. Nobody's there. The sweet spot for local businesses: between 10,000 and 500,000 posts.

Hashtags for local businesses in Belgium

Concrete examples of hashtags actively used by businesses in Belgium:

For cities and regions: - #brussel, #brusselseats, #brusselslokaal - #antwerpen, #antwerpenfood, #antwerpenshop - #gent, #gentkookt, #gentevents - #brugge, #bruggevisit, #bruggebites - #leuven, #leuvenfood, #leuvensestudent - #namur, #liege, #charleroi (French-speaking)

For sectors with BE-specific variations: - #belgischebakker, #belgischbrood, #patisseriebelgique - #belgischrestaurant, #brusselsbites, #foodiebrussels - #belgischwijnhandel, #natuurlijkewijn (growing)

Hashtags for local businesses in the Netherlands

Examples for Dutch businesses:

For cities and regions: - #amsterdam, #amsterdameats, #amsterdamlocal - #rotterdam, #rotterdamfood, #rotterdamlocal - #utrecht, #utrechtfood, #utrechtinsta - #denhaag, #denhaagfood, #thehague - #eindhoven, #groningen, #zwolle (smaller cities have high engagement)

For sectors with NL-specific variations: - #nederlandsebakker, #ambachtelijkbrood, #pastechef - #nederlandsrestaurant, #foodienl, #ditiseindhoven - #kapperamsterdam, #haarstylistutrecht

Per sector: what works

A few concrete combinations for different SME types:

Bakery in Antwerp: #antwerpen + #ambachtelijkbrood + #patisserie + #zuurdesem

Hair salon in Utrecht: #utrecht + #kapperutrecht + #balayage + #naturalhair

Italian restaurant in Ghent: #gent + #italianrestaurant + #ghentfoodie + #handmadepasta + #naturalwine

Yoga studio in Eindhoven: #eindhoven + #yogaeindhoven + #vinyasayoga + #yogaforbeginners

Bookshop in Brussels: #brussel + #independentbookstore + #boekenwijsheid + #bookshopvibes

Note that some sector hashtags are in English. For certain niches (especially lifestyle, food photography, design), English works better because the community is international. For strictly local businesses: stick to the language of your audience.

Hashtags in the caption or in a comment?

An ongoing debate: do you put hashtags in your main caption or in a separate first comment?

The algorithmic answer: it makes no difference. Instagram reads both identically.

The visual answer: hashtags in a comment look neater and keep your main caption more readable for the reader.

My recommendation: put your hashtags on a new line below your text with a few spaces in between. Or paste them as the first comment immediately after posting.

Hashtags you should avoid

Four types of hashtags that do more harm than good:

1. Banned hashtags. Instagram has a list of hashtags that have been flagged as spam. Your post will then not be shown under that tag. Examples: #adulting, #beautyblogger, #petitemodel (often filled with sexually suggestive content).

2. Generic mega-hashtags. #love, #instagood, #photooftheday, #picoftheday. Too crowded, no impact. Skip them.

3. Branded hashtags belonging to others. Don't use a brand name like #nike or #starbucks unless you're genuinely related to them.

4. Hashtags unrelated to your post. People click away when they land on something that means nothing to them. The algorithm demotes that type of content.

What about hashtags on Facebook?

On Facebook, hashtags have far less impact than on Instagram. One or two per post is sufficient, primarily for your brand name or an ongoing campaign (#summerpromo). No point in copying Instagram quantities over to Facebook.

What about hashtags on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn does actively use hashtags to classify content. Three to five relevant hashtags per post work well. Mix general business ones (#ondernemen, #ondernemerschap, #leiderschap) with sector-specific ones (#horeca, #foodservice, #patisserie).

Your own hashtag for your business?

Yes, do it. One unique hashtag for your brand: #bakkerjansen, #studioluna, #marckskapsels. Use it every time. Customers and partners will use it too (especially if you ask them or display it in your business).

Over time, you'll build your own archive of content featuring your business, without having to create it all yourself.

How to automate this without thinking about hashtags every time

For most SMEs, constantly coming up with new hashtag combinations is an unnecessary time drain. Promobuddy generates relevant hashtags per post based on your sector, your location and the content of the text. No list of thirty to cut and paste from, just three to five well-chosen ones for every post.

That's one less thing to worry about.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I update my hashtag strategy? Evaluating your niche hashtags once every three months is enough. Location and sector hashtags keep working for years.

Do hashtags work in Reels and Stories too? Reels yes, one to three hashtags help. Stories: hashtags in stickers work moderately well; use location stickers instead.

What do I do if all my hashtags only have 50 posts? That means your niche is too small for effective hashtags. Combine with broader sector hashtags and focus on location. Or build around a unique hashtag for your own brand.

What you can do today

1. Open your last five Instagram posts. Count your hashtags. Remove everything above five.
2. Create a simple document with your fixed set: one location, one sector, two to three niche. Paste those in every time instead of reinventing the wheel.
3. Test one post this week with this targeted set. Compare the reach with a previous post that had thirty hashtags.

Prepare to be surprised.