You might have noticed the past few days, your hashtags aren't doing much for you. This is especially true for those of us who forget or choose not to hashtag in our original caption, and instead put a few later on. Well, thanks to Instagram's recent changes over the weekend, you can expect little return from hash tagging after you've already posted. The way the system works now you'll no longer search for a hashtag and find a photo from 157w ago at the top of the list. Now, every hashtag will correlate to the date and time the photo was originally posted. Even if you decide to edit your caption and put them in later, you'll still find your photo many pages deep in the hashtag search. This is an effort to stop hashtag spammers, and to reemphasize being present with your photos.

So, it's time to rethink your hashtag strategy. I'd recommend being very thoughtful as to what tags are important and relevant to your photo. And make sure you are including them in your original post. Recency is now a major emphasis, so take your time and plan out your captions and hashtags. You only get one shot at it now!

Overall this is a positive improvement for Instagram and the user experience. The new system will be very helpful for popular brands running competitions. You'll no longer be stuck with tons of entries from weeks and years ago. Not to mention it will force the contestants or anyone for that matter to be constantly creating new work and amazing content to share. I often tell people, don't worry about your old photos. We are constantly learning and improving our craft, so each photo should be better than the last. Share the most recent and keep creating.

You can find me on Instagram at username @brandontigrett for my daily life / some professional work & my clothing brand @bauthentic.co

I'm always looking for amazing artists to follow and feature on the b authentic account, so hashtag #DontFearTheAdventure so I can find you!