Your Hashtags Are Lazy: How To Use Instagram To Get Found by Clients, Not Just Other Stylists
Most stylists are using hashtags to show off, not to get booked.
You post a fire photo, drop 30 tags like #hairstylist #behindthechair #salonlife and think: cool, that’ll help.
But those hashtags? They’re loud. They’re oversaturated. And they’re mostly being searched by other stylists. Not by the
clients you actually want to attract.
So if your Instagram is getting love but not new appointments… this might be why.
Let’s break it down:
Vanity Hashtags vs Client-Driven Hashtags
Vanity hashtags
Great for getting featured. Not so great for getting found by locals.
Examples: #hairartist #cosmolife #salonowner #licensedtocreate
Client-driven hashtags:
These are what actual clients search when they’re trying to find someone who can do what they need.
If you’re not showing up in local, service-specific searches, you’re not even in the conversation.
Examples: #StLouisBlonde #CurlyHairSpecialistATL #KCBridalHair
The Algorithm Isn’t Magic. It’s Math.
Instagram reads everything: captions, keywords, hashtags, even your bio, and serves content based on relevance.
So if you want to attract new clients, especially local ones, you’ve got to think like they do.
No one’s typing in #salonvibes when they’re looking for someone to fix their color correction. They’re typing things like:
• “Blonde specialist near me”
• “Short haircuts STL”
• “Natural hair stylist Kansas City”
• “Wedding makeup Chicago”
You Need to Niche Down to Show Up
Generic hashtags make you invisible.
Niche, location-specific hashtags make you show up for the right people.
So instead of this: #hairstylist #balayage #highlights
Try this: #ChicagoBalayage #BlondeSpecialistChicago #ILHairColorist
How To Fix Your Hashtags (Today)
- Pick 3 location tags. Where are you working? City, neighborhood, region.
- Pick 3 service tags. What do you want more of? Short cuts? Gray coverage? Bridal?
- Pick 2 client-style tags. These can be vibe-based: #LowMaintenanceBlonde, #CurlyGirlApproved
- Rotate every 3–5 posts to keep it fresh and see what performs.
Still stuck? Type this into LiQUiD:
"What hashtags should I use to attract local color clients in Detroit?”
or
“Give me hashtags to help me book more bridal clients this fall"
Let the AI-Powered Business Assistant do the work.
You get strategy in seconds, no guessing, no scrolling through random TikTok tutorials.
Because visibility should lead to bookings.
And every post should have a purpose.