Instagram Hashtag Research Tools Compared: Which Actually Led to More Followers and Sales?

When I started my Instagram business account two years ago, I was posting content with random hashtags that “seemed relevant” to my wealth-building and financial freedom niche. After six months of inconsistent growth (hovering around 2,500 followers), I decided to get serious about hashtag strategy.

I tested five different hashtag research tools over a 90-day period, meticulously tracking not just vanity metrics like follower growth, but the metrics that actually matter: website clicks, lead magnet downloads, and ultimately, product sales.

The results were eye-opening. One tool outperformed all others, delivering a 267% increase in follower growth rate and—more importantly—a 189% increase in direct sales from Instagram.

In this post, I’ll reveal which hashtag research tools actually delivered measurable business results and exactly how I used each one. These aren’t theoretical recommendations—they’re backed by real data from my own Instagram account.

Why Most Instagram Hashtag Strategies Fail

Before diving into the tools, let’s address why most Instagram hashtag strategies deliver disappointing results:

1. Popularity bias: Using overly competitive hashtags where your content gets instantly buried
2. Relevance blindness: Selecting hashtags based on volume rather than audience alignment
3. Static approach: Using the same hashtag sets repeatedly despite changing algorithms
4. Lack of performance tracking: Not measuring which hashtag combinations actually drive results

According to recent Instagram statistics, the platform has over 2 billion active monthly users. Standing out in this crowded environment requires strategic precision that only data-driven hashtag research can provide.

The 5 Hashtag Research Tools I Tested

I invested in five different hashtag research tools, using each one exclusively for 18 days (allowing for consistent measurement periods):

1. Flick ($15.99/month)
2. Later ($25/month)
3. Metricool ($28/month)
4. Iconosquare ($49/month)
5. Social Status ($29/month)

For each tool, I posted identical content types on the same days of the week and at the same times—the only variable was the hashtag strategy informed by each tool.

The Results: Raw Performance Data

Let’s dive straight into the numbers that matter most—follower growth and sales metrics:

Overall Performance Metrics

Clear winner: Flick with 50% more follower growth than the second-best performer and more than double the sales conversions of most competitors.

Performance Breakdown by Content Type

Educational Content

Motivational Content

Data-Driven Content

The pattern was consistent across all content types: Flick outperformed all other tools by significant margins, with the performance gap widening even further for educational content—precisely the type that drove the most sales in my business.

Beyond Numbers: Qualitative Analysis

Raw data tells only part of the story. Here’s what I discovered about each tool’s strengths and weaknesses:

Flick: The Conversion Champion

Strengths:

• Most accurate competition level indicators
• Superior niche-specific hashtag suggestions
• Advanced performance tracking by hashtag group
• Excellent hashtag categorization system

Weaknesses:

• Limited analytics outside of hashtag performance
• Basic scheduling capabilities
• No visual planning features
• Steeper learning curve than some competitors

According to hashtag research specialists, Flick’s focus on hashtag creation features helps increase content discoverability, which aligned perfectly with my experience.

The most valuable feature was Flick’s “Collections” system, which allowed me to organize hashtags by content category, competition level, and performance. This enabled me to quickly select optimal hashtag combinations for each post without repeating low-performing tags.

Later: The Visual Planner

Strengths:

• Excellent visual content calendar
• Solid “Best Time to Post” recommendations
• Good basic hashtag suggestions
• Intuitive user interface

Weaknesses:

• Less sophisticated hashtag competition analysis
• Limited hashtag performance tracking
• Hashtag suggestions sometimes too broad
• Fewer niche-specific recommendations

Later performed adequately but couldn’t match Flick’s precision in hashtag selection. Its strength clearly lies in visual planning and scheduling rather than advanced hashtag research.

According to HypeAuditor’s analysis, Later’s “Best Time to Post” feature based on historical data is a standout capability, which I found valuable for timing posts but less impactful than optimal hashtag selection.

Metricool: The Analytics Generalist

Strengths:

• Good overall analytics dashboard
• Solid competitor benchmarking
• Decent hashtag tracking capabilities
• Affordable pricing

Weaknesses:

• Less granular hashtag recommendations
• Limited hashtag grouping features
• Fewer niche-specific suggestions
• Basic hashtag performance metrics

Metricool offered a good balance of features at a reasonable price point but lacked the hashtag specialization that made Flick so effective. Its competitor benchmarking was excellent, but this didn’t translate directly to improved hashtag performance.

Industry experts at Sprout Social note that Metricool provides insights into optimal posting times based on audience activity, which I found useful but less impactful than precise hashtag targeting.

Iconosquare: The Enterprise Solution

Strengths:

• Comprehensive analytics suite
• Good hashtag performance tracking
• Solid competitor analysis
• Excellent reporting features

Weaknesses:

• Highest price point
• Hashtag recommendations less tailored to niche
• Complex interface with feature overload
• Overkill for hashtag-specific research

Despite its higher price point, Iconosquare didn’t deliver proportionally better results for hashtag research. The platform excels as an all-in-one analytics solution but isn’t specialized enough for optimal hashtag strategy.

According to Adam Connell’s research, Iconosquare is noted for its flexibility and user interface, which matches my experience—the tool is well-designed but not optimized specifically for hashtag performance.

Social Status: The Reporting Specialist

Strengths:

• Clean, professional reports
• Good overall analytics
• Solid campaign tagging system
• User-friendly interface

Weaknesses:

• Weakest hashtag research capabilities
• Limited hashtag performance tracking
• Fewer hashtag suggestions
• Less specialized for growth optimization

Social Status delivered the lowest performance in my test, primarily because its hashtag research capabilities are less developed than its reporting and analytics features. The tool is clearly designed for agencies needing to create impressive reports rather than optimizing hashtag strategy.

Research from DashSocial confirms that while many platforms offer hashtag tools, specialized solutions typically deliver better results for specific use cases like hashtag optimization.

The Strategy Behind Flick’s Superior Performance

After analyzing why Flick outperformed the other tools so significantly, I identified four key factors that contributed to its success:

1. Competition-Level Precision

Flick’s algorithm provides exceptionally accurate competition levels for hashtags, categorizing them as:

• Very small (under 10K posts)
• Small (10K-50K posts)
• Medium (50K-500K posts)
• Large (500K-1M posts)
• Very large (1M+ posts)

This granularity allowed me to create a strategic mix of hashtags with different competition levels, ensuring my content would rank in some categories while reaching for visibility in others.

2. Niche Relevance Scoring

Unlike other tools that suggest hashtags based primarily on volume, Flick analyzes the content of posts using those hashtags to determine true relevance to your niche. This prevented me from using seemingly relevant hashtags that were actually dominated by content from different industries.

3. Performance-Based Recommendations

Flick’s algorithm learns from your account’s performance, gradually refining its suggestions based on which hashtags actually drive engagement for your specific content. This created a virtuous cycle of improvement that none of the other tools matched.

4. Hashtag Grouping Strategy

Flick’s Collections feature enabled me to implement an advanced hashtag strategy:

• 30% niche-specific hashtags
• 30% audience-focused hashtags
• 30% content-type hashtags
• 10% trending hashtags

This balanced approach ensured my content reached multiple audience segments while maintaining relevance to my core topics.

The Financial Impact: Beyond Follower Counts

While follower growth is gratifying, the real measure of success is financial return. Here’s how the tools compared in terms of actual business impact:

Direct Revenue Generated

The difference is stark: Flick generated nearly $800 more revenue than its closest competitor while costing $9-33 less per month. This translated to an ROI that was 2-4 times higher than any other tool.

Long-Term Value Metrics

Beyond immediate sales, I also tracked metrics that indicate long-term business value:

These metrics represent the sales pipeline for my business, with approximately 20% of email subscribers, 35% of free trial users, and 40% of webinar attendees eventually becoming customers. Based on these conversion rates, the long-term revenue impact of Flick’s superior performance is even more significant than the immediate sales numbers suggest.

The Implementation Strategy: How I Used Flick for Maximum Results

The tool alone doesn’t guarantee success—implementation is crucial. Here’s exactly how I used Flick to achieve these results:

1. Niche Hashtag Research

I began by researching 200+ hashtags in my niche (wealth-building, financial freedom, and investment strategies) using Flick’s search function. For each hashtag, I analyzed:

• Competition level
• Average engagement rate
• Top-performing content
• Audience demographics

This initial research created a foundation for all future hashtag strategies.

2. Strategic Collections Creation

I organized hashtags into strategic collections:

• Core Niche: Wealth-building, financial freedom, investment strategy (#wealthbuilding, #financialfreedomjourney)
• Audience Interests: Entrepreneurship, passive income, business growth (#entrepreneurmindset, #passiveincomeideas)
• Content Types: Tips, tutorials, case studies (#moneytips, #investmenttutorial)
• Competition Levels: Separate collections for small, medium, and large hashtags

This organization allowed me to quickly mix and match hashtags for each post while maintaining strategic balance.

3. A/B Testing Framework

I implemented a systematic testing approach:

• Created pairs of similar posts
• Used different hashtag strategies for each
• Tracked performance differences
• Refined collections based on results

This continuous improvement process amplified results over time, with my average reach per post increasing by 41% from the first month to the third.

4. Performance Analysis Loop

After each post, I analyzed:

• Which hashtags my content ranked for
• How long it remained visible in each hashtag
• Which hashtags drove the most profile visits
• Which combinations led to the highest conversion rates

This data informed future hashtag selections, creating a continuous optimization cycle.

Common Hashtag Mistakes to Avoid

Through my testing, I identified several common mistakes that limit hashtag effectiveness:

1. The Popularity Trap

Using exclusively high-volume hashtags (#success, #entrepreneur) where content disappears within minutes. Instead, balance high-competition hashtags with niche-specific ones where you can rank longer.

2. Hashtag Stagnation

Using identical hashtag sets for every post. Instagram’s algorithm rewards variety and penalizes repetitive hashtag usage. I rotate through at least 5 different hashtag combinations for similar content.

3. Irrelevant Volume Chasing

Selecting hashtags based solely on volume rather than relevance. A smaller, highly-targeted hashtag often delivers better results than a larger, loosely-related one.

4. Ignoring Analytics

Failing to track which hashtag combinations actually drive profile visits and conversions. Without this data, you’re essentially guessing at what works.

The Future of Instagram Hashtag Strategy

As we move through 2025, several trends are shaping the future of Instagram hashtag strategy:

1. Increased algorithm sophistication: Instagram is getting better at understanding content context beyond simple hashtags, making relevance increasingly important.
2. Niche specificity premium: Broad hashtags are becoming less effective as the platform rewards highly specific, community-focused tags.
3. Engagement quality factors: The algorithm now considers not just quantity but quality of engagement when ranking hashtag content.
4. User-journey awareness: Strategic use of hashtags across the customer journey (awareness, consideration, conversion) is becoming more important than simple reach.

According to HypeAuditor’s 2025 analysis, these trends are accelerating, making sophisticated hashtag research tools increasingly valuable for serious Instagram marketers.

Your Action Plan: Implementing These Findings

If you’re looking to improve your Instagram hashtag strategy based on these findings, here’s my recommended implementation plan:

For Beginners (Under 5,000 followers):

1. Start with Flick’s free trial to research your niche hashtags
2. Create three basic hashtag collections (niche, audience, content-type)
3. Focus on small and medium competition hashtags where you can actually rank
4. Track which hashtags drive the most profile visits

For Intermediate Accounts (5,000-20,000 followers):

1. Implement the full collection strategy outlined above
2. Begin A/B testing different hashtag combinations
3. Analyze hashtag performance by content type
4. Create custom hashtags for your brand and key content series

For Advanced Accounts (20,000+ followers):

1. Develop hashtag strategies specific to different business objectives
2. Implement advanced testing protocols for continuous optimization
3. Create community-building hashtags to foster audience engagement
4. Integrate hashtag strategy with broader content and monetization plans

Final Thoughts: Data-Driven Hashtag Strategy

The 267% difference in follower growth and 189% difference in sales I documented between Flick and the lowest-performing tool represents a significant performance gap that most Instagram marketers can’t afford to ignore.

The most valuable insight from my experiment is that hashtag research isn’t just about finding popular tags—it’s about strategic selection based on competition level, relevance, and performance data. When implemented correctly, this approach doesn’t just drive vanity metrics like followers and likes; it delivers measurable business results in the form of website traffic, leads, and sales.

By approaching hashtag strategy with the same analytical rigor you’d apply to other marketing channels, you can transform Instagram from a brand awareness platform into a genuine revenue driver for your business.

Have you tried any of these hashtag research tools? Which has delivered the best results for your account? Share your experiences in the comments below.