Instagram has rolled out another test, because of course it has, and this time it's the Add Topics feature. Think of it as hashtags' more serious older sibling. Less shouty, more structured, and considerably more useful for reach if you can be bothered to learn how it works. Pull up a chair.
What is Add Topics actually doing
When you post a Reel or in some cases a feed post, Instagram now invites you to pick a topic from a curated list. Beauty. Fitness. Football. Small Business. You get the idea. That topic is then used to categorise your content for the Explore tab, the algorithmic recommendations, and those "suggested posts" that pop up at the top of your feed every three scrolls.
In plain English: you're telling Instagram who to show your content to, instead of praying the algorithm guesses correctly. Revolutionary, we know.
Why this matters
- Reach unlocks: Properly topic-tagged content gets pushed to non-followers who actively engage with that topic.
- Hashtag fatigue: Hashtags have been losing potency for a while. Topics are Meta's admission.
- Niche clarity: If your feed is a chaotic mess of "a bit of everything", topics will expose that fast. Focus wins.
- Creator economy: Topics feed directly into brand discovery tools. Influencers are already gaming this.
The Newcastle small business angle
Here's where we get practical. If you're a cafe on Grey Street or a boutique in Jesmond, pick topics that match intent, not just industry. "Food and Drink" is a start, but "Coffee" or "Brunch" will do more heavy lifting. Don't pick "Lifestyle" because it feels vaguer and safer. Vague is the enemy of reach. Specific is the friend of sales.
How to actually use it without looking daft
One topic per post. Make it the most accurate one, not the most popular one. The algorithm is smarter than it used to be and it can tell when you're trying to hitchhike onto a trending topic that has nothing to do with your content. That's how you end up shadowbanned and writing a furious story about "Instagram hates small businesses." It doesn't. You just mislabelled your coffee as crypto.
Pair the topic with content that genuinely earns its place in that category. If you've picked "Small Business", your Reel should teach, show or inspire something about small business. Not a dog video with a small business caption. We see you.
Topics plus your wider strategy
This is not a silver bullet. It's a lever. The real growth comes from pairing topic tagging with strong hooks, good captions and a posting rhythm you can actually sustain. If you're still getting the basics wrong, have a read of the dos and don'ts of Instagram before you worry about topics. Walk, then run.
And for the love of all things holy, don't abandon your older content. One of our clients doubled their reach last quarter by going back through six months of posts, re-editing captions and testing new hooks. Topics are the latest tool in the box, not the only one in the box.
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We audit your account, topics, hooks, the lot. Then we tell you exactly what to change. No waffle.
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Within twelve months, topics will be a ranking factor in the same way keywords are for search. Brands that get in early will build authority in their category before everyone else catches up. Brands that ignore it will wonder why their reach keeps shrinking and blame "the algorithm." We love those brands. They keep us in business.
If you want the bigger picture on how Instagram keeps shifting the goalposts, our take on five hacks to beat the latest Instagram update is still holding up better than most.
The bottom line
Add Topics is Instagram quietly asking creators to do its job for it. Fair enough. In return we get better targeting, more relevant reach, and a small competitive edge over every business owner still posting "Happy Monday" carousels at 9am. Use it, but use it properly. The platform rewards the people who read the room.
