Learn to Use Instagram Hashtags & get Effective Results !
If you include the right Instagram hashtags on your posts, you will likely see higher engagement than you would if you didn’t have any.
Why invest time in Hashtags?
Because hashtags—a combination of letters, numbers, and emoji preceded by the # symbol (e.g. #NoFilter, #WorldCup)—categorize content and make it more discoverable. Anyone who clicks on a hashtag or searches for it will see a page with all the posts tagged with it.
How high up on a hashtag page your post appears depends on:
- How often it’s used
- How popular your post is (does it already have a lot of likes and comments?)
- When you shared it (you find many old posts on hashtag searches)
- The strength of your audience (ie. do you have a large, engaged audience?)
- The higher your post appears, the better, as it will be more discoverable by people who don’t already follow you.
This post will teach you how to use hashtags to attract new followers, get more likes, and increase engagement.
Everything you need to know about Instagram hashtags this year
- People can follow hashtags now
That means your content can end up in a users’ feed even if they don’t follow you. And if you’re sharing great content and tagging it with relevant hashtags, many of them will start following you.
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Using irrelevant hashtags (or the same ones over and over) is a bad idea
When a user follows a hashtag and sees something they don’t like they can select the “Don’t Show for This Hashtag” option.
As for the practice of using the same long list of hashtags on every post… Don’t do it. Instagram’s community guidelines clearly state that “posting repetitive comments or content” is not okay.
When you create a post, only use hashtags that make sense. If you tag a post with #wanderlust, for example, your content must be something globetrotters will want to comment on, like, and share.
It’s not about getting seen by a lot of people, it’s about getting seen by the right people. That’s how hashtags lead to higher engagement and more followers.
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Business profiles can measure how effective their hashtags are
If you’ve made the switch to an Instagram business profile, you have access to post insights which tell you how many impressions you received from hashtags.
How to access the data:
- Select the post you want data on and tap View Insights below the post on the left.
- Swipe up to see all the insights for that post, including the number of impressions from hashtags.
By tracking this data you can begin to figure out which hashtags are most effective for improving reach.
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You can use hashtags on Instagram Stories
There are two ways to add hashtags to your Stories. The first method is by using the hashtag sticker and changing the text. Or you can simply use the text tool and the # symbol to type out the hashtag the same way you would on a photo or video post.
You can add up to 10 hashtags on a Story, but take care not to clutter your content. You can shrink your hashtags or even hide them behind an emoji, sticker, or GIF.
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You can add hashtag links in your bio
And when a user taps it they will be taken to that hashtag’s page to follow it. For businesses with popular branded hashtags (more on that later), it’s a great way to foster engagement or collect user-generated content.
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You can include up to 30 hashtags on a regular post, and up to 10 hashtags on a Story
If you try and use more, your comment or caption won’t post.
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You can only tag your own posts
If you leave a hashtag below someone else’s post will your brilliant comment be more discoverable? No.
How to find the best Instagram hashtags for your brand?
The hashtags you want to use will depend on what space your business operates in.
Let’s say you’re a social media manager for a travel agency. There are a ton of hashtags that are popular with jet-setters: #welltravelled, #justbackfrom, #whatsinmybag, and #passportexpress—to name a few. Tag your posts with any number of these and you will likely get a few extra likes.
But if you really want to increase engagement and gain quality followers, include more specific hashtags. If you post a photo of a travel destination, tag it with relevant location hashtags and the resort’s branded hashtag (if there is one).
How do you find out which hashtags your audience is already following? Here are a few tips to help you answer that question.
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Check out what hashtags your competitors are using
Maybe you’ll discover new hashtags to add to your repertoire. Or you could decide you don’t want to compete for the same eyeballs, in which case you can search for alternative hashtags to use.
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Use hashtags that influential people in your industry are using
These people are already well-established with your audience, so why not learn from the best?
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Use Instagram’s search function
Type a keyword that’s relevant to your brand into Instagram’s search bar (a.k.a the Explore feature) then select the Tags tab. Instagram will give you a list of all the hashtags with that keyword, as well as a number of posts that are tagged with it.
A large number may mean lots of people following that hashtag, but it also means there’s a ton of content on it and your posts might get lost. Experiment with a combination of popular and niche hashtags to find your brand’s sweet spot.
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Consider related hashtags
On any hashtag page, right above the “Top” and “Recent” tabs, you’ll find a list of related hashtags that you can scroll through by swiping left. This is a great way to find relevant hashtags that might be a bit more niche. And that means an even more targeted audience with less content to compete with.
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Look to your most successful posts for trends
Browse through posts containing a hashtag you’re already having success with. Do you see a trend of other common hashtags that could be included in future posts?
When it comes to choosing Instagram hashtags, the golden rule is: use only hashtags that are relevant to your brand, industry, and audience.
I hope this helped 🙂