How to use hashtags on Instagram to get the most value out of them?
Instagram hashtags are everywhere but does you know how to use hashtags on Instagram to get the most value out of them?
Hashtags might not seem like much of a priority on the surface, but they remain one of the most important aspects of promoting your Instagram.
Once you start digging into using hashtags on Instagram, you’ll probably run into plenty of questions like: Do you know which hashtags are leading followers to your page? What are the most popular tags in your industry? How many hashtags on Instagram do you use on a typical post?
No worries here comes help. This article breaks down everything you need to know about how to use hashtags for Instagram to grow your audience.
Instead of just tossing dozens of tags on a post and hoping for the best, you need a strategy for using hashtags on Instagram.
Why use Instagram hashtags?
If you’re totally new to Instagram, you might not get what hashtags do exactly or see what the hype is all about.
There’s a reason why the majority of businesses include tags on their posts.
Hashtags make your content easier to find
In short, hashtags are what make your Instagram content discoverable.
Users can discover content by searching hashtags on their own or tapping through related posts for a particular tag.
You can almost think of hashtags like you might think of keywords for a search engine, all confined to Instagram.
Neglecting Instagram hashtags means making your posts more difficult for potential followers to spot.
Hashtags encourage audience interactions.
According to recent Instagram statistics, posts including at least one hashtag score more engagement than those that feature none.
Followers engage with hashtags, plain and simple. That’s why so many brands promote their own branded hashtags to encourage interactions with their customers.
For Example: #avibains
Without branded hashtags for Instagram, the organic opportunities to create brand advocates would be impossible.
Hashtags can clue you in on industry trends
If you’re on the hunt for what’s hot in your industry, look no further than trending hashtags.
Whether it’s your target audience or fellow brands, hashtags can clue you in on what people are buzzing about.
Consistently following tags can help you keep a close eye on competitors as well as what people are saying about your own brand.
How to use hashtags for Instagram?
Now that you know why hashtags matter, it’s time to talk about the strategy to use hashtags.
In other words, which hashtags make sense for your posts?
There is no one size-fits all answer here, but here are some ideas to help serve as a starting point.
Community and industry specific hashtags
The best hashtags are the ones that speak your customer's language.
Simply put, these are tags that are popular enough that they’ll actually get used but aren’t so popular that your posts will get lost in seconds.
For example, there are tons of beauty related hashtags such as #unicornhair or #mermaidhair that speak to a more specific audience than just #beauty.
Branded hashtags
Creating your own hashtag are perfect for promoting your Instagram and encouraging user-generated content, branded hashtags are certainly important. They don’t necessarily have to be rocket science, though. Here are some ideas for common branded hashtag types and variations you can brainstorm yourself.
Brand name hashtags (#avibains)
Brand-specific slogans (#spreadloveandpeace)
Brand name variations (#designbyavibains or #blogbyavibains)
General hashtags on Instagram
Any sort of tag will instantly increase your likelihood of engagement.
That’s why general hashtags such as #love (noted to be the most popular tag as of 2019 and 2020) are fair game, too. You can comb through this list of the most-liked hashtags for some additional ideas.
Best practices of using Instagram hashtags
With a better idea of which hashtags you should use, let’s talk about how to put your hashtag strategy into action. Here are some best practices of hashtags for Instagram to keep in the back of your mind.
How many hashtags should you use on Instagram?
Instagram allows you to include 30 hashtags on any given post, but that doesn’t mean you should every time use 30 hashtags. Too many hashtags can look spammy, similar to keyword stuffing in web content.
What’s considered optimal?
Based on research, top-performing posts appear to follow the rule of “less is more.” Typically brands include between two to five, give or take. This provides brands some wiggle room based on their captions and what terms they’re trying to target.
Rather than obsess over the “right” number of hashtags, think “less is more” and be willing to experiment.
Include hashtags in your first comment
For the sake of targeting more tags without crowding your captions, it’s common for brands to include their hashtags in the first comment of their posts.
Encourage others to use your hashtags
If you want people to use your branded hashtag, you’re going to have to ask.
In addition to your Instagram bio, make sure to promote your hashtag throughout your marketing campaigns. This includes on-site and via email. Don't forget to match your hashtags to the right photo.
When you’re targeting frequently used hashtags, you need the photo that goes with your Instagram caption to stand out. The hashtags you use should be relevant to the photo you’re posting. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating.
Remember: Even though adding hashtags in your captions can make your posts easier to discover, the photo is what will pull in users. Do a search for your hashtag and pay attention to the photos that show up. Specifically, you want to look for similarities between the photos. If you find a lot of the same, this could be an opportunity to branch out. This is why you have to invest in high-quality photos or videos for your page.
Don’t just rely on someone who thinks they take good grams instead, find a photographer that not only knows how to work a camera but specializes in Instagram shoots, too.
Jump on trending topics
Using hashtags that are already trending is a smart strategy to grow your audience. There are two ways to approach this tactic:
Wait until a hashtag related to your industry is trending.
Use trending hashtags that aren’t directly related to your industry.
The first approach will give you more targeted results. However, depending on your industry, it might be rare that a topic related to it becomes trending.
With the second approach, you’re jumping on topics that are already trending but may not have a direct connection with your brand. If you go this route, you’ll want to stick with current events like holidays or special events because they’re easier to tie back to your company.
Vary hashtags across your content
Once you find popular hashtags that people engage with, it might be tempting to continue using those same hashtags in every post. However, eventually, you’ll need to add some more variation.
If you’ve been using or will use the same hashtags for months, there’s a chance people already saw your content and ignored it also instagram will think you are a spam.
By adding in a little variation, you increase the chances to reach new people.
That’s why it’s so important to analyze and evaluate what hashtags work the best. You have to track your Instagram performance over time to find your top tags.
Learn the competition behind your hashtag
You might be tempted to just use the most popular hashtag related to your industry.
However, take the time to experiment with tags that are used less frequently. The benefit of this approach is hashtags that are used less frequently are less competitive.
When you target hashtags that have been used millions of times, you’re competing against millions of other photos and videos to get your content seen. On the flip side, when you use hashtags that have been used in less posts, you’re competing with a smaller group of people.
How to bring together your Instagram hashtag strategy
Knowing which hashtags to use and how to implement them is a good start.
But unless you’re tracking your efforts, you’ll have no idea what’s working and what’s not.
You need to know which hashtags are your top performers so you can build around them. It takes time to pull everything together. So let’s go ahead and refresh.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
Using hashtags for Instagram makes your content more discoverable.
You don’t need to use 30 hashtags in every post!
Study your competitors and top influencers to find the best hashtags.
Make sure your hashtags are relevant to your brand and whatever you’re posting.
Use trending hashtags and tie them back to your company.
Familiarize yourself with Instagram lingo and general, “evergreen” hashtags.
Measure the performance of your posts and most engaged hashtags.
Using the tips and strategies you’ve learned here, you’ll be well on your way to growing your audience on Instagram.
Comments
Post a Comment