HASHTAGS 101

HASHTAGS 101

Hashtags on Instagram really are a very effective way to grow your following and engagement, but the best practices and tips and tricks are constantly being updated and changing.

When you discover a great Instagram hashtag strategy, not only does it reach more people — it reaches the RIGHT audience and followers for your business.

Here are 5 ways to #OPTIMIZE your hashtags on Instagram and grow engagement:

TIP #1: STAYING RELEVANT

Using Instagram hashtags can be one of the easiest ways to reach new followers and expand your audience. 

But how MANY hashtags should you be using for each post? That is the important question. 

Instagram has a maximum of 30 hashtags allowed per post. 30 hashtags may look like a lot, but it has been shown that you should always use all 30 hashtags in a post because it INCREASES your chance of being discovered and reaching more followers. 

The most important part of using hashtags is making sure that every single hashtag you use is RELEVANT to your business post, and overall content. Using hashtags that don’t relate to your post or your business can backfire in the sense that your followers may feel distrust from your business. Irrelevant hashtags lead your audience to unrelated content; which defeats the entire purpose of using hashtags.

TIP #2: COMMUNITY HASHTAGS & BRANDED HASHTAGS

When using hashtags on Instagram, it is important to use a mix of both COMMUNITY hashtags as well as BRANDED hashtags. Community hashtags are general, relatable hashtags that are meant to increase the reach of your message, while branded hashtags are unique to your company when using Instagram for business. Branded hashtags are specifically designed to connect themes for your business and your audience, and can be used to promote your product. 

Once you decide on a branded hashtag, your Instagram followers can then use the hashtag in their posts and stories, a KEY aspect to getting discovered on Insta by new audiences. 

Make sure you promote your branded hashtag with your followers so they can see other posts about your company by tapping the hashtag!

TIP #3: KEEP YOUR HASHTAGS TIDY

While hashtags are the perfect way to expand your following on Instagram, if you’re not careful, your use of hashtags can quickly turn to looking cluttered and unprofessional. 

In order to keep your hashtags easy to read, an easy technique is to add line breaks between your main caption and the hashtags. This way, your hashtags are NEATLY placed at the very bottom of your post, and it helps you maintain a clean, streamlined aesthetic.

TIP #4: FINDING THE BEST HASHTAGS FOR YOUR ACCOUNT

In order to be SUCCESSFUL with hashtags, you need to be strategic about which hashtags you use, and when you use them.

Since hashtags are used with an intent to discover content, the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t connected with you before.

Finding hashtags that are small and more niche than the most popular ones on Instagram can help you to find an engaged audience that is already relevant to your industry. Have a look at what Instagram hashtags your relevant audience and competitors are already using, and go from there!

TIP #5: INSTAGRAM STORIES HASHTAGS

Most people are not aware that you can add hashtags to your Instagram stories, but this is an INNOVATIVE way to give your content an added chance to be discovered by new audiences. 

Instagram stories let you add up to 10 hashtags per story, including 1 clickable hashtag sticker.

Some people avoid Instagram story hashtags because they feel it will impact their aesthetic, but there are ways to make them seamlessly fit in, you can even hide them completely! Making your hashtags small by ‘pinching’ the text allows you to hide them under a sticker or GIF, making it unseen, but still posted under hashtag searches.

Hashtags are a great effective way to build a strong, relevant community on Instagram, and increase your follower engagement at the same time. 

Are you ready to run a successful hashtag strategy that will GROW your engagement? Fill out our contact us form to get set up! 

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Bonne Media