We’ve learned that hashtags can help you reach new audiences on Instagram by connecting your posts to targeted communities, but which hashtags should you actually be using to boost your following? #Tagging #every #single #possible #word is easy, but it won’t help you find engaged followers. Understanding the different types of hashtags and their corresponding audiences can help you develop a more effective Instagram hashtag strategy.
A branded hashtag is a hashtag that’s unique to your business. It can be as simple as your company name, tagline, or the name of one of your products or campaigns. Or it can be a hashtag that has nothing to do with your brand name, but has everything to do with your brand identity. While community hashtags are meant to increase the reach of your message, branded hashtags are designed to connect themes for you and your audience. They can be used to promote a campaign or aggregate user-generated content (UGC).
Community hashtags are hashtags that connect like-minded users around a specific subject, such as #HealthyEating or #CatsOfInstagram. They’re a great way to connect with others, improve the SEO of your posts, gain followers, and grow your own community. The best way to find these community-oriented hashtags is by looking to see which hashtags your audience, or favourite accounts, are already using. The narrower the scope of the hashtag, the more engaged the users are.
Hashtags can be added to your posts as captions or comments. Assuming your Instagram account is public, a hashtag will make your post discoverable on the corresponding hashtag page. In order to add a hashtag to an Instagram post:
1. Select a photo or video to post
2. In the caption field, type # followed by text or an emoji
3. Tap “OK” at the top of the screen
4. Select “Share”
If you want to add hashtags to a post you’ve already uploaded, tap the three dots in the top right corner of your screen and select “edit.” You can also add hashtags post-publishing by tapping the speech bubble under the photo and typing the hashtags in as a comment. Another important thing to remember is that you can only tag your own posts, not other users’ photos or videos.
Using too many hashtags in your caption can look spammy, so it’s is best to use between 3-4 in your initial post description and then up to 15 highly relevant hashtags in the first comment. Taking the first comment is a great way to to add more hashtags to your Instagram posts and increasing your exposure. If you’re keen on hiding your hashtags, you can burying them beneath dots and line breaks. In the caption or comment box tap the 123 key. Select return and then enter a bullet point. Repeat those steps at least five times. Instagram caps off captions after three lines so the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the more option.