Specific hashtags are still important to include in content for all of the major social networks. And these should be focused on the image or topic. One of the key ingredients to marketing success on Instagram, in particular, is to know how to use these to attract new followers and interactions.
In the early days of social media, it was the users who first began the use of specific keywords. These later became officially adopted by Twitter. According to Hashtags.org, the actual person who tweeted out the first hashtag was social technology expert, Chris Messina, in 2007:
?how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]??
In time, other social media giants like Facebook and Instagram followed the same formula. This helped make the use of hashtags mainstream. In 2009, Twitter introduced hyperlinks on hashtags. The following year, trending topics emerged, integrating these stories as part of our social conversations.
Hashtags not only make your content easier to find on social media, but they also attract the right audience to connect with. Brands and businesses can take advantage of spreading the word on their company as well as create specific campaigns to promote a product, blog post series, podcast, webinar, etc.
Before Facebook purchased Instagram, users had included specific hashtags for their photos and videos in order to draw an audience. However, this has declined over the past couple of years as the focus has become more about advertising.
The good news is that Facebook added a new feature that allows users to find an individual or brand by following specific hashtags. Before that, people had to click on the link of the hashtag in the actual post or find them in the Explore section.
Also read: Vital Instagram Metrics Every Business Should Be Measuring
Including the right, targeted keywords in your Instagram posts will help increase your audience interactions and following. Here are a few ways your business can stand out:
1 – Drill Down on Your Keywords
If your hashtag is too broad in scope and is being used by a large number of users, it could get lost in the feeds and not make it into the discovery section. For example, if you are a video professional searching #videographer could result in over a million posts. Alternately, #videoedits, yielding in the thousands of posts, will increase your chances of being seen.
2 – The Fewer Words the Better
Avoid including too many words into one string — you want your keywords to be as precise and short as possible. This is especially important if you are including them as part of a branding campaign that you want your audience to remember and share.
3 – The Number of Instagram Hashtags is Important
It’s good practice to leave these for your comments box just after a post is made, or include just a few in your description. Instagram allows for up to 30 to be included. However, around 15 to 20 is a good number to use if you don’t want your posts to appear like spam.
Also read: How To Use Hashtags to Find Your Target Audience on Instagram
4 – Give Your Post an Overview Before Publishing
Make sure your content is correct when scheduling or directly posting it. The more times you edit your captions, the less visible your posts will become. This can also occur if you delete and then repost the same content. Somehow, the algorithm picks up this type of activity and demotes the post accordingly.
5 – Match Keywords With Content
Take the time to do some research and find out what the best Instagram hashtags are for your posts. And don’t include spam or banned keywords such as #likeforlike, #instamood, #killingit, etc. Check out what other posts are including that are from top accounts and influencers. How do their hashtags match the descriptions? By all means, try to emulate those who have large and engaged followings.
6 – Follow Industry-Related Hashtags
In order to truly know which keywords are going to bring in the most followers and interactions, it’s good practice to start taking advantage of the follow hashtags feature. Posts which use these hashtags will then appear in your feed. This will provide endless ideas for content suggestions and alerts Instagram’s algorithm that your brand is focusing on specific hashtags.
7 – Use Notes to Create a List of Keywords For Your Brand
To save time and ensure that your posts are seen, create lists of hashtags you commonly use. Mix up the hashtags you use. Including the same ones over and over will put your profile at risk of being banned and not seen.
In Closing
As mobile marketing trends and features continue to expand you will want to adapt your own strategy accordingly in order to reap the most benefits from the latest updates. By choosing relevant, focused Instagram hashtags, your brand will be seen as an authentic account, which increases your chances of being seen in the featured sections.
Over To You
Do you have any other helpful hashtag tips you’d like to pass on to your fellow readers? Please let us know in the comments section, below. Thanks!
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Susan Gilbert
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