Hashtags can be confusing. They don’t come with a manual. Except for when they do.
Last month, Instagram’s creators’ account posted Tips for Using #hashtags: dos and don’ts for when it comes to determining which hashtags will do the best job, and how they can work together to give your content the best chance of being seen on Instagram.
Some people don’t use any hashtags. Some people use all 30. Others use only a few that are “relevant” to the content.
No single formula or method automatically guarantees success, and you should always take advice with a grain of salt. But there are some best practices that are likely to boost engagement, especially when they come from professionals in the field.
Hashtag Dos and Don’ts from Instagram’s Creators
“To use or not to use hashtags? Here’s what you need to know + what you should avoid to get the most out of adding hashtags to your content.”
Using 0 hashtags as a consistent strategy is not the move. Every now and then, you might even see posts that have no captions at all. This is typically done by celebrities or individuals on very special occasions, whatever the reason may be.
Use a combination of well-known, trending, and specific, hashtags that cater to the theme of your content. This will “broaden your discoverability.” You can even create your own unique hashtag to build community amongst your audience, and quite literally get them on the same page.
Another helpful way to increase the chances of your content being seen by your target audience is finding out which hashtags your fans already follow and use.
Doing audience research is always a good idea, so don’t be afraid to investigate a little bit. Spend some time clicking through the profiles and hashtags of some of your favorite popular fans to gather insight on what additional hashtags you should consider using.
Do not use hashtags that have no relation to your content. Additionally, any hashtags that are associated with billions of posts probably won’t help your content, as it will most likely get lost in the mix of digital content saturation.
A way to make sure you’re not doing this is to check that you’re not using dozens of hashtags, as spamming hashtags will not get your post seen by more people. Three to five hashtags is actually the ideal sweet spot.
As the creators’ post reminds us,
“The content itself and the way people interact with it can affect distribution more than the hashtag. Think of a hashtag as a tool that provides context about your post and supports delivering content to people who are interested in a particular topic.”
Hashtag Help
Even though hashtags work a little differently on each social media platform, these are all important things to consider when publishing social media content. We know it’s a lot to keep track of, so remember: Laura Alexandria Marketing is here to help.
Our partnerships with clients help their businesses drastically increase reach and impressions, steadily gain new organic followers, receive more profile page visits, and reinforce their brand presences across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more.
You can set up your free consultation here; we look forward to learning more about you and your business!
Lots of Love,
Quimby
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