Using Hashtags Techniques on Instagram
Effective hashtag techniques on Instagram significantly contribute to better visibility of posts and attracting more audience engagement. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to occasionally review Instagram’s new policies and see how it views Instagram hashtags. First and foremost, it’s important to understand that Instagram always emphasizes a healthy and natural relationship between a page and its followers. So, whenever you feel like you’re overly focused on gaming the system on Instagram, know that you’re treading on thin ice, and Instagram will soon catch up with you, imposing strict rules and regulations.
Why is hashtag strategy important on Instagram?
Before discussing the importance of hashtag strategy, it’s crucial to understand the significance of hashtags themselves. Instagram hashtags somewhat serve the function of keywords in Google content. They are the most important aspect and centerpiece of the content you share with your audience. These hashtags make it easier for your audience and followers to discover you on Instagram. Therefore, the more relevant hashtags you choose for your content, aligned with the focus and theme of your account, the more loyal followers you can attract.
By using hashtags, you prioritize yourself in search results and ensure that when someone is searching for content or products you offer, they can find you in their search results.
However, it’s not just about adding a few relevant hashtags. Hashtag strategy on Instagram can significantly increase the impressions of your posts and put you ahead of your competitors. Stay tuned with us at NovinHub as we share some practical strategies with you.
Steps to Effective Hashtagging on Instagram:
Engage with Your Audience
The first step is always research and analysis. In this stage, grab a pen and paper and dive into Instagram. See what hashtags similar pages or businesses in your niche are using. Analyze which hashtags resonate more with your target audience and drive more post engagement. Investigate what these individuals are more interested in and pay attention to what type of content they enjoy following. In this phase, you can make note of hashtags that capture your interest.
Study Your Competitors
One of the best ways to find impactful hashtags is to analyze the experiences of your competitors in attracting an audience. See what type of hashtags your competitors are using more frequently, but eliminate the idea of hijacking hashtags. Hijacking means appropriating other individuals’ or businesses’ custom hashtags for your own benefit. If followers of a particular account are following a specific account’s custom hashtag, you shouldn’t use it.
Before hashtagging on Instagram, search.
Before using any hashtags, search for them in the hashtag search section. We promise you’ll find interesting results. This way, you can see how popular a practical hashtag is, how many people have used it before, and what type of content is mostly associated with it. For example, if someone has a page teaching French language and wants to use the hashtag “French,” they might find out through a search that this hashtag is mostly used by beauty pages for nail art. Therefore, this hashtag is irrelevant to teaching French language, and it’s better to look for more relevant and popular phrases.
So, by examining hashtags through the Instagram search option, you can find the most relevant hashtags for your post and achieve better results.
Don’t focus solely on popular hashtags.
One of the best ways to use hashtags is to use a combination of popular and less-used hashtags under your posts. But why? Because your competitors are also using popular hashtags, which reduces your chances of being seen. However, by using a mix of popular and less-used hashtags, you can increase your chances of visibility.
Don’t underestimate the power of seasonal and event-related hashtags.
Using seasonal and event-related hashtags can showcase the freshness of your content. You can have a set of hashtags related to the respective season and use them timely. Seasonal and event-related hashtags can be used intermittently. For example, if you’re selling seasonal clothing, you can separate spring and summer collections with specific hashtags, making it easier for users to find their desired fashion items.
Pay attention to the number of hashtags in Instagram hashtagging.
Certainly, with the emphasis on the importance of hashtags, you might be tempted to use them as much as possible to increase visibility. However, be aware that using too many hashtags can have the opposite effect and work against you. While you can use up to 30 hashtags in your posts, doing so increases the likelihood of being shadowbanned by Instagram. Currently, Instagram recommends using between 5 to 8 highly relevant hashtags per post. With this specific number of hashtags, Instagram suggests using more relevant phrases to find your specific audience rather than inundating users with a mountain of hashtags and risking account suspension.
Analyze your hashtags.
Even if you think you’ve designed the best hashtag strategy for yourself, it’s still necessary to occasionally look back and see if your strategy is working well or not.
Analyze your hashtags to see which category of hashtags has attracted fewer users to your page and which hashtags have converted individuals other than your followers into loyal audiences for you. Through this analysis and review, you’ll understand which hashtags to remove from your list and which ones to use more often.
We’ve looked at practical strategies for hashtagging on Instagram and seen how Instagram prefers certain hashtags more in the current year. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that with the use of tools like NovinHub, you have the ability to share Instagram posts and manage them alongside other social networks.
