Top 6 Instagram Hashtags Strategies to Boost Audience

What are Instagram hashtags?
How to use hashtags for Instagram? Why use Instagram hashtags?
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Instagram Hashtags Strategies to Boost Audience
Summary

While talking about social media marketing strategies for Instagram it is a must that we focus on Instagram hashtags strategies to boost the audience.

But first, what is a hashtag?
Hashtag or pound symbol (#) used preceding relevant keyword on social media helps categorize that content or tweet (in case of Twitter) to show up easily in searches.

FACT: Did you know that the sign “#” isn’t officially called a hashtag? It is called Octothorpe.

Hashtag’ inventor Chris Messina never imagined the symbol would be so popular on social media when he first proposed to use it on Twitter to tag topics for microblogging network.

Hashtags play a key role in moulding Instagram strategy for users. If utilized correctly, they can get you millions of views for your posts and your brand will be seen by more people who may be interested in your products or services.

When used excessively with no focus, it may also harm your credibility in the form of annoyed followers who were misled to an unwanted post through irrelevant hashtags. It can also lead to a penalty by the Instagram algorithm.

1. What are Instagram Hashtags?

Hashtags are label for contents that help people interested in a certain topic to find content on it.

Wikipedia says: A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash symbol, #.

Since 2010, hashtags have undergone many changes. If you want a new and fresh audience to view your posts on Instagram use the most relevant and targeted #tags in your posts and stories.

It will get you engagement, followers, and increased customers for your business. Hashtags are nothing but a combination of letters, words, numbers, and/or emoji preceded by #.
They are clickable so, clicking on them or conducting a #search will get to a page showing all posts under that hashtag in particular.

Hashtags organize and categorize photos and videos to make them visible on the corresponding hashtag page.

Types of Hashtags

A thorough understanding of various types of hashtags will help identify how to use Instagram hashtags for a particular audience. This is mandatory while developing an effective Instagram hashtag strategy.

Community #tags e.g. #traveldestinations

Product or service e.g. #fashionapperals,

Niche-based hashtags like #travelphotography,

Instagram communities of industry like #foodiesoninstagram,

Special seasons or days like #independenceday,

Location-based Hashtags like #NYCcronicals,

Daily Hashtags, like #moodymonday,

A phrase-based hashtag like #swaginthecity,

Hashtags with acronyms, like #qotd #ootd (outfit of the day)

Branded #tags are unique to a company and include company or products name e.g. #abkdigtial

Campaign Hashtags are short-term and run for few days, or a season e.g. #christmas2021sale

High-density hashtags have a lot of posts (+100K) means competition and ranking issue but a massive audience

Low-density hashtags have lower competition and are easier to rank to the Top Posts = Small tight-knit community

Hypotheses

2. How and why do we need to use hashtags for Instagram?

Hashtags help in outreach and expansion of targeted audience. Using hashtags in Insta Stories make it visible in the relevant hash-tagged story, and on the hashtag page.

How to use Instagram Hashtags as part of your digital marketing strategy is entirely up to you. Adding relevant hashtags gives the content added advantage to get discovered by new or targeted audiences.

If the hashtag is popular enough, there will be a collection of tagged stories in the search results.

Depending on the exposure you are seeking for your brand/service, you can choose broad hashtags to get the crowd like, #foodies which may have millions of posts, and then narrow down to #bakeacake, #brownies, #brandname, and so on. These are focused on your posts and have a specific audience that will be interested in them.

These hashtags may have lesser posts but will keep getting you views and likes for a longer period.

3. How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?

You can use up to 30 hashtags in a post! Does it mean you want to use that many?

Can you come up with so many relevant hashtags for a single post? The answer is YES and NO.

Most people use 5 to 10 hashtags and some use 20! Some businesses feel they need to utilize all 30 that they can. This depends on personal choice at the risk of spamming.

People follow hashtags, and this means they can see any hash-tagged post even if they do not follow the author which helps build community online.

This means you have to use them strategically to increase your reach and audience with consistency.

A proper social media marketing strategy for Instagram, crafted by a trusted digital marketing agency will give a positive boost to your brand.

For more in-depth information on various digital marketing topic please go through our blogs on digital marketing .

4. Instagram Hashtags Strategy to Boost Audience

Like any social media marketing campaign, Instagram also needs properly focused strategies to target the correct audience and increase the viewers and followers in general.

Any Instagram post with a hashtag gains more than a 12% increase in engagement compared to that without any.

Here we give you 6 Instagram hashtags strategies that will help your brand grow.

4.1. Do proper research on hashtags

Hashtagging is not just adding tags in front of words, it is more of an understanding of how the process works. The art of hashtags needs research.

Use online tools and Instagram hashtag generators such as Ingramer, All Hashtag, etc that generate relevant and popular hashtags.

You may also search for hashtag ideas in Instagram search bar to see what’s trending. Alternatively, do a competitor analysis.

Search what your targeted audience is looking at and what type of hashtags are they following.

Get inspired from other influencers and add your creativity to content in terms of picture ideas etc.

TIP: Use professional tools wherever possible to identify the best-suited tags for your content.

Some high ranking tools are Hashtagify, KeyHole, RiteTag, Trendsmap, Ingramer

4.2. Do not cram your post with hashtags

Hashtags may seem like your ticket to getting millions of followers with a handful of posts.

Well, it does not work that way. Going overboard with hashtags will only lead to spamming and ultimately getting your account blocked as a fake user.

Crafting a sharp Instagram hashtags strategy will make you picky about hashtags that generate views for your brand.

Use super effective 10 to 15 hashtags to get you better results as found in a survey.

4.3. Create innovative hashtag campaigns

Hashtags are very robust. You can create your own branded hashtags to promote your business. Build an entire campaign with an innovative hashtag idea!

This elevates your brand to a new level if done creatively and engagingly. Generate ideas on how to get your followers to use your hashtag to spread brand awareness among other Instagrammers.

Build giveaways around branded hashtags because everyone loves free stuff!

4.4. Keep consistency in hashtags

Avoid using overly popular hashtags because that way your posts will get lost in an avalanche of other hashtagged posts. Note down the most targeted and well-researched few which can be reused.

For instance, use five on-brand hashtags, and also add five that are relevant to the picture or video you are sharing. If an irrelevant post pops up while someone is exploring a hashtag then your brand will receive negative publicity.

TIP: Find out the best five brands in your niche, and you can share their success directly by using the same industry-specific hashtags that they use.

4.5. Use Specific Daily Hashtags

Daily hashtags add a flair to the daily interaction with your audience by keeping them engaged with the content and building a long-term relationship with them.

Some examples of the same are:

#MondayBlues, #MotivationalMonday

#TuesdayTip, #TuesdayTunes

#WednesdayWisdom, #WednesdayWorkout

#ThrowbackThursday, #TBT

#FridayFact, #FridayFun

#SaturdayNight, #SelfieSaturday

#SundayFunday, #SundayBrunch

4.6. Hiding your Hashtags

How would #cramped captions look? Not too attractive right? So if you want readers to focus on well-written content you need to downplay the appearance of #, since may give a cluttered or spammy look.

You can hide hashtags in captions

After writing the caption put a period, hit enter ensuring there is no space after the last period. Enter one punctuation, then hit Return again and repeat four times. Then, enter the hashtags after the last line to hide it.

Hide hashtags in comments

Post the content as usual leaving hashtags out of the caption. After publishing, enter the hashtags in the “Add a comment…” box, and “Post.” After other comments are added your hashtags won’t be visible to all.

5. Summary

A well-defined Instagram Hashtag strategy will gain reputation and authenticity for your brand and will build trust in the audience when they see only relevant content tagged with your hashtags.

Use industry-specific and relevant hashtags only as it will make you an authentic user.

While using hashtags is most ethical, for the sake of aesthetic feel, we can hide them in captions, comments, and posts. This will help you not look desperate.

Hashtags are the key to success on Instagram. Use them strategically to focus on your target audience and see your followers increase.

Overdose of hashtags can lead to spamming your post, but the same number of well-planned and researched hashtags will make you stand out in the crowd and increase your audience reach.

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