Getting the most from Instagram hashtags: how they work and how to use them

But how much do you really know about hashtags? How do they work? And how can you make them work for you in growing your brand? In this blog we examine the humble hashtag, focusing on one of their most popular hang outs – on Instagram of course.

What is a hashtag?

Just in case you’re not familiar with them, a hashtag is a word preceded by a hash sign (#) and is used to denote a certain topic or trend. Essentially, hashtags an indexing tool. You might have seen #blessed or #marketingtips #melbournelife and so on. When you click on a hashtag it will take you to a bunch of content that has all been tagged with that same hashtag.

Hashtags originated on Twitter, but soon made their way all over social media with the same objective on each channel — to help people to find content they are interested in and follow subjects they want to engage with.

Why are hashtags important?

For businesses, hashtags can be the difference between your content being seen by just a few people or many.

You can use hashtags to reach new audiences who have an interest in what you post about. For example, an interior designer based in Melbourne might use tags including #melbourneinteriors #interiordesignmelbourne or #melbourneinteriordesigner.

The beauty of hashtags is that people browsing them can stumble upon your content without actually following you or even knowing anything about you.

Using hashtags to grow your brand

Hashtags can be fun for your brand to get involved with, and they can also be a powerful tool to grow your following.

Try these simple dos and don’ts to get the most from your hashtag efforts:

Do your research

You want to be selective about the hashtags you choose to use. For one thing, you can’t exceed 30 hashtags on Instagram and if you’re on Twitter you have a strict character limit to adhere to. While smart hashtag choices can boost your brand big time, using banned hashtags can result in your reach being severely stifled. Try a tool like Tailwind Hashtag Finder to ensure you’re using hashtags that are relevant to you and avoiding banned hashtags that could stifle your reach. Don’t forget to check out your competitors to see what hashtags they’re using, and also assess the hashtags that are already popular with your target audience.

Don’t add them long after posting

Going back to older posts and adding hashtags might seem like a smart idea but there’s not really any point. It will still add the post to that particular hashtag index of content, but it is unlikely to rejuvenate your engagement. Best to upload the hashtags with your content at the time of posting.

Do create a repository of hashtags to choose from

Save yourself time and effort by recording the hashtags you have researched by category. This way when you post about a certain topic again you can look to your hashtags about that topic and have them ready to go. Try to change your hashtags up on each post so that they are definitely relevant to the content.

Do feel free to create your own unique hashtag

It’s a common question: can I create my own hashtag? Of course you can! Whether it’s just to keep everything about your business in one spot or you have a custom hashtag for a competition, it can be fun to use and ask customers to use a hashtag that’s just for you.

Don’t use only popular hashtags

Instagram recommends using some popular hashtags but also using some niche hashtags that are specific to what you do and relevant to an audience who would be browsing content within that hashtag.

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So there you have it — Instagram hashtags (as well as hashtags on other platforms – they all have a similar function) do have a purpose and can make a big difference to your overall content marketing strategy. If you don’t have a strategy in place yet, you should — get in touch with the team here at Kick if you don’t know where to start or want to take it to the next level.