How To Use Hashtags on Instagram
How To Use Hashtags on Instagram
Instagram recently shared an infographic guide to the dos and don’ts of hashtags on their Creators account. Their points of relevancy and specificity are super useful and important, however the point around the number of hashtags they recommended had us seasoned Instagram experts scratching our heads. 3 – 5 ?! You what Instagram?!
(Please enjoy my dramatized reaction here.)
In essence, a hashtag is a label for your post that helps people find your content. Back in the day when I first started using IG, hashtags were really community based and were vital for discoverability and growth. However, as we all know, IG is constantly evolving, and so how we use hashtags has too. Things have somewhat changed. Whilst hashtags are amazing for growing your following on Instagram and getting your content discovered, they’re not the be all and end all. For example, you still have to ensure your content is good. I would say that hashtags account a portion of community growth now. I have found hashtags only work is my content is good. The question of ‘good content’ is a whole different debate, however for me, it is content that you guys want to see and you guys want to share. Shareability is one of the biggest ways to grow your community. However, they are still a super important part of the algorithm.
So Instagram are telling us to use 3-5 hashtags?!
What is my opinions on Instagram’s 3 – 5 hashtag recommendation?! I think it is hilarious that they are giving this advice. And well, unless it comes from the horse’s mouth (this horse is called Adam Mosseri) I am going to keep using all thirty hashtags.
So, without any further ado! Here are my top tips and tricks on how to use hashtags on Instagram and how to make sure that you are getting the most out of them.
What hashtags to use?
There are three groups of hashtags that I like to make sure I am using. They are:
1) Industry or niche hashtags - These hashtags frame the work that you do. For example, I am an #instagramcoach and an #instragramexpert.
Community hashtags – This group of hashtags describes the people who are in your community or who you want to bring in, not the community that you yourself are apart of. For example, #solopreneur.
Tips or tools hashtags – These are your ‘How To’ hashtags. #howtousehashtags amirightt?!
Does size matter?
Time to get all Goldilocks and make it just right. You don’t want to be using hashtags that are too big or too small. Look at how many times that hashtag has been used. When you search a hashtag you will be able to see how many times they have been used. You want to aim for around the 50 – 100K as a rule of thumb throw in a couple of bigger ones as well that are around the 200 – 300K mark).
Also, remember to look at the likes on the top post – remember the aim is to get your post into the top posts section. So, if the tops posts for a certain hashtag is say 3000 and you’re averaging at about 500, you are not going to make it. You want to make sure that you are fitting in with the average number of comments and likes on the posts that are making it to the top of the hashtag
Hashtag Research
Researching what hashtags to use can be a little time consuming at first, but boy is it worth it. In order to find you hashtags there are a number of things that you can do to research your hashtags
I use Flick – Its a great tool for you to get some groups of hashtags that are similar to your hashtags. You pay for the service, but the do offer a 7-day free trial so give it a go!
Go to your search function, type in the hashtag and then go to tags it will go to suggestions
And finally, I also do is some good old fashioned market research. I look at the hashtags that my competitors, people and accounts that I look up to and who are killing the industry. I do not copy and paste the whole thing as it is so important to make sure that your hashtags are relevant to your account and your post, but it is great to see what other hashtags others are using.
Keeping a sheet of all of the your spreadsheets and doing routine audits of them is really useful. As part of my Flow business coaching programme I offer a sheet of some 100 personalised hashtags for you to use and a template that you can then go forth and build upon!
Hashtags are great. And some time spent getting to know them does pay off.
And there you have it my How To Hashtag Basics!
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