Hashtags are one of the best ways to get new Instagram followers. Using the right hashtags will extend the reach of your content, meaning more people in your target audience will be able to find and engage with your photos. Bottom line, if you’re using Instagram to market your business, using hashtags that are relevant to your audience will escalate your results says Chris Poole from a CT Digital Marketing Agency.
Choose Your Hashtags Wisely
Even though you can use 30 hashtags per post, it’s important to choose them wisely. It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to fill the 30-count quota. You should also avoid using the same hashtags on every post which makes it look like you’ve simply copied and pasted them. You should also use relevant hashtags, or your posts won’t end up engaging the right people. Using irrelevant posts is a waste of time and effort.
Think “Out of the Box”
As you start using hashtags, think “out of the box”, looking beyond the obvious, one word hashtags. While you should use these too, mixing things up by using creative hashtags to tell your story will improve your results when it comes to growing your Instagram followers. Be creative, even adding an occasional ironic or funny hashtag, just make sure it’s not boring and overused. It’s also a good idea to use branded hashtags, including your company’s name, also saying something distinctive about your brand identity. You can also increase your chances of generating more Instagram followers by checking out the hashtags that are trending and using them, along with other “out of the box” ones you come up with.
Worried that Hashtags Will Dilute Your Caption?
If you feel that hashtags might take away from your inspiring captions, just separate the hashtag from the caption by adding a line break of dots.
How are the Top Posts Chosen?
Generally, the more popular the hashtag is, the better the chances that it will get featured on the top posts section and the more often those posts are refreshed. Another important factor is how fast the post draws engagement. The faster it generates likes the better the chances of it being featured on the ‘top posts’. Provided that your post’s growth rate is faster than your competitions, your post will be featured, no matter how many Instagram followers you have. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to us 3 or 4 popular relevant hashtags in each of your posts. Relevant hashtags are similar to long-tail keywords because they exhibit more intent which helps you attract the right people. That said, using universally trending hashtags like #photooftheday will get you in front of more users in general. The best rule of thumb when it comes to getting more Instagram followers is to use both.
In closing, it’s also important to mention that if you want to generate more Instagram followers, you need to post consistently, multiple times a day, which will also increase engagement. If you check out some of the biggest brands on Instagram, you’ll see that they do exactly that.