#Hashtags are more than just a symbol in your online caption to grab your reader’s attention, they play a vital role in the digital marketing world to help businesses grow. They are used to build community, identify topics of conversation, and used to make your content more discoverable. If you’re new to the game or trying to revamp your instagram digital marketing strategy, use these hashtag tips to grow your business.
What words do I use?
You see hashtags in captions and comments but how did the author of the post decide which words were worthy of a hashtag? Use your keywords! Include your brand or company name as a hashtag, your industry sector, and other keywords related to your main topics. In order to find more keywords related to your niche, use the search tool within the Instagram app or other websites such as All Hashtag.
To use the Instagram app, go to the Search bar and type in your keyword. Filter the results under the “tag” segment to only see hashtags. Then, click on one of the tags to see what type of photos are linked to that specific tag and see if it fits your content. Along the top of that search bar you will also see a variety of other keywords related to the initial word you used.
All Hashtag is a website designed to generate multiple keywords for you. Similar to using the Instagram app, type in one word or topic and it will generate other words related. This is helpful to ensure you’re getting the top rated words in your field.
For example, if you’re in the real estate business some of your hashtags should contain “#realestate” or “#realtor”. Put yourself in your targeted audience’s position. If I were in search of a realtor in Denver, Colorado I would be looking for posts containing “#denverrealestate” and “#coloradorealtor” in order to bring up a variety of profiles. Using related tags is a great way to expand past your current network to grow.
It’s important to note that you should research all words you intend to #hashtag prior to using these in a post. The last thing you would want is to be creative with a hashtag only to later find out it is linked to explicit content.
How many to use?
Studies have shown there’s a limit to how many hashtags one can use before the follower is either overwhelmed or feels as though the content is spam. To capitalize on the number of hashtags, a sweet spot has been found using nine. Does this mean you have to use nine every time? No. Can you use more or less? Of course. The amount of hashtags is also dependent on the content you are displaying. If you’re using a generic or lighthearted post on your feed, such as a motivational quote, an excessive amount of hashtags isn’t necessary. Be sure to analyze your data between posts to see a trend of what is working and what isn’t working for your profile and adjust your hashtags accordingly. Additionally, if you find great success with a combination of tags, make sure to use them again on another post.
Where to place them?
Should you place them in the caption section? Should they be placed in the comments? Good news: both are acceptable placements! Tags don’t necessarily need to be seen, the goal is to get your content discoverable. Therefore, if placing within the caption, make sure to create space between your caption and the tags you use. Instagram will “hide” the caption after three lines so use the “return” and some form of punctuation to separate the caption and your keywords.
Utilize these tips to see an increase in your Instagram business! If you’d like help with your Instagram business, contact us today.
