This is an excerpt about Hashtags from our new Instagram Planner (2017 Edition)!
Perhaps more than any other social network, Instagram relies on hashtags to sort and categorize content. Users who are interested in certain topics can choose to “follow” certain hashtags, just as you might follow other users.
You can put the power of hashtags to work for you by using a careful combination of tags designed to get your content found and followed.
The first hashtags to include are the popular/common types. So if you’re sharing inspirational quotes that might include #inspirationalquotes, #inspiration, and #quote. This will get your content found by those who search on these broad topics. Not everyone in this group will be your ideal client, but that’s ok.
The second type of hashtag to use is those that are specific to your audience or niche. #Podcasting, #WAHM, #virtualassistant, #businesscoach and others like these are used less frequently, but will attract a much more targeted market.
Another hashtag type you’ll want to use is basically just asking for a follow. These include #follow, #followme, and #follow4follow, among others.
Finally, you’ll want to have your very own hashtag as well. This might be your brand name (more on this in the next step) or it can be something you’ve embraced as your own, such as the #CarrieON hashtag used by Carrie Wilkerson. Using your own hashtag helps to solidify your branding, and gives fans a way to easily follow conversations.
Now it’s worth noting here that it’s not uncommon to see a lot of hashtags on each post. While on some social networks there seems to be a natural limit to the number of tags, Instagram users often feel more is better. And the stats bear this out. There’s no apparent downside to using even a dozen or more hashtags per post, so don’t be afraid to go a little bit overboard. It comes down to personal preference as many users on Instagram don’t like using so many hashtags. The ones that go for the “cleaner” look on their posts tend to already have an established following.
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