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Using hashtags has always been key in expanding your Instagram following. (You know, after creating aesthetically pleasing content of course.) Although you may think you’re doing the best you can with the hashtags you’re using, you may not actually know how to use hashtags on Instagram most strategically. And by all means, that’s quite alright. With a little extra knowledge and some hashtag research, you’ll be on your way to taking your Insta visibility to the next level.
Increasing Your Post Engagement with Hashtags
First things first: people’s opinions on using hashtags can be polarizing. Even for people who swear by them, it can be a pain point that hashtags are an eyesore for people looking at your posts – even if you place them in the comments. Nevertheless, the numbers don’t lie. A market research study proved that posts using hashtags on average received 12.6% more engagement (than posts not using hashtags). That’s nothing to sneeze at.
One of the biggest barriers in properly using hashtags on Instagram is doing hashtag research to make sure you are utilizing Instagram’s capabilities most effectively. Just as with any other aspect of marketing, figuring out how to use hashtags on Instagram for maximum impact comes down to what your target audience is interacting with and what your competitors are doing.
| ^ Finding Related Hashtags with Instagram Search ^ |
Find your ideal followers and look at what they’re interacting with. What posts do they like the most? Which accounts are they following? The more information that you can glean from your target audience, the better. Hashtag research isn’t just about finding cool hashtags; it’s about finding hashtags that will be relevant and catch the eye of your target audience.
| ^ Discover Hashtags Influencers are Using ^ |
While it’s absolutely important to differentiate yourself from your competitors and focus on your own growth – as opposed to constantly feeling a negative sense of competition and inadequacy – it’s crucial that you take a look at what influencers in your niche are doing. Look at some of the industry leaders whom you’re trying to emulate, then take notice of what hashtags they’re using on their posts and in their stories. From there, you can go on and implement those hashtags in your own content.
