Do hashtags on Instagram matter?
Do hashtags on Instagram matter? Hashtags on Instagram do matter a lot for gaining likes and followers on Instagram however only when used correctly. Hashtags have become a powerful tool for increasing engagement with followers and gaining new followers on Instagram. However, many people do not use them optimally, adding too many of them and choosing them poorly. Follow the below tips on using hashtags on Instagram to maximize engagement on your profile.
1. Place Hashtags Correctly
Where is the best place to put hashtags on Instagram? While some influencers add hashtags to the photo description, others prefer to place them all in the first comment. But what is the best method? Socialinsider analyzed 649,895 posts on Instagram from over 6700 business profiles of different sizes to determine which place is best to increase engagement. Interestingly, the size of the account influenced the better placement. Placing hashtags in the comments under the photo is effective primarily for large profiles with over 100,000 followers. If your account has fewer followers, it is better to place them under the photo.
2. The Right Number of Hashtags
According to Later, one hashtag means an average of 12.6% increase in engagement. Following this reasoning, the more hashtags, the better. However, intuition strongly fails here and too many hashtags worsen the visibility of the photo. It is not known why using a large number of hashtags reduces the reach. Probably this is the effect of Instagram algorithms treating such a photo as spam. Most users can achieve the best results by using 5-8 hashtags per photo.
3. Create Distinctive Hashtags
Combine original distinctive hashtags with commonly used ones to increase reach. For example, if you run a culinary profile where you introduce series of dietary desserts, using '#dessert' will not help increase awareness of the new product series or help organize content. Your post would likely get lost among 813 thousand posts using that hashtag. In contrast, if you use '#dessertseries', you will be able to organize all content tagged around a specific campaign and make it easily visible to viewers.
4. Choose Appropriate Hashtags
In the post, there should be permanent hashtags that specify the content typical for you and the specific product you are presenting. Apart from that, you should use hashtags tailored to the specific post: Industry-specific: Include hashtags related to the industry from which you are adding the post. Check the most relevant hashtags on Instagram tailored to individual categories. Brand-specific: Include hashtags of brands used in the photo. Trends: Use trends in the industry and popular, current hashtags. Check out what the most popular hashtags on Instagram are. Location: Indicate locations where you create campaigns to gain visibility among local users. Track your progress based on the number of views each hashtag cloud on Instagram collected from your posts. To do this, click 'View statistics' in the post, then swipe up to view the number of views from hashtags. Want to stay up to date on all social media? Read our blog and buy the likes and followers offered by us on Instagram.