Why hashtags on instagram

Instagram Hashtag Analytics are available on all Later business plans. Getting in the top posts for a hashtag is a great way to get discovered by new users. Like getting featured on the Explore Page , it can result in a huge network effect that essentially makes your post go viral on Instagram.

Based on our experience, the two factors that play the biggest role in determining whether a post gets into the top posts for a hashtag are how much engagement the post gets, and how quickly it gets that engagement.

Top posts generally take their position within the first 24 hours of posting, so you need those likes and comments to roll in quickly after posting.

If you can generate a lot of engagement on your Instagram post shortly after posting, this signals to Instagram that your post is quality, engaging content. Thanks to a recent-ish update , you can now add clickable hashtags and usernames to your Instagram bio, making it a lot easier to build an Instagram bio that converts to website visits!

While adding hashtags to your posts is one of the best ways to boost your engagement and get your posts in front of your target audience, too many hashtags in your captions can look untidy or worse, spammy! Instead, posting your hashtags in the first comment is a great way to make your caption the star of the show, without compromising any of the engagement you can get with hashtags.

Open up the post scheduler in Later. You can do this from anywhere — Later on desktop, iOS, or Android. Schedule your post as usual including adding your Linkin. You can now craft, schedule and automatically post the first comment on your Instagram posts — available on all Later paid plans! Adding hashtags to your story is a great way to give your content an added chance to be discovered by new audiences.

You can add as many as 10 hashtags to each Instagram story, including 1 clickable hashtag sticker. For example, if you have a branded hashtag for your business , you can invite your followers to also follow your unique hashtag. It doubles your chances of engagement! For example, Sezane hosts a weekly giveaway and encourages their community to share photos with SezaneLovers to enter.

Create a contest where your followers upload photos on Instagram and tag their posts with your branded hashtag. Last but not least, our final tip is to avoid using banned hashtags on your Instagram posts.

You can view a list of banned Instagram hashtags here. Instagram hashtags can be a powerful tool for discovery when used properly — but they can also look spammy and damage your brand perception when used incorrectly. The short answer? As often as possible! Manage your entire Instagram presence and save time with Hootsuite. Schedule posts and Stories, find the best hashtags, easily engage the audience, measure performance, and more. Try it free today.

Easily create, analyze, and schedule Instagram posts with Hootsuite. Save time and get results. Learning to schedule Instagram posts is the easiest way to save time so that you can focus on creating incredible content. Learn about the best Instagram analytics tools that will give you valuable insights into your audience and strategy, plus metric definitions.

We could have SWORN you were someone who wanted to blow your competition out of the water on social media. Our bad. Skip to content Instagram hashtags can make or break your Instagram strategy. Watch our video below, or read on! Instagram Hashtag Guide What are Instagram hashtags? Why use Instagram hashtags? Top instagram hashtags.

Types of popular Instagram hashtags. How many hashtags to use on Instagram. How to hide hashtags on Instagram. How to hide Instagram hashtags in the caption:.

How to find trending hashtags on Instagram. How to search multiple hashtags on Instagram. How to use hashtags on Instagram—7 tips and tricks. View this post on Instagram. Get the free guide right now! Get Started. Try it for Free. Show Comments. To use hashtags in your Instagram content in a meaningful and effective way you need to do your research.

So where to start? Here are a few ideas…. You want that to fall into a similar arena with your hashtag game. When it comes to having more of an impact with your hashtag game, it can actually pay off more to be picky. In fact, research has found that the optimal number of hashtags per post is While Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post, your time is better spent researching and using a handful of super effective hashtags rather than stockpiling a ton of tags per post.

Hashtags and burgers : better in moderation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spying on your competition from time to time. In fact, when it comes to hashtagging this can be a super useful investigative activity. Joining in on trendy industry topic hashtags and finding niche industry-related tags that your audience is likely following can be insanely beneficial for upping your hashtag game.

Take this food blogger, Restoring Radiance, for example. Below, you can see that she posted a picture of her yogurt, and rather than using simple hashtags, like yogurt or breakfast, she used many hashtags mentioning other brands that her target audience is likely following like f52grams and foodgawker.

Why not take a page from her book and use some popular industry hashtags in your next Instagram post? Want more inspiration? You can get creative and build a campaign around your very own branded hashtag.

This can take your brand to an entirely new level if done in a creative and engaging way. Take the unforgettable IceBucketChallenge. Think about how you can do something similar by getting your followers to WANT to use your hashtag, which will help spread brand awareness about your business to other Instagrammers. If you do, your posts are likely to get lost in the sea of other hashtagged post. But should you be using a new set of five to 10 hashtags for every single post you compose?

The answer is no. There is absolutely nothing wrong with re-using the same well-researched, highly targeted hashtags if those are what appeal to your audience. In fact, you should keep a note handy so you can easy copy and paste your commonly used hashtags into new posts.

However, spicing things up a bit is also encouraged. These hashtags are not added to be searched on or to promote anything. For brands, these are not the most useful hashtags but might be relevant if your brand voice fits this kind of humor. Some hashtags, usually offensive or spam ones, trigger a flag on your account.

Others might get added because the newest posts have been identified as spam content. Checking in on how all these hashtags are working out for you. By reviewing your analytics, you might end up finding that your most relied-on hashtags are not actually the ones resonating the most with audiences.

Using hashtags on Instagram has many benefits for brands: increased brand exposure, increased engagement and competitor analysis insight. Ready to get into more InstagramStrategy? Take a look at how to create an Instagram strategy for your brand. Sprout Social helps you understand and reach your audience, engage your community and measure performance with the only all-in-one social media management platform built for connection.

Send us an email. Send us an email Who are you trying to contact? Sales Support Other. Encourages audience interactions When you use branded hashtags and encourage their use, it becomes another form of engagement. Competitor analysis How much digital space are your competitors taking up in your market? Content research Similar to what you would do for SEO keyword research , hashtags can help you research different content ideas.

Use hashtags in the first comment Too many hashtags in a caption overwhelm valuable real estate and can make it look messy. Find the best hashtags for you There are several ways to find the best hashtags for you. Keep hashtag lists for easy access Instead of copying and pasting the same set of hashtags for every post, divide them up into topical ones. Different types of hashtags There are several different types of hashtags that brands should know about.

Location hashtags Location hashtags are pretty self-explanatory. Themed hashtags Have you ever seen a post about a national food day and wondered who the heck comes up with them? Trending hashtags This type of hashtag is one of the more difficult ones to post since it involves keeping tabs on the latest and knowing how to apply them to your brand.

Ironic or commentary hashtags These take a little more humor and are not often used by brands. Brands should use hashtags on Instagram Using hashtags on Instagram has many benefits for brands: increased brand exposure, increased engagement and competitor analysis insight.

Resources for you. The Content Benchmarks Report. Recommended for you. Now on slide Now on slide Now on slide Now on slide. Build and grow stronger relationships on social Sprout Social helps you understand and reach your audience, engage your community and measure performance with the only all-in-one social media management platform built for connection. Try Sprout For Free.