Maybe you want to develop a better hashtag strategy, but you keep putting it off. Perhaps you’re wondering if hashtags are still working in 2021, if they can make an actual difference, and if you’re able to find the well-tailored ones which are the right choices to quicken your profile’s growth? Maybe you’ve seen hashtags’ power and possibilities before and feel like you want to boost your posts’ visibility that way again?
IS THIS YOU?
Listen: this is the sign you’ve been waiting for, and we’re here to discuss it! Let’s dive deeper into the hashtags’ magic: the way they’re still game-changing in 2021, how to make them work in your favor, and the entire hashtags’ “savoir vivre” you need to know to avoid Instagram faux-pas and activities that are simply wasting your time.
We’re big advocates for hashtags (no surprise there!) – but we won’t deny: it’s also important to acknowledge that choosing the most tailored ones is not black and white. They’re an INCREDIBLY helpful, indispensable tool to make your content searchable and discoverable, but only when you know how to use them right. Good news: it’s never too late, or too early to learn that, so the best idea is to do it… Today, right? Yup. Even if your second name is procrastination (no offense, of course – it’s human nature, we all know that)!
“I USE HASHTAGS, BUT I GOT DISCOURAGED BECAUSE THEY DON’T WORK”
How many times have we heard similar confessions and complaints? Can’t count them all, but we’re absolutely sure that if we had a dollar for every single one of them, we’d be richer than Kim Kardashian (or maybe Khloé? We’re not quite sure which one makes the better comparison).
But let us tell you: if they don’t work, something is off.
Luckily, we’ll arm you with clear hints about what it can be so that you can fix it immediately. Let’s begin, shall we?!
DO’s and DON’Ts – what is boosting and what is hindering your profile’s growth?
Here we go. Let’s analyze what can be stunting your efforts. We also need to bust some hashtags myths – there are more than 200 million business accounts on Instagram, so you need to learn how to stand out and become more discoverable and not to fall into some popular Instagram traps. Following our dos and don’ts will help you improve your stats quicker than you can imagine – and, what is even more crucial: attract your target audience followers. That’s what it is all about.
Don’t you get a bit frustrated when you’re looking for foodie inspiration, let’s say you’re going to spend your summer holidays in Santorini, you type in the hashtag #santorinifood to do research, and then, out of nowhere, you see plenty of photos which have been taken in… Mexico? Don’t you have these “hey, that’s not my dream greek food!” thoughts running through your head? Aren’t you a bit mad that you’re finding things you don’t want to see under the #santorinifood hashtag?
That’s it. What goes around comes around, so don’t make the same mistake when you’re posting your photos!
DON’T: don’t use random hashtags, hoping they will bring you higher reach. Only those matching your content will do that – you don’t want to make anyone mad or frustrated, right? What’s even worse, people can see your behavior as spammy and notify Instagram that they don’t want to see your posts under given hashtags.
DO: choose hashtags that really accurately describe what you’re posting. We absolutely recommend picking the ones that describe your niche, your caption, your photo, your graphics, your business, and your target market.
If you have no idea how to find 30 good ones, we know an extremely helpful tool that can find plenty of right hashtags that are a good fit for your profile. Chances are you’ve already heard about it: IQ Hashtags rings a bell, huh?
It’s a web app with everything you need to find thousands of highly-targeted hashtags that will bring in new target audience followers, boost your engagement, and ultimately lead to satisfying stats. Take it as a pro tip from us because it literally saves SO MUCH time.
Some creators still believe that using the most popular hashtags will make their posts go viral. That’s not how it works. Using ultra-popular hashtags isn’t a beneficial strategy for getting more views and higher engagement: simply because people are posting new content with these hashtags all day long, all around the world, so their search volume is growing at a speed of light! Your post is going to disappear there quicker than you can even imagine.
Don’t: don’t use any hashtag with over 1 million posts associated with it. When you add a hashtag like this to your post, your content may appear on the Hashtag Page for a split second but is almost instantly buried by plenty of accidental posts published in the exact second.
Do: pick niche, medium-sized hashtags, try them out, experiment, and observe the results!
Double yes.
Using banned hashtags will make your content become ‘undiscoverable’. Some hashtags only have a temporary ban, while many are permanently banned. And, what happens if you use some of them? You risk seeing a dramatic decrease in organic reach.
DO: to avoid these harmful hashtags, you have to know which ones are banned, right? The blocklist is changing all the time, so to keep up with it – trust a tool that guarantees the most updated base of banned hashtags. IQ Hashtags is the one to recommend here as well – as in our opinion, it’s the most practical banned hashtags checker out there. You could be choosing banned and limited hashtags without realizing it – so it’s better to have your finger on the pulse.
Instagram officially lets you use up to 30 hashtags on your EVERY post. And why do we think that using all of them is a good idea? Let us explain. Every single hashtag exposes your content to a different group of potential followers. The more exposure you get, the higher chances for valuable followers who will be genuinely interested in what you have to say, right? So don’t limit your reach and your engagement by using too few hashtags.
DON’T: don’t listen to marketing gurus who claim that using more than five hashtags makes you look desperate. That’s completely ridiculous! When you focus on growth, and you want to take the next step towards building a thriving, authentic Instagram tribe that builds your Instagram imperium and ultimately leads to more collaborations or/and sales, you can’t ignore the opportunities that using 30 hashtags gives you. Hashtags make your content possible to find – without them, it would be extremely difficult for new potential followers to come across your posts and find your profile.
DO: Use 30 hashtags whenever you can. If you need help with the research process – use IQ Hashtags to save time and find the most effective ones for your niche. Hashtags can bring you the most loyal followers – and they have the power to turn your hobby into a business. And the best thing: they have nothing to do with money, they give you ENTIRELY ORGANIC REACH.
5 // Where to post hashtags? Caption vs. comments? Does it make a difference?
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has confirmed: “for a post to be found in search, put your hashtags in the CAPTIONS, not in the comment section.” Caption wins and guarantees better optimization – Adam said so!
When you place hashtags in the caption area, you’re doubling their power. That’s extremely exciting – when somebody is looking for your specific hashtags, your posts can be found via the keyword search page. Hashtags put in the comment section will still work – but why would you give up on some extra exposure?
DO: Stick to posting hashtags in the caption area, not in the first comment. This is a new principle that should be followed!
That’s it for today. We just wanted to clear the most crucial things up! If you keep these insights in mind, we’re confident you will see a boost not only in the number of likes and comments but in long-term engagement factors as well.
+ We’d love to hear your thoughts on this – what other things would you add to the list? What helps you maintain and improve your Instagram growth? Let’s chat in the comments!
