Kate, everyone knows what hashtags are in 2022 – you might want to say. I know, I know, of course. However, not everyone knows how to use them properly. And it makes a difference! When used well, they make it possible for users to find the content they enjoy. They increase the visibility of your posts and boost your chances of attracting new followers. Unfortunately, when used the wrong way, they can negatively impact your reach, or even your credibility. The issue is more complicated than many of us think. This can’t be said enough: even the most gorgeous content in the world will become “not enough” with poorly researched (or random) hashtags.
That’s why today I’d like to take a moment to clear up the confusion about the dilemma I’m reading about way too often these days: is it bad to repeat hashtags on Instagram? How frequently should we rotate our hashtags? Do copying and pasting hashtags work? Do you really need to come up with 30 new hashtags every time you post? Can you copy someone else’s hashtags?
Do you already know the answers? Let’s say it out loud: managing your hashtags can be a bit of a chore, as there are so many questions and very rarely straightforward answers to them. Is it a guessing game? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Luckily, you can rely on people who are living and breathing Instagram (like me, haha). Let’s go!
I’d say it’s much more about rotating, than changing!
I believe it’s possible to find new hashtags for every new post – but we aren’t that crazy, are we? Finding so many new hashtags for every new post can be highly time-consuming. While it might be tempting to use the same set of hashtags too often – and many of us are guilty of that, hey, finding 30 different ones every time you post is a big challenge, and you don’t need to do that. It’s totally okay to have some “core hashtags” which you repeat more often than the others.
The thing is, you need to be willing to test new hashtags. Mix them up.
Analyze the results, and rotate old ones, as well as the ones you’ve just found.
You won’t like this answer, but I need to say it: it depends. Let me explain before judging!
Copying and pasting the same set of hashtags into every post is a horrible idea. First, the algorithm doesn’t like that. Your people don’t like that – because it can look spammy. And finally: your stats don’t like it, because you’re reaching the same groups of people repeatedly. That’s why you need to rotate your hashtags.
But by “it depends” I meant: on the other hand, it’s a pretty smart idea to create multiple hashtag sets that are organized by content pillars and post categories. That’s the way I do it too. And honestly, I find it the best and most practical way to organize and rotate my hashtags. And yes, they work when copied and pasted. I’ve also heard some strange rumors that content with self-written hashtags does better in terms of reach and explore page, but they simply aren’t true: you don’t have to bother, I’ve checked it myself many, many times.
There are some simple but effective tricks you can use to create the most optimal number of hashtag lists. We’ll start off with my methods, and I’ll walk you through why it works so well for me and my profile and why it might work well for you as well. But before we do that – let’s answer some other most common questions about the hashtag rotation process!
You can get banned for using banned hashtags – hashtags that are on Instagram’s black list because posts using these hashtags go against Instagram’s guidelines – and yes, you can even lose your account because of them.
When it comes to using the same hashtags – Instagram will penalize you a bit differently. When you use the same list of hashtags on each post, you risk having your profile treated as spam, which means lower reach, as your content will no longer show up in the hashtag search results. So the price is still high.
Practically: yes, you can (but only with the desktop version of the app, or using the ‘Gram in your browser), but to be honest: what for? Wouldn’t it be better to find hashtags that work for you, and your profile?
The perfect set of hashtags for any given creator varies in much the same way as the ideal meal, the perfect pair of jeans, or the perfect pair of sandals. What works really well for other creators may be totally incompatible with your content. That’s why my answer would be: don’t copy someone else’s hashtags, create and analyze your own hashtag sets.
The protip, which can literally save you plenty of hours? Use apps and tools that make the process easier. Before you can get started with storing your hashtags for later, you need to – surprise, surprise – actually find the most relevant hashtags for your different content pillars, the ones that revolve around your niche. Fortunately, there are tools out there to help you with that.
When it comes to me, over the past years, I’ve developed my hashtags-rotation process, and woah, it works for me.
I use one tool for both researching and storing my hashtags. And it’s incredibly intuitive, so I love the way it works. I have created multiple sets of hashtags depending on what I’m posting – I have saved them all in one place, so I can easily reach them whenever I need to (= everytime I’m preparing a new post). What’s the app you’re using, you might want to ask. Well, I’m recommending only the ones I’ve personally tested and loved, you know that. I keep all of my hashtag sets in IQ Hashtags -I store my hashtag collections there, and I update them from time to time when I find new hashtags I want to include.
The good news is, there’s no limit to the number of hashtag collections you can have – you can create as many different sets as you like, which I think can be really helpful for social media managers and marketing agencies as well. You simply create a library of reusable hashtags for future use or different profiles you take care of.
How do I use the hashtag sets I’ve prepared? Easy peasy, to be honest. When I’m preparing a new post, I navigate to my stored collections of hashtags. I choose the one most relevant for this particular post. I copy the hashtags. And voila!
I also track my hashtags’ performance with the tool I mentioned – but we’ll discuss that much deeper in the following article, because that’s a topic worth elaborating on as well.
That’s all for today, thank you for reading. The key takeaway? Don’t be deceived by how easy it is to find some random hashtags. Take your time and do the research the right way. Take that research aspect exceptionally seriously. Over time, you will learn what works for your target audience – and that’s our ultimate goal!
PS. If you have different ways of managing your hashtags, please share them!
