Top Instagram Growth Tools
Despite all the changes to Instagram’s algorithm over the years, one thing has stayed consistent — hashtags are one of the best ways to…
Hashtags have the power to grow your following exponentially. Discover the seven crucial reasons you need to use Instagram hashtags for every post.
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Despite all the changes to Instagram’s algorithm over the years, one thing has stayed consistent — hashtags are one of the best ways to get your content discovered on Instagram.
The problem is everyone knows it. As a result, some marketers have started to question whether or not hashtags still matter on Instagram, or if they’re anywhere near as powerful as they were a couple years ago.
If you’re on the fence about whether or not it’s still worth adding hashtags into all your captions, keep reading. Here are seven crucial reasons you need to start using Instagram hashtags now.
1. Grow Your Following
One of the primary reasons for using hashtags is to grow a following. When you use hashtags, you make it much easier for your target audience to find your posts and profile.
For growing your following, I previously wrote an article of the importance of genuine followers and the difference between fake followers.
You can use up to 30 hashtags in a post and even put hashtags in your profile. When you use popular hashtags at the right time, other people search for them and can find your content.
Think of hashtags as the bait. They lure people into your profile, and once they land there, your content needs to be compelling enough for them to hit follow. But without using the right hashtags, your chances of getting discovered on Instagram are slim.
2. Connect With People
Hashtags give you the chance to connect with more people and build an audience. People search for and follow hashtags because they have an interest in the content.
There are entire communities build around certain Instagram hashtags, so if you’re able to find your “tribe” by consistently posting with a niche hashtag, you’ll start to build a loyal following of like-minded people.
The best part is these people aren’t just randomly following you. Since you used a hashtag they care about/relate to, you know they’re genuinely interested in the content you post, and are likely to stick around and engage.
3. Be the First Choice
By using the right hashtags on the right content, you have a winning combination. When people search for hashtags you’ve used, you could very well be the first one they click on.
When you’re the first choice, more people will follow you and look forward to your posts. You have an edge over other competitor accounts and opens you up to a whole new market.
Again, you need to make sure that you’re posting regular, high-quality content. You could have all the best hashtags but if the image quality is poor, people won’t engage.
4. Get Featured
This is an Instagram hack that not enough people take advantage of. But have you ever seen those large meme accounts or accounts that only post content from other people?
Ever wondered how they find the posts they feature? Hashtags.
Large established accounts have systems in place to search Instagram for specific hashtags relevant to their audience. They sort through them all and post the best of them.
For instance, Keto_Inspired notes in their bio to use their hashtag in order for a chance to be featured on their feed.
Look for popular Instagram accounts in your niche that post user-generated content, and start tagging them and using their hashtags in your posts for a chance to get featured. If you get featured across several different accounts, the followers will start to roll in!
5. Track Your Success
If you run a business account on Instagram, you get to use a range of very useful tools. These tools are called Insights and they help you to track the success of your account.
Here, you can also track how successful each hashtag you have used has been. When you learn what works and what doesn’t, you can tweak it to work better next time.
Use the data you find to create a winning hashtag strategy. It’s important to test a variety of hashtags though to make sure you find the best of the best!
6. Establish Your Brand
Hashtags also help you to establish your brand and your marketing. Using relevant hashtags is a great start, but there is another way to do it too.
This is to create your very own hashtag. This is more beneficial when you have a larger following but it can work at any stage.
Use a hashtag that has your brand name in it if you are a business. The more you share with that hashtag, the more prominent your business name becomes. You can encourage followers to use your hashtag and they can help you promote even further.
7. Hashtag Generator — Create a Trend
When all these points come together, you could be about to start a trend. With good photos and great hashtags from a hashtag generator, your target audience will start to notice you.
Consistency is key and when you post with the same theme and style, you create your own trend. Hashtags help people stay on top of this trend and makes it easy to share across platforms (remember, you can use hashtags on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks as well).
People love trendy things and when you make your own, you help your brand out. When your account is recognizable in an instant, you boost your brand awareness.
As you can see, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be using Instagram hashtags. They can expose you to new audiences, build your following, boost engagement and give your brand more recognition.
So what are you waiting for? Start #Hashtagging now!
Disclaimer: I have conducted my own research and have written this article to help as many readers as I can and aim to offer as much value as possible. Nothing is guaranteed and results can vary from user to user. I recommend you conduct your own research.
