Instagram is changing its mind about hashtags; here’s what you need to know to successfully post for your business.
It’s heartwarming to learn that the most popular hashtag on Instagram today is #love, although some might argue that those who click on it are searching for love in the wrong places. For those who are unfamiliar, Hootsuite explains that hashtags work by allowing users to click on them or conduct a search for them, which leads to a page showing all the posts tagged with that particular hashtag. So, for instance, clicking on #MonroeStreetMadison will display all the posts from businesses in the shopping district that have used that tag. It’s exciting to note that since everyone in the district has been encouraged to use that hashtag, it has been used over 5,000 times. It’s hoped that many of our customers also follow that tag along with the Monroe Street Madison page. A useful tip is to follow the hashtag that matches your store’s Instagram name, so you’ll be notified whenever anyone mentions your shop.
Relevance is Key
Social media has become an essential tool for businesses to connect with their audience and build brand awareness. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over a billion monthly active users. With such a vast audience, it’s essential to utilize the platform to its full potential to increase engagement and expand reach. One way to do this is through hashtags.
Hashtags are a way to categorize content on social media and make it more discoverable. They allow users to search for specific topics or interests and find relevant content. On Instagram, users can add up to 30 hashtags to a single post. However, the number of hashtags you use is not as important as the relevance of the ones you choose.
Instagram initially recommended using between 8-15 hashtags per post, but they recently revised that number to 3-5. The reason for this change is that the more relevant the hashtags, the more likely your post is to be discovered in the algorithm, especially if you are using reels. This change has had a significant impact on how businesses approach their Instagram strategy. Rather than adding as many hashtags as possible, companies now focus on using a few targeted ones to improve their reach.
One of the benefits of hashtags is that they help you connect with your audience. By using hashtags that your audience is likely to search for, you can increase your chances of being discovered by potential customers. For example, if you own a coffee shop in Madison, Wisconsin, you might use hashtags like #MadisonCoffee or #MadisonEats to reach people who are interested in local food and drink. By targeting your audience with relevant hashtags, you can increase engagement and ultimately drive more traffic to your business.
Another strategy that businesses use is to add hashtags in the comments section under their posts. This has a double advantage since comments and other engagement can increase your post’s chance of being seen. By adding hashtags in the comments section, you can improve the discoverability of your post while also encouraging engagement from your audience.
When choosing hashtags, it’s important to make sure they target your audience well. While it may be tempting to include your store name in your hashtags, it’s not always necessary. Instead, focus on using hashtags that your audience is likely to search for. For example, if you own a clothing store, you might use hashtags like #Fashion or #Style to reach people who are interested in fashion. You can also include location-based hashtags like #MadisonWisconsin or #MonroeStreetMadison to reach people in your local area.
Additionally, it can be beneficial to include any brands that are shown in your post. For example, if you’re featuring a product from a specific brand, you might use their hashtag to reach their audience. You can also add a community-focused hashtag like #ShopLocal to connect with other businesses and customers in your area.
It’s worth noting that capitalizing the first letter of each word in a hashtag can increase accessibility. Screen readers are much more likely to read the hashtag as it is intended if the first letter of each word is capitalized. However, Instagram automatically makes hashtags lowercase in its AI matches of potential hashtags, so it may require some extra effort to capitalize them manually.
If you have your Instagram posts set to automatically repost on Facebook, it’s essential to take an extra moment to delete the hashtags that you don’t want to include. Unlike Instagram, Facebook hashtags are clickable links that can take your customer to a page with millions of posts about a particular topic. This can be overwhelming and distract from your business’s intended message. Additionally, it’s worth considering taking advantage of the hashtag feature on Facebook to follow those most relevant to your business.
In conclusion, hashtags are an essential tool for businesses to increase their reach and connect with their audience on Instagram. By choosing relevant and targeted hashtags
Boost Your Social Media Presence with These Hashtag Strategies
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