Do you know that you can get a 12.6% higher engagement with Instagram hashtags? Yes, using hashtags is one of the most effective strategies for gaining visibility. Therefore, you must adopt the best hashtag strategy for higher engagement and more followers.
However, many newbies have no clue about using hashtags in an effective way. This ultimate guide will provide you details about using the right hashtags in 2021. You will learn to gain more followers and building a specific community for your business. So, let’s get started!
Why Should We Use Instagram Hashtags?
If you post something without a hashtag, how will prospects find you? Every business owner intends to make the post discoverable, and hashtags are the route to it. Hashtags help in categorizing the photos and videos so that the relevant audience can view them.
For instance, if a carpet cleaner wanted to highlight and promote its service for people searching for carpet cleaning near me, they may use hashtags like #londoncarpetcleaning, #deepleaninglondon, #steamcleaninglondon, etc. to direct traffic to their website.
Tip:
Instagram Stories are trending these days. You can use 10 hashtags per story. However, in your regular posts, you can use up to 30 hashtags.
Now, you must be wondering which hashtags are good in 2021. Remember, experts recommend not to use highly popular hashtags. Every brand needs to create its hashtag strategy.
To make a robust hashtag strategy, understanding the various forms of hashtags is imperative. Let us learn about them:
Types of Hashtags
1. Community Hashtags
The purpose of community hashtags is to gain visibility among similar users. They help in growing followers and building a community of like-minded people. The 9 main types of hashtags are as follows:
1. Main product/service like #pizza, #tea
2. Industry niche like #contentwriter, #beautyexpert
3. Location like #londonpizza, #madeinlondon
4. Special events/seasons #wintertrends, #earthday
5. Relevant phrases #liveinstyle, #lovelife
6. Acronyms like TTYL (talk to you later), IMO (in my opinion)
7. Relevant Instagram community
8. Emojis like J or:-*)
9. An everyday hashtag like #tuesdaytrend, #sundaygoals, and throwbackthursday
Never stick to just one type of hashtags. Use variety in your posts. This will make the post visible to various communities.
2. Branded Hashtags
These are the product or business-specific hashtags. You can use your brand name or tagline in these hashtags. The ultimate objective of branded hashtags is to build brand identity. They play a great role in campaigns and building a particular theme for business. For instance, coca-cola shares #shareacoke
You must motivate followers to use your branded hashtags in posts. When users tap the hashtag, they will check out all relevant posts. If you want to know about the latest content shared about your business, use your branded hashtag.
3. Campaign Hashtags
Unlike community and branded hashtags, these are short-term. They help you drive a lot of engagement in less time. Campaign hashtags are great for events, occasions, and special campaigns. For instance, during the December holidays, many people used the hashtag in holiday campaigns like #holidaydiscountfood, #winterdeals, etc.
Instagram Hashtags for 2021
Now, some common questions related to the 2021 hashtags are discussed below:
4. Where to Use Hashtags?
You will never find a fixed formula for using hashtags. Try to incorporate the best hashtag for every post. Consider the topic, campaign, and goal of your post.
Also, use hashtags in Instagram stories. However, if you are posting about a sensitive topic, using a hashtag might not be appropriate. Therefore, clearly define your objectives and then pick the appropriate hashtag.
5. How Many Hashtags a Day?
The maximum limit of using hashtags is 30, but some experts advise using just 6-7 per post—it all about experimenting. If you want to use all hashtags in a single post, there is no harm in it. You can also stick to a few basic ones. Analyze the results and pick the one that works best for you.
6. Which are the Best Hashtags?
You can easily find the most trending hashtags with hashtags tools like Hashtagify, Auto Hash, Sked Social, etc. But, remember, every hashtag is not for your brand.
Relevance plays a key role in growing your audience. Determine the words/phrases that your targeted audience might use and use them in hashtags. Furthermore, never use the same hashtags in every post. Use a good mix of suitable hashtags and keep analyzing the outcomes.
For instance, if your business targets multiple retailers of women’s casual clothing, you might have used hashtags related to women’s clothing and retailers. You need to set a combination of hashtags so that you can target fashion retailers related to women’s clothing.
Expert Tips for Finding the Best Instagram Hashtags
1. Do not use just any other hashtag. Research your target group and use specific hashtags.
2. Keep an eye on your competitor’s strategy
3. Learn from the influencers having a similar target group
4. Research about your success posts, find relevant hashtags, and notice the trend
Managing the Hashtags
Using a spreadsheet is one simple way of organizing hashtags. Make categories like hashtags, posts, captions, etc., and save the hashtags with the best outcomes.
You can also use various tools for time-saving and effective management. Tools like Keyhole, Tagboard, Webstagram, and many others assist in planning for future hashtags and maintaining records for former ones.
Tips for Hashtag Optimization
Here are some tips for optimizing the hashtags in the right way:
1. Use Instagram analytics for getting insights about former hashtags.
2. Create strategies for getting in the top post list. You can do it with more and quick engagement. (posts within 24 hours are added to the list)
3. Always add a branded hashtag in your bio. This new feature can even lead to conversion.
4. Plan campaigns, encourage users to use the hashtag, and never forget to use hashtags in stories.
Takeaway – Instagram Hashtags
In short, Instagram hashtags can make or break your brand’s online identity. If used in the right way, these hashtags can bring a horde of followers, boost engagement, and may lead to conversion. However, creating an effective strategy for using the right hashtags is imperative.
Search for the best hashtags, use tools, and determine the right category for your brand. Arm yourself with the above-mentioned tips of using hashtags to increase your brand engagement.
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