Step up Your Hashtag Game This 2020
If you know anything about marketing via social media, you know that hashtags are the name of the game. Hashtags are a powerful tool that boosts engagement. They work by making content discoverable and grouping similar items together, so when a user clicks on a hashtag, they see all posts related to it. By using some hashtag tricks, you can attract more visitors and grow your audience substantially.
Give these hacks a try to step up your hashtag game instantly.
1 - Use Relevant Hashtags
If you want to target genuine followers, use super relevant hashtags that directly relate to your business or brand. Stay away from using popular or trendy hashtags to get a few extra likes. Stay the course and target real followers for the long-term. Use at least ten or more hashtags per post to be effective.
2 - Add Line Breaks Before Your Hashtags
Instagram has a bad habit of removing extra line breaks, so your hashtags get pushed up against your content and often overlooked. Use an app like Later to add natural line breaks before your hashtags to keep things clean and simple. Later also allows you to schedule your posts for an entire week.
3 - Post Your Hashtags in the First Comment
You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too many hashtags in your posts. Instead, use the first comment to capitalize on extra real estate just sitting there waiting to be used. Using a post scheduler like Later, you can also post a “First Comment” with all your hashtags at the same time.
4 - Use Instagram’s Hashtag Suggestions Feature
If you are new to Instagram and have trouble coming up with appropriate hashtags, use the hashtag suggestions feature built into Instagram. Just below your post is a link to this tool. Click it and watch as Instagram’s algorithm picks perfect hashtags for your business. Check the ones off that you want to use, and you’re all set!
5 - Use Hashtags in Your Instagram Stories
Using hashtags in your Instagram Stories is another way to get new followers to find you. There are two methods you can do this. First, use the hashtag sticker (but you will only be able to add one hashtag), or you can use the text tool and add up to ten hashtags to your story. If you don’t want to seem “obvious” by adding too many hashtags to your Instagram Stories, you can hide hashtags by covering them with a sticker or graphic. The benefit will be the same, but you won’t come off as spammy.
6 - Add Hashtags to Your Instagram Bio
Another often overlooked hack is to connect with your audience and build brand awareness by using hashtags in your bio. Use a # sign before any word in your bio, and Instagram will instantly turn it into a clickable hashtag.
7 - Track Your Instagram Success with a Business Account
Instagram business accounts let you see how your posts are doing. Click the “View Insights” button at the bottom of a post to view the analytics and use that information to repeat your successful posts and re-use hashtags that grabbed followers’ attention.
