Ever wonder what that little sign and those little phrases are at the end of every social media update or even some adverts are? You might see posts that are tagged at the end with a sign and phrases such as #shareacoke #starbuckscoffee
These little phrases along with the sign # are popularly known as #hashtags, and have become pretty addictive to use nowadays because of the powerful way they can carry your message globally and quickly especially on a fast growing social media platform like Instagram.
Searching through Hashtags is the main way people find products or services on Instagram, for example, if an author is looking to market their new book with Instagram, they might search with the hashtag – #InstagramTips. Also, in reverse, If you are a health coach and your Ideal client is a new mum who is looking to get fit again after having a baby, you might want to search the hashtag #new mum.
When you include hashtags in your Instagram posts and people find you through these hashtags, you encourage engagement with your Instagram posts in the form of likes and comments and will also gain new followers who get to view your content and like what you are sharing.
Now, that you know what Hashtags are used for, How can you use Hashtags to grow your audience and Business on the fastest – growing social media platform, Instagram:
- Use Descriptive and Specific Hashtags
In every hashtag you create, be as descriptive as possible. In this way, it gets the attention of the viewers to click and use the same hashtag once they share the same interest with the description you made. Be careful not to make the hashtag too long.
- Use your Business Name as a Hashtag
You can start promoting your brand by using a hashtag that includes your business name, for example, #starbucks. People will start to recognise your brand every time they see your hashtag and this will also spread the word about your brand.
- Find out which Hashtags the Leaders in your field are using
If you are not sure which hashtags to use, visit the accounts of leaders in the same field or business as you, and check their content for which hashtags they are using. They are probably using the right hashtags for your field if they have a good-sized following and are getting good engagement (Likes and Comments) on their posts. I list the right hashtags for specific business areas for authors, coaches, retailers and more in my online Instagram course, InstaBizGrowth.
- Find the right Hashtags using Tools
You can also use tools to find the right hashtags for your business area. There are tools that will show you which topics or keywords are currently trending in your field. Some examples of these tools include: hashtagify.me, twitonomy.com and tagboard.com
- Use Hashtags to Promote Events and Contests
If you are planning an event, you can promote the event and spread the word about your event even faster by creating and using a hashtag for your event, for examples, #LondonAuthorsConference. You can also do the same if you are running a contest.
Remember that Instagram will let you use a maximum of 30 Hashtags per Instagram post, and research shows that using 7-11 Hashtags per post will give the best results.
If you would like to take advantage of Instagram has the fastest growing social media platform where you can still grow your audience and business without paying for advertisements, I recommend that you check out my Online Instagram Course, InstaBizGrowth.
Happy Instagramming!