How To Use Hashtags On Instagram To Gain Followers

Want to know how to use hashtags on Instagram to gain followers? Is it the best way to get an impression on your post?  But how? All confusion can be resolved from this infographic.  Instagram hashtags are indeed valuable tools for marketers in 2024. Instagram hashtags have the power to spread the word about your work to a wider audience than just the people who follow you on the app.  However, this does not mean that you should utilise all thirty hashtags in a post just because you can. Using meaningless hashtags to meet a hashtag quota is pointless. The secret to using hashtags on Instagram effectively is to use a tonne of relevant hashtags that will benefit other Instagram users. Let’s get into the infographic to have a better idea.

What are the Instagram hashtags?

Instagram hashtags are terms, expressions, or numbers that in Instagram captions include the hashtag symbol (#) or the word “pound” in front of them. By classifying your Instagram photos with this sign, you make them easier to find on the platform.  Hashtags that users add to their posts or stories turn them into clickable links that take readers to a feed of other posts that also include the same hashtag. Users can investigate material on particular subjects, hobbies, occasions, or groups thanks to this. The following are some definitions and examples of Instagram hashtags:

• Posts about traveling, seeing new places, or exchanging travelogues go under the hashtag #Travel.
• Picture of food, dining out, cooking, recipes, or food photography should include the hashtag #Foodie.
• Posts on clothes trends, looks, ideas for outfits, fashion shows, or fashion photography should include the hashtag #Fashion.
• Content on painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, and other media should go under the hashtag #Art.
• Posts featuring outdoor activities, wildlife, landscapes, or nature photography can use the hashtag #Nature.
• #ThursdayRetrospective or #TBT is a hashtag used for Thursday-only postings that reminisce over old experiences, memories, or occurrences.

 

How to use hashtags on Instagram?

Several applications for hashtags may help you maintain the organisation of your material and expand your account. Let’s go over some of the most common use for hashtags on Instagram.

• Boost post visibility

First, hashtags, as we’ve already discussed, aid in making your postings more visible. Hashtags not only help your posts appear in search results for the terms you’ve used, but they also support Instagram’s algorithm. Depending on how interested other users are in the hashtags you mention in your post, the algorithm will display your post in their feeds. Encourage user content

• Encourage user content

Utilising hashtags on Instagram is an excellent method of encouraging users to produce user-generated content (UGC) that you can post on your feeds. Put a prominent hashtag in your Instagram bio to encourage interaction from followers and make it simple for your team to locate user-generated content (UGC) images. 

• Sort Instagram posts

Another option is to utilise hashtags more internally, such as for Instagram post classification. For instance, The Closet, a clothes retailer, may use hashtags like #TheClosetDresses, #TheClosetShoes, or #TheClosetAccessories for their many product categories. 

Benefits Of Hashtags On Instagram

An important component of any Instagram marketing plan should include hashtags. They have a wide range of applications and advantages. Let’s discuss the top five advantages that hashtags can offer. 

• Increases exposure & discovery

Hashtags help more people find your content. On Instagram, clicking a hashtag shows a gallery of recent and top posts using it. This makes it easy for users to explore content on topics they care about.

If you use the right hashtags, people searching for that topic can find your posts. That means more visibility for your brand.

Branded hashtags also help. Your audience can use them to share their experiences with your product or service. This builds trust and spreads your brand message. Overall, hashtags are a smart way to boost your reach and grow your community.

• Encourages audience interactions

Utilising branded hashtags and promoting their use turns them into an additional channel for interaction. Tagged feed posts are kept for the length of the story, and tagged story posts are kept for the duration of the search results. Consider Instagram hashtags as simply one more tool for connecting with and interacting with your clientele.

• Competitor analysis

How much digital space are your competitors taking up in your market? Hashtags can help you find out. By tracking your share of voice on social media, you can see how often your brand shows up compared to others.

You and your competitors might use the same local or industry hashtags. That’s normal. But it gives you a chance to compare your reach, engagement, and audience reaction.

Ideally, your posts—and the ones customers tag you in—should appear most often in those hashtag searches. To improve your content, check posts using the same hashtags. You might find new ideas and see where your brand can do better than the competition.

• Content research

Hashtags can assist you in doing idea generation research for content, just like they would for SEO keyword research. Suppose you would like to add more content to the hashtag #NaturalSkincare. That is really challenging considering that the hashtag appears in over 9.8 million posts. Nonetheless, you may view the top postings by using the Top option on the search results page. Take inspiration from this location. What appears to be effective for comparable brands? Is there a particular caption or style that’s popular right now? Similar to secondary keywords for search engine optimisation, you may also locate less popular but equally relevant hashtags for your audience by going into top posts for more information.

• Links digital and IRL campaigns

These days, if you go shopping in any kind of retail establishment, you almost certainly will run upon a marketing effort that uses a hashtag. Hashtags provide a simple approach to link digital and offline efforts, regardless of whether they want you to use a campaign-specific hashtag or their generic brand hashtag. 

Top Hashtags You Must Use

• Brand Hashtags

Companies frequently make hashtags related to their brands or products. Coca-Cola, for instance, promotes users to use the hashtag #shareacoke when posting images of themselves sharing a bottle of their beverage. These are frequently, but not always, influencers working for Coca-Cola on a paid basis. Brand hashtags often function best when used by individuals who are already familiar with the brand. This is how to use hashtags on Instagram to gain followers. It has been discovered by brands that linking a slogan or phrase to their brand is more effective than attempting to utilise their name as the hashtag. Compared to #cocacola, #shareacoke sounds less commercial. Developing a hashtag for your business that consumers can identify with is essential. Branded hashtags are a common tool for connecting topics with your audience.

• Categories Hashtags

Though they connect to the main topic that your content falls under, these tags may be somewhat generic. You should include hashtags related to the topic, such #running, and #marathon, if you post a photo of yourself competing in the Boston Marathon, for example. This is how to use hashtags on Instagram to gain followers. In general, category hashtags don’t relate to any one brand. They are far less concentrated, and many of the individuals who look up that hashtag probably don’t know you already. Most of the time, they won’t even be aware that you exist. To optimise your reach, strike a balance between utilising a hashtag that is widely used in your industry and trending tags that may obscure your posts amidst a flurry of activity. 

• Campaign Hashtags

Campaign hashtags work like short-term brand hashtags. They can be similar to event hashtags, but they’re made just for your company. These hashtags are tied to a specific marketing campaign and usually stop being used after the campaign ends.

For example, you can create a unique hashtag for a product launch. You and your influencer partners can use it in all launch-related posts. This makes your campaign easy to find and follow.

Hashtags can help you grow on Instagram. They boost your visibility, engagement, and follower count. But avoid dumping random hashtags in your posts. That won’t help. Always use hashtags that match your content and speak to your audience.

To reach more people, mix different types of hashtags—brand, category, and campaign. This keeps your content relevant and engaging. You can also encourage users to share posts using your hashtag. This builds a strong community and adds social proof to your brand.

  Do you want to use Instagram to its most advantage for your company? Our social media marketing agency in UK specialises in developing unique plans to use hashtags wisely and increase the number of followers. We’ll help your business stand out from the crowd and establish a better connection with your target audience thanks to our in-depth knowledge of the most recent trends and algorithms.  Get in touch with us right now to improve your Instagram presence and see measurable increases in the number of followers and interactions. Follow us on Instagram.