If you post on Insta, you need a successful Instagram hashtag strategy to ensure your posts are found.
Adding the right hashtags to your Instagram posts will help you reach your target audience on the platform.
It’s straightforward to add hashtags to each post, but how do you develop a successful Instagram hashtag strategy?
Here are some tips.
1 – Use up to 30 hashtags
In our experience, more is better when adding hashtags to your Instagram post.
You can add up to 30 hashtags to each post. However, only add relevant hashtags!
There is nothing worse when browsing through Instagram posts than hashtag spam. Adding irrelevant tags to your photo looks spammy and is likely to turn off your prospective customers.
2 – Put hashtags in the comments!
We encourage our clients to add their hashtags in the comments section, so the Instagram caption is kept clean and simple.
This approach of adding hashtags in the comments works best if you add them in the first comment, so have your list of hashtags ready to paste as soon as you press post!
There’s one exception to this rule; if you use a viral hashtag, you will need to add this in the caption, as your post will become quickly hidden in the hashtag feed within minutes.
3 – Use three types of hashtags
When deciding on the right hashtags to add to your Instagram post, we are fans of choosing from three broad categories.
Your first hashtag category relates to the topic of your post. For example, if you’re posting about gin, come up with a list of hashtags related to gin, alcoholic drinks and enjoying a drink with friends.
The second hashtag category is your location. Add hashtags for the location of your business – your village or town, county and any other locales such as national parks.
Third and final hashtag category is your branded hashtags.
The goal here is to come up with a handful of hashtags that relate specifically to your business or brand. There is nothing to stop other companies from using these, but the ultimate goal is for your customers to add them to their Instagram posts about your business.
4 – Do your research
When coming up with your list of hashtags, there are plenty of ways to generate ideas.
Start by looking back at your most popular posts on Instagram and find any commonly used hashtags across these posts.
You can also look at popular Instagram posts from your competitors to find ideas.
If you get stuck for hashtag ideas, search for one hashtag on Instagram. Look at the top posts in this hashtag feed, and there will be inspiration galore!
You can also use hashtag generator tools to aid your search. We like all-hashtag.com
5 – Keep your hashtags to hand!
You are likely to use some of the same hashtags regularly, especially those related to your location and any branded hashtags.
Keep a list of these regularly used Instagram hashtags!
We like keeping hashtags in the notes apps on our phones to easily copy and paste them into the comments of a fresh post.
Would you like a free download PDF checklist for handy reference? Click on the image below!
