There has been widespread use of hashtags for over a decade. And one thing about hashtags that hasn’t changed, even with the popularity of Instagram reels, stories, and IGTV, is how much they contribute to profile visibility.
Is there a way to make a hashtag that will be searchable while also making your photo appear among the many that use the same hashtag? How can I utilise hashtags to attract engaged followers rather than accidental bystanders?
Use hashtags to connect with your target audience rather than to promote your brand.
Your content’s reachability at the right time is crucial if you want to use hashtags to locate the right customers for your business. To put it another way, hashtags are for the benefit of your followers, not your brand. Take, for example, the case of a business that wants to advertise its posh suite using the hashtag #XYZdeluxevilla and a couple who wants to use the same hashtag to get a #weekendgetaway. If a couple were looking for a weekend trip, they would likely seek for one of the following hashtags:
The same holds true for several different situations, some of which you may encounter frequently yourself. As you can see, the hashtags on the left are more indicative of what individuals would type into a search bar without thinking. Neither would someone looking for a café know the name of a certain dish off the top of their head, just as someone shopping for a date night attire wouldn’t know the name of a specific frock. Brand-specific hashtags (like #rezaeveningdress) and generic ones (like #awesomehomelivinginspirations) tend to provide fewer results than more general ones. Understanding your target demographic is essential.
Don’t stick to just one hashtag or hashtag set.
Instagram users may include up to 30 hashtags in a single post, which is plenty of room to combine trending and niche hashtags. Twenty-five to twenty-seven carefully chosen hashtags should do the trick. For those interested, here is a recipe that has been successful for us:
- Three to five trending hashtags (between 100,000 to 500,000)
3–5 moderately trending hashtags (between 80,000 to 100,000) - Three to five hashtags that are unique to your specialty (market, service, or industry).
- Use no more than two unique branding hashtags (specific to your business)
When using a trending hashtag, your post will be up against content from accounts that have received thousands of likes, views, and comments. Within a few of hours, larger accounts are more than likely to bury the material of smaller ones. But, if you choose hashtags that are just mildly popular, your material will remain on the explore page for several days.
It may take more time for material using niche-specific hashtags to convert random viewers into followers, but once you have them, they’re more likely to become paying customers. If you aren’t getting married, you probably won’t look up local wedding photographers. For the same reason, a branded hashtag may be useful, especially when your friends and clients promote your material on their personal page. Brand recognition is enhanced, and new customers are attracted, when your content is shared regularly.
Harmonize your hashtags with your posts.
Hashtags are interchangeable and generally useful, although they aren’t universally applicable. Even if the image appears at the top of the search results page because of the hashtags, the user is less likely to click on it if it isn’t relevant to his search.
You can see if your content blends in with the rest of the search results or not. A selfie taken in front of the mirror would seem especially out of place among photos of delicious-looking food and interesting locations. If the caption isn’t intriguing enough, people won’t bother clicking on the image.
Wedding hashtags, photography hashtags, fashion hashtags, and any other hashtags you may require may all be found with a quick Google search. Take a peek at social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest to see how other users are utilising hashtags and see if any of those work for your own postings.
We recognise the effort that goes into research, development, and production of content. A never-ending cycle of planning, shooting, editing, planning, captioning, and uploading. Confetto, fortunately, can ease some of that pressure. It’s all you need to organise, layout, and release content for your social media accounts.
