How to use #hashtags on Instagram

Hashtags and Instagram go together like bread and butter. Instagram started using hashtags in 2011 so that its users could organise and find posts around events, places, or topics. 

 

Why use #hashtags?

 

If you are a business or brand looking to get noticed on Instagram, you need to be using #hashtags. They can make or break an Instagram strategy and they are a FREE way to expand the reach of your posts. 

 

Without #hashtags, you will reach some of your followers, with #hashtags you will reach some of your followers and new people. The new people will see your posts, have the opportunity to like and comment and they may decide to become a new follower.

 

How Many #hashtags should you use?

 

You can use up to 30 #hashtags on a post and up to 10 #hashtags on a story. How many is a contentious subject although everyone will agree that none is not an option. Instagram recommends creators use between 3 - 5 #hashtags however research shows that the reach of a post increases as the number of #hashtags increase up to a maximum of around 20. The general consensus is around 11. We are assuming here that the #hashtags used are relevant to the brand or business.

 

Types of #hashtags to use

 

To demonstrate the types of hashtags I have used Corfu Sea School for the examples…

• Your location 

  If your brand or business is associated with a specific city, community or country then you will want to include at least one location #hashtag. For example if you are a sailing school in Corfu you might use #Corfu #Gouviamarina and #Greece

• Your Brand

  Make sure to always tag your brand. For example #CorfuSailingSchool #Corfusailing #sailcorfu

• Your products or services

  What are you offering. For example #learntosail #competentcrew #dayskipper #sailing #RYA

• Community #hashtags 

  Communities exist on Instagram. For example #sailorsofinstagram #sailinginstagram #instasailing

• Niche #hashtags 

  These are more specific to your industry. For example #sailing #yachtclub #marina #yachting #sailingadventures #adventuresailing

• Special Events and days

  National days and holidays that are relative to your business. For example #worldoceanday #DolphinDay #ChristmasDay #traveltuesday #throwbackthursday

• Descriptive 

  #hashtags that relate to the content of your actual post. For example if your post read ‘When you join us in Corfu you are not just gaining an RYA qualification, you are having a fun sailing adventure in the sun making new friends, travelling to new places, and enjoying the local culinary delights then you might want to use for example #RYAcourses #sailingadventure #funinthesun #travel #corfufood #newfriends

 

Where to put the hashtags?

 

Hashtags can look annoying to your followers when they are scrolling through their feed, therefore, it is best to hide the #hashtags and for this, you have a couple of options…

 

1. Publish the post without any #hashtags then once published go into the post and add the #hashtags to the comments
2. After you have written the post, tap return and put a punctuation mark in the next line, repeat this at least 4 times. Three lines of punctuation marks will show but the #hashtags will be hidden.

 

If you would like more information or a FREE review of your social media channels with tips on improving your digital footprint then please do not hesitate to drop me a line at heidi@spcmarinemarketing.com