How to Get More Reach With Instagram Hashtags in 2021

Get More Reach With Instagram Hashtags

Table Of Contents

Instagram hashtags have the potential to make or ruin your Instagram marketing strategy. When you use them smartly, your postings will be noticed by more individuals who are likely to be interested in your items or business. An Instagram post with at least one hashtag receives 12.6 % higher engagement than one without. If you want to grow your account, it's well worth developing a hashtag strategy for your brand.

However, if you use the incorrect one, you might do harm, ranging from upsetting potential followers to being penalized by Instagram's algorithm.

To properly use hashtags on Instagram, you must first understand how they work and then design a strategy.

This in-depth guide on Instagram hashtags will teach you everything you need to know about using hashtags to enhance engagement, attract more followers, and build a community around your company.

What are Instagram hashtags?

A hashtag is a grouping of letters, numbers, and/or emoji followed by the # symbol. They're used to organizing stuff and making it easier to find.

Hashtags can be clicked on. Anyone who searches for an Instagram hashtag or clicks on one will be taken to a page with all of the posts tagged with that hashtag.

The Importance Of Instagram Hashtags

Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has seen many changes, but one constant has remained: the importance of Instagram hashtags.

Instagram marketing companies in Dubai and around the world believe that using relevant, targeted hashtags on your Instagram posts and stories is still one of the finest strategies to reach new audiences in 2021. As a result, your company's engagement, followers, and consumers may increase.

Instagram hashtags help you organize and categorize your photos and videos.

If you have a public Instagram account and include a hashtag in a post, it will appear on the hashtag page for that hashtag. It's simply a group of all the photographs and videos tagged with that hashtag.

The ideal hashtags can place you in front of your target audience, even if they haven't connected with you previously, because hashtags are used with the intent of discovering content.

When a food blogger posts a picture of a delicious smoothie bowl to Instagram, they could use the hashtags #superfoods, #cleaneating, and #vegansofig.

The photograph is cataloged by utilizing these three hashtags, making it easy for other Instagram users who appreciate healthy foods to find it.

Here are a few things to remember:

  • Hashtags can only be added to your posts. You cannot add tags to other people's pictures or videos.
  • When people with private profiles tag posts, they will not show up on hashtag pages because they are private.
  • In hashtags, numbers are allowed. Spaces and special characters, such as $ or %, will not work.

2021's Top Instagram Hashtags

While leveraging the most popular hashtags to generate engagement on your posts and stories isn't always the greatest strategy, it can assist.

The most popular Instagram hashtags in 2021 are as follows:

  • #love (1.835B)
  • #instagood (1.150B)
  • #fashion (812.7M)
  • #photooftheday (797.3M)
  • #beautiful (661.0M)
  • #art (649.9M)
  • #photography (583.1M)
  • #happy (578.8M)
  • #picoftheday (570.8M)
  • #cute (569.1M)
  • #follow (560.9M)
  • #tbt (536.4M)
  • #followme (528.5M)
  • #nature525.7M
  • #like4like515.6M

A huge number of posts may imply that many people use that hashtag, but it also indicates that there is a lot of content on it, and your postings may get lost in the shuffle. Instagram recommends combining popular and specialty hashtags to reach a variety of audiences, ranging from wide to targeted.

Types of popular Instagram hashtags

Instagram categorizes hashtags into nine categories:

  • Hashtags for your product or service: These are simple keywords that describe your product or service, such as #handbag or #divebar.
  • Hashtags that are focused on a specific topic: These are a little more specialized, such as #travelblogger or #foodblogger, and indicate your position in the business.
  • Industry hashtags used by the Instagram community: Instagram has communities, and these hashtags might help you identify and join them. Consider the hashtags #gardenersofinstagram and #craftersofinstagram.
  • Special event or seasonal hashtags: These can be used to refer to actual holidays or seasons, such as #summerdays, or they can be used to refer to all those National [Thing] Day holidays, such as #nationalicecreamday or #nationalnailpolishday.
  • Hashtags for locations: Even if you geotag your Instagram photo, including a hashtag that refers to your place, such as #vancouvercraftbeer or #londoneats, can be useful.
  • Daily hashtags: From #MondayBlues to #SundayFunday, there are hashtags for every day of the week.
  • Relevant phrase hashtags: These hashtags combine features of product hashtags, specialized hashtags, and community hashtags. They're words like #amwriting or #shewhowanders that individuals use on Instagram to interact with existing networks in a little insider way.
  • Hashtags (acronyms): Throwback Thursday is maybe the most well-known acronym hashtag. #OOTD stands for outfit of the day, #FBF stands for flashback Friday, and #YOLO stands for you only live once.
  • Emoji hashtags: These can be emojis on their own or words or phrases that include emojis
  • Branded hashtags are another amazing Instagram option for businesses.

How many hashtags should you use on Instagram?

A typical post can contain up to 30 hashtags, however, a story can only have ten. Your remark or caption will not post if you try to include more.

However, just because you can use so many hashtags on Instagram doesn't mean you should. For each business or even each post by the same firm, there is no "correct" quantity of hashtags.

The general agreement is that 11 hashtags are a decent place to start. However, the most common hashtag count on Instagram is between one and three.

You'll need to do some study to figure out what works best for your firm.

How to Hide Instagram Hashtags?

You might not want to end your Instagram post with a large collection of hashtags if you've spent time composing a nice caption. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you may do to hide your hashtags.

How to hide Instagram hashtags in the Comment

  • Write your caption normally but leave out the hashtags.
  • To leave a comment after your post has been published, simply click the speech bubble symbol beneath it.
  • In the comment box, type or paste the hashtags you want to use, then press Post.
  • Your hashtags will not be visible on mobile unless the user taps View all comments. On desktop, though, your comment will remain at the top, thus this trick is more effective if you're targeting a mobile audience.

How to hide Instagram hashtags in the caption:

  • Tap Return or Enter at the bottom of your caption. Tap 123 to bring up the Return or Enter button if it isn't visible.
  • Return, then enter a punctuation mark (try a period, bullet, or dash).
  • At least three times over, repeat steps
  • Instagram disables captions after three lines, so unless your followers touch... more, your hashtags will be hidden. Even then, your hashtags will be visually separated from your caption so that they don't compete with your material.

How to Hide Instagram Stories Captions:

  • Squeeze and shrink your hashtags to make them as little as feasible is one way. You may also alter the background of the hashtag sticker from white to semi-transparent by pressing it.
  • If you want to completely hide your hashtags, use an emoji, sticker, or GIF to cover them up.

How to find Instagram's most popular hashtags?

Unlike Twitter, Instagram does not give a list of trending hashtags. When you search for a hashtag on Instagram, though, you can see how many posts contain that hashtag. There's also a list of additional popular Instagram hashtags with similar terms, as well as post counts.

On a desktop computer, type the hashtag, including the # symbol, into the search box. Enter your search word in the search box on your mobile device, then tap Tags.

If you keep an eye on your Instagram feed, you'll be able to spot trendy hashtags as they appear. But don't be too fast to jump on a trend. Only use a trending hashtag if it makes sense for your company and the content of your article.

How Do You Find the Best Instagram Hashtags?

Instagram hashtags, when utilized appropriately, can help you expand your reach, increase interaction, and attract new followers.

However, you must be selective about which hashtags you use and when you use them to be effective with hashtags

While the most popular hashtags on Instagram have been used millions of times, adding #love, #happy, or #dog to your posts won't guarantee you a lot of likes and comments.

Instead of using the most popular Instagram hashtags, look for and use hashtags that are smaller more niche, and have a relevant audience. So, where do you look for these fun, creative, and community-focused hashtags?

The best strategy is to check what hashtags your audience, rivals, and industry leaders are already using on Instagram.

Let's imagine you're sharing a photograph of a French Bulldog. You may utilize #pupsofinsta and #frenchiegram instead of #dogstagram (which has over 95 million posts) to attract a more focused demographic of French Bulldog aficionados. This is the most effective approach to increase targeted engagement on your posts.

Here are four methods for locating the finest Instagram hashtags for your profile:

1. Look into the competition

While you don't want to copy your competitors' tactics exactly, looking at the hashtags they use can provide you some insight into what's working for others in your market.

Maybe you'll find a few more hashtags to add to your collection. Alternatively, if you don't want to compete for the same audience, you might look for alternative hashtags to use.

2. Hashtags of Target Audience

After all, if your target demographic is already using a hashtag, it's likely that others who are similar to them are as well. Finding existing Instagram groups is a terrific method to broaden your audience and connect with people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service.

Keep a watch on your most devoted fans to see what hashtags they use. The search feature on Instagram might help you learn more about which hashtags your followers are interested in. When you search for a hashtag on Instagram, the tool will tell you whether someone you follow also uses that hashtag.

3. Use the Related Hashtags Feature

On any hashtag page, directly above the "Top" and "Recent" tabs, you'll notice a list of related hashtags that you may scroll through by swiping left.

This is a terrific approach to uncover hashtags that are a little more niche than the major keyword-based hashtags you were looking for. As a result, you'll reach a better-targeted audience with less content to contend with. These hashtags can be useful for Instagram brands looking to connect with enthusiastic communities.

4. Make a branded hashtag

The ideal hashtag for your brand may be one you develop yourself. A branded hashtag, simply described, is a tag that you create to promote your brand or campaign.

Include your hashtag in your Instagram bio and highlight it in your captions and Instagram Stories to let your followers know about it. You could also hold a contest with a branded hashtag to raise awareness of the hashtag and collect user-generated content.

Make sure to track how your branded hashtag is being used, both within the Instagram app and through a stream in your social media dashboard. Look for ways to repurpose good material or connect with influential individuals of your audience.

Simply tap a hashtag on Instagram, then tap the blue Follow icon on the hashtag page to follow it.

Facts About Instagram Hashtags

Get Most Out of Your Instagram Hashtags?

Instagram hashtags can be a great method to increase your following and interaction, but the best practices are always evolving.

A good Instagram hashtag strategy not only reaches more people but also reaches the ideal individuals for your company. Here are some Instagram hashtag optimization ideas to help you reach your target market and increase engagement:

1. Check Your Instagram Hashtag Analytics

You'll have access to post analytics if you've moved to an Instagram business profile, which shows you how many hashtag impressions you've received.

Select the post for which you want data and tap View Insights on the left.

Swipe up to get all of the data for the post, including the number of hashtag impressions. This information assists you in determining which hashtags are most successful in increasing reach.

2. Top of Hashtag's search results

If you've ever used Instagram to search for a hashtag, you've noticed that "Top Posts" appears at the top of the results page.

Getting your post to the top of a hashtag's most popular posts is a terrific method to get new followers. It can have a large network effect, similar to being featured on the Explore Page, and make your post viral on Instagram.

According to our experience, the two most important elements in determining whether a post is included in the top posts for a hashtag are the amount of involvement it receives and how soon it receives that engagement.

Top postings usually reach the top within the first 24 hours of being published, so you'll want to get those likes and comments in as soon as possible. If you can get a lot of engagement on your Instagram post right after it goes live, Instagram will recognize it as high-quality, engaging material.

3. Incorporate your branded hashtag into your Instagram bio

You can now add clickable hashtags (and usernames) to your Instagram bio like prismsocial, according to a recent upgrade, making it a lot easier to create an Instagram bio that translates to website visits!

What's fantastic about this feature is that it expands the functionality of your bio by allowing you to use hashtags for everything from advertising your Instagram community to highlighting your branded content and announcing your Instagram campaigns.

Simply said, if you put a "#" before any word in your bio, it will turn into a clickable link that directs visitors to that hashtag.

4. Place your hashtags In the first comment

While using hashtags in your posts is one of the most effective ways to increase interaction and get your content in front of your target audience, using too many hashtags in your captions can make your captions look messy (or worse, spammy!).

Instead, putting your hashtags in the first remark is a terrific way to make your caption the star of the show while still getting the interaction that hashtags may provide.

5. Embedding Hashtags in Instagram Stories

Adding hashtags to your story is a wonderful method to increase the chances of your content being discovered by new people.

If a hashtag is popular enough on Instagram, visitors will be able to see a collection of tagged stories on the search results page, including yours!

Up to ten hashtags, including one clickable hashtag sticker, can be used in an Instagram story.

If you are concerned about how hashtags will affect your carefully constructed aesthetic, there are a few hashtag hacks that will allow them to blend in with your post or be completely hidden.

You can shrink text-based hashtags (simply 'pinch' the text) and bury them inside a GIF or sticker, for example.

Make sure your hashtag text isn't too small; if it's too little, Instagram won't recognize it, and your post isn't likely to show up in hashtag searches.

6. Encourage Followers to Use Branded Hashtag

Instagram added the option to "follow" hashtags in a major upgrade in 2018, which means you can now remain up to date on a variety of topics by following a hashtag relating to your interests.

Following a hashtag is similar to following a user's profile on Twitter. Simply open the hashtag page and hit the follow button when you locate a hashtag you'd want to follow.

This provides a fantastic opportunity for brands and businesses to appear in a follower's feed frequently. If you have a branded hashtag for your business, for example, you may invite your followers to follow it as well.

This implies your content may appear twice in a follower's feed: once when they follow your profile and again when they follow the hashtag. It increases your chances of getting engaged by double!

7. Run Hashtag-Based Promotions and Campaigns

User-generated content (UGC) contests are all the rage, and for good reason: they're entertaining, popular, and a wonderful way to increase engagement and attract a new audience.

Encourage your audience to tag relevant information with a branded hashtag – it's like a file system that everyone in your community can use to help you collect user-generated content.

8. Stay Away from Banned Hashtags

Last but not least, refrain from utilizing prohibited hashtags in your Instagram postings.

Instagram has reported and "blocked" banned hashtags for violating community guidelines, rendering them utterly useless for brand visibility.

Furthermore, even seemingly benign hashtags like #humpday and #elevator are on the forbidden list, so it's worth double-checking your tags!

Conclusion

Strategically using Instagram hashtags is a terrific method to engage with customers, locate content made about you by your followers, and form long-term partnerships with influential partners!

Are you ready to start implementing your Instagram marketing strategy? Prism Digital, the best Instagram marketing agency is here to help you plan, organize, and execute Instagram campaigns that can potentially yield amazing returns for your business.

Lovetto Nazareth

About The Author: Lovetto Nazareth

Lovetto Nazareth is a digital marketing consultant and agency owner of Prism Digital. He has been in the advertising and digital marketing business for the last 2 decades and has managed thousands of campaigns and generated millions of dollars of new leads. He is an avid adventure sports enthusiast and a singer-songwriter. Follow him on social media on @Lovetto Nazareth

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