It’s no secret hashtags are a great way to help share your photos with a wider audience on Instagram! Instagram hashtags also make it easier to search for content and track conversation about our products and brand as a business owner. When I started to get strategic about the hashtags I used, I saw an increase in followers and engagement that eventually turned into clients. Before we jump into finding the perfect hashtags for your business, let’s start with some dos and don’ts.

Dos and Don’ts:

DO promote in marketing materials: Integrate them into your campaigns. This will only happen if you include them in print ads, brochures, and any other marketing materials you may be using.
DON’T #hashtag #every #word. You catch my drift?
DO engage with the community: Social media is all about conversation, not promotion. Hashtags help encourage users to have a conversation with you as a business and you to have a conversation with them as a customer.
DON’T use the “&” symbol. This breaks your hashtag.
DO research your hashtags! You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram. You want to get your picture seen and noticed in the feed. Use hashtags that fit best with your overall goals. So if you’re a wedding photographer and your goal is to get more clients in your area, you might use your location and photographer: #IndianapolisPhotographer.

The key to using hashtags effectively is making sure they are always relevant to the image you’re posting. Use unique and niche hashtags instead of generic.

How to find Hashtags on Instagram:

1. Make a list of starter hashtags: Make a list of hashtags you already know you want to use.
2. Use the in app search function: Use the hashtags you made a list of, and search them! Instagram will show you a list of each hashtag containing that word along with how many times it has been used. It’s easy to get an idea of how popular a hashtag is before you use it.
3. Check out the related hashtags: Type in a hashtag you’re interested in using. Once you open the feed you’ll see related hashtags – be sure to check these out too! It’s a great way to see what else is out there that you probably haven’t thought of.
4. Try using specific or niche tags as well as popular ones: Don’t always pick the popular ones! Sometimes those are too busy and your pictures won’t be seen. You want to use hashtags that will keep your post on the top for as long as possible. Have a look at the feed and see what the images tagged look like. If it doesn’t look like something you would want to browse, chances are no one else is looking either. The smaller and more niche hashtags will increase your visibility within that feed.
5. Bonus Tip: Divide your content into categories and build a list for each category. I love the app PLANN as a way to save my hashtag sets and quickly copy them.

So after you’ve done your research your work is only half done. There are three more things to keep in mind when deciding if it’s a good fit for you.

1. The frequency – how popular is the hashtag? Like I said above, the most popular hashtags are almost impossible for small/medium sized businesses to use effectively – simply because they are used in such a high volume.
2. The Relevancy – does your content fit in? Would you want to see it? Before committing to a hashtag , search and scroll. Make sure your content fits in and looks like it belongs. If not – it’s probably not a good fit.
3. The Spam – has it been filled with garbage? Not throwing shade (okay, maybe a little) but ‘marketers’ have ruined some popular hashtags. If it’s filled with what appears to be spam, cross it off your lost. You don’t want spam comments and spam followers. It’s not worth it.

Instagram hashtags are a great way to join the conversation and get noticed!

Have questions or thoughts? Send me a message on Instagram! I’d love to chat!

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