The hashtag conversation...
Hashtags should always be used, no question. From the biggest brands to those just starting out, even just one hashtag is going to benefit you for:
- Reach
- Location mapping
- Search
You may not be seeing any increase in reach from the hashtags you're using for a number of reasons:
- They’re not relevant to you
- They're too large
- You’re not using enough
- You haven’t changed your hashtags in weeks
- They're shadow banned
Use all 30 hashtags, not using all 30 will take away a lot of opportunities to reach a lot more people. Also, it'll bring lots of fresh eyes and engagement to your post.
Set your profile to public, so that if people search for a specific hashtag that you've included on your post, it means they will be able to see your profile.
A question I hear a lot is:
Shall I use hashtags in my caption or in the comments?
Hashtags in caption = more IG profile views (and potentially followers)
Hashtags in the comment section = more comments/engagement with your post.
My advice?
DO BOTH - Choose 3 or 4 for the caption that really resonates with the post, then put the rest in the comments section.
How to find the best hashtags for your post:
- Head to the Search Tags section, type in a few words that relate to your content, then choose from the hashtags that drop down.
- Choose around 2 or 3 hashtags with lots of posts (500k+) These have too many posts for yours to be seen easily BUT worth a try (keep them below 1mil)!
- Choose 5-10 hashtags with the post in the 250k-500k region. These still have a lot of posts, but not as many and could be a good place for your content to sit and be seen.
- Choose 10-15 specific hashtags with less than 100k posts. These should really fit your niche and will give you the best results!
- Don't use any more than 30 hashtags on one post, but use ALL 30.
- Don't use any 'fraudulent' hashtags (example: #like4like #follow4follow) as IG picks up on these and can block you.
TIP: Download Hashtag Expert App, it will give you trending hashtag groups for your niche!
Retyping the same hashtags on every post can be tedious. The best way to use your hashtags is to have a few different hashtag sets saved in your notes. E.g. if one of your posts is about your morning routine, have 30 hashtags saved in your notes that relate to lifestyle, healthy habits etc. If your next post is about the service you offer, use hashtags related to that. Keep a few different hashtag groups saved and it'll make it a lot easier for when you post!
It's a good idea to mix them up as much as possible on every post, & review all your hashtags every month to see what else might be trending.
If you need help building your hashtags sets for your posts so that you start seeing results from them, get in touch with our team who can put a pack together for you: lucia@thesocialgirl.agency
