Five Minute Marketing: How to Use Hashtags on Social Media
Oh, hashtags. Such a big, beautiful, and confusing topic that provides frustration for every business owner and entrepreneur. While opinions differ on the best hashtag strategy for Instagram and social media in general, there are a few rules that can help inform exactly what you do and why. Here is what I’ve learned through years of marketing about how hashtags can help - and hurt - your social media presence.
1) There is a limit to hashtags on Instagram.
Right now, you can use no more than 30 per post. Creator Studio will tell you exactly how many you are using, but if you are writing the caption yourself or using another scheduling service, you will have to manually count them or your post/comment will be rejected.
2) Not every hashtag is useful.
There are a ton of VERY popular hashtags that a lot of people use. Read that sentence again, and tell me if it makes sense to always use the most common hashtags. When a hashtag is used thousands of times per day, it’s likely your post will get lost in the mix, and won’t be helpful at all. In addition, if you are using hashtags that your ideal customer will never search for, the people who see your post won’t be the right people - potential new customers. Don’t use a hashtag just to get likes, or just because it’s popular.
3) Business hashtags can be awesome.
I’m referring to hashtags that are specific for your business, and should appear directly after the caption you write. For instance, I use #mariagracebts to show what life and business looks like behind the scenes and give potential customers a view into my world - and a way to hook them in. Yours could be as simple as your business name to start with, or you could branch into different hashtags depending on what your post is about.
4) My best posts have (almost) nothing to do with hashtags.
No, I’m not in favor of ditching hashtags, but good hashtags can’t compensate for bad content. Additionally, Instagram has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence that can actually scan your picture - so forget using hashtags that have nothing to do with your post just to get more visibility! Spend your time creating killer content, interact with your audience, and use good hashtags as an add-on rather than relying solely on them to create engagement. The long-term benefits will extend far beyond social media!