Instagram is one of, if not the most, popular social media platforms worldwide. With over one billion users, Instagram seems like it would be the ideal place to gain a large following, however it is not so easy. Everyone wants to have as many followers as they can in order to have their content seen by as many people as possible, but gaining a substantial amount of followers is not easy. Whilst gaining followers is not as easy task, it is not impossible and there are ways to help your account grow. One of the easiest ways to get your account more visibility is to make use of hashtags. If you are new to Instagram, you might not know how beneficial hashtags are or how to use them effectively. Here is a short guide on how to use hashtags to increase your Instagram following.
What are Hashtags?
Hashtags are essentially a way to make your posts searchable. The hashtag is a hash or pound sign (#) followed by a keyword that relates to your content. The hashtag started on Twitter by a man by the name of Chris Messina. He used the hash sign with his friends when coding/ programming and brought the idea to twitter. Since then, the hashtag has become one of the most prominent features of all social media today, and many services such as TaskAnt, which makes finding the best hashtags to use really easy, it has become even more popular. Hashtags allow your post to be searchable and more discoverable, get more views and be shown to a much more targeted audience. When using hashtags, you need to ensure that you only use tags that are relevant to your page and your content, otherwise your posts will be shown to people other than your target audience which does not help grow your account.
What are the Benefits of Hashtags?
There are many benefits to using hashtags. One of the most valued benefits is that it helps you gain followers. When you post with hashtags you gain many more followers than when you post without them. Hashtags are vital not only to the growth of your Instagram following, but also to the growth of your relevant followers. Hashtags allow your posts to be shown to people who are specifically looking for content like yours. When you use a relevant hashtag, you will reach your target audience and therefore gain relevant followers who are much more likely to interact and engage with your content. Hashtags are one of the most valued features on any social media platform and are absolutely essential for the growth and success of any Instagram account.
Easier to Find Content
When using hashtags, your content becomes much easier to find. A hashtag essentially makes your post searchable for users. If someone were to search a hashtag that you used, it becomes much more likely that your posts will be seen by that user, and much more likely that you will be able to grow your Instagram followers. Another popular and clever option is to make your own hashtag that is specific to your account. This allows people to post under your hashtag and for you to have a hashtag that is account specific and therefore a great place to have all of your posts in one place besides on your Instagram profile. When using hashtags, because your content is easier to find, you following is likely to increase much more and therefore sales are also much more likely to increase. There is a domino effect that comes along with the use of hashtags which is very beneficial to any business.
Trends, Target Audience and Competitors
Instagram is a great tool to find out what is trending and how to incorporate that into your own brand. By looking at the trending hashtags, you see what people are looking up and that allows you to post under similar hashtags which will ensure that people will see your content. Besides getting a bigger reach from trending hashtags, you can also reach a more targeted audience, which is important for follower engagement. By using audience specific hashtags, you can also see what your competitors are doing to gain followers and keep an eye out for new marketing strategies.