It's time to revamp your hashtag strategy.
The short answer – no, they’re not dead. But the way we’ve been using them may be.
The use of hashtags has evolved since Chris Messina posted the first one on Twitter in 2007 with the idea of creating an ‘inner circle’ of users who he wanted to have a conversation with about #BarCamp.
If your hashtag strategy hasn’t changed since then, it’s time to consider what you’re #posting.
Here is everything you need to know to up your hashtag strategy.
do hashtags impact a post's reach?
According to Head of Instagram, Adam Masseri, “not really.”
Your content itself, and how others interact with it, will effect distribution more than hashtags.
Let us break it down for you.
Think of a post as having to pass engagement checkpoints before it gets distributed to more people. If your post is performing well with your followers, Instagram will use the hashtags like a label in a filing system. The hashtags provide Instagram with context about your post so it can deliver your content to related audiences. The more engagement your post receives, the more it will continue to be distributed to related audiences.
However, if you use irrelevant hashtags and your post is pushed to audiences who do not relate with your content, it will decrease the chances of engagement and therefore additional reach.
The main takeaway? Create quality content and use hashtags relevant to your industry.
what hashtags should I use?
Use a mix of niche and well-known hashtags that are relevant to your industry.
If you’re only using only well-known hashtags it will be more likely you’ll get lost in the mix.
Use only hashtags that are relevant to your post.
Using an irrelevant hashtag may result in your post being promoted outside of your niche and decrease your chance of engagement.
How many hashtags should you use?
The number of hashtags you use does not impact how your post performs. It is only the quality and relevance of the hashtags you use that matters.
A good practice is not to add more hashtags just because you have a limit of 30 on your post. Experiment with different hashtags and quantities to find your sweet spot.
Should you add hashtags to your caption or comments?
Instagram has confirmed it does not make a difference in the algorithm whether you include your hashtags in your caption or the comments.
Later Media suggests adding hashtags to your comments for a cleaner look, however they’ve also been adding their own hashtags to their captions recently.
So, what’s the right way? There isn’t one!
Where you include yours is strictly for aesthetic reasons. Style is not a one-size-fits-all, so play around to decide what works best for your brand.
key takeaways:
- GOAL = always create quality content!
- Hashtags are a tool to help Instagram categorize your content.
- Use a mix of niche and well-known hashtags.
Tag us in your next post so we can check out your hashtag game, and follow us on Instagram @SamuraiMediaOfficial for more tips and tricks on all things social.
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