Are you leveraging the power of hashtags on Instagram to their full potential? If you want to get more likes and grow your following, understanding the intricacies of hashtags is absolutely essential.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into everything you need to know about using hashtags for maximum engagement on Instagram in 2024. As a social media expert and tech geek, I‘ll share all the latest strategies, tools, and insights you need to master the hashtag game.
First, let‘s look at just how important hashtags are if you want to boost your likes on Instagram. The numbers speak for themselves:
Posts with at least one hashtag have 12.6% more engagement than those with no hashtags. (Source)
Using 9 hashtags is the optimal number for engagement. Posts with 9 hashtags get an average of 49.1% more interactions compared to those with only 1 hashtag. (Source)
70% of the most used hashtags are branded hashtags created by businesses. (Source)
Clearly, neglecting hashtags means leaving a lot of potential likes and engagement on the table. But it‘s not just about slapping any old hashtags onto your posts. You need to be strategic and use the right tags to see results.
One of the most common questions is how many hashtags to include per post. Instagram allows a maximum of 30, but that doesn‘t mean you should necessarily use that many.
Most experts agree that around 11 hashtags is a good number to aim for. Posts with 11 or more hashtags get nearly 80% more interactions compared to those with 10 or fewer. (Source)
However, overloading on hashtags can look spammy and may even flag your account as suspicious to Instagram‘s algorithm. Aim for a diverse mix of popular and niche hashtags that are highly relevant to your post and brand.
In terms of placement, you can include hashtags either directly in your post caption or in the first comment immediately after posting. Instagram treats these the same for search and exposure purposes.
Many brands opt to keep hashtags out of the caption itself to avoid distracting from their content or looking too promotional. Aesthetically, putting hashtags in the first comment can make for a cleaner, more streamlined caption.
However, the risk of putting them in a comment is that if you wait too long, your comment with the hashtags may get buried as other people comment on your post.
There‘s no definitively "right" answer – it depends on your brand‘s style and preference. Whichever you choose, just be consistent across all posts.
Hashtag Research Tools & Strategies to Find the Best Tags
Now let‘s get into the nitty gritty of actually finding the best hashtags for your niche and content. Here are the top strategies and tools I recommend:
Use Instagram‘s native "Related Hashtags" feature
When you search for a hashtag in the Instagram app, you‘ll see related hashtags that you can explore and potentially use. This is a quick way to find relevant tags.Check out what your competitors and influencers in your niche are using
Analyze the top-performing posts from accounts similar to yours and make note of common hashtags they use. They‘ve likely already done the research legwork for you.Use third-party hashtag research tools
There are a number of great tools available to help you find and analyze effective hashtags:
- Hashtagify: Provides hashtag popularity, trends, and related hashtags. Offers free and paid plans.
- RiteTag: Instant hashtag suggestions for images and texts. Paid plans available.
- All Hashtag: Free hashtag generator and analytics tool.
- Sistrix: Hashtag research and tracking platform. Paid plans available.
Using these tools, you can search for a seed hashtag relevant to your content and discover related tags, popularity metrics, and usage patterns to inform your choices.
- Identify a mix of broad and niche-specific hashtags
It‘s important to use a combination of hashtags at varying levels of popularity. Broad, popular hashtags (like #instagood or #photooftheday) have massive reach but are also highly competitive.
Niche-specific hashtags (like #nikon📷 or #aerialsilks) have smaller, more targeted audiences but give you a greater chance of getting seen and attracting people truly passionate about your content. Aim for 3-5 popular hashtags and 5-8 highly specific ones per post.
- Create a branded hashtag for your business
Branded hashtags are a powerful way to build community, encourage user-generated content, and boost your brand‘s recognizability on Instagram. Examples of successful branded hashtags include:
- Coca Cola: #ShareACoke
- GoPro: #GoProHero10
- Nike: #JustDoIt
- Lululemon: #TheSweatLife
Promote your branded hashtag in your profile and posts, and re-share top content from your fans to incentivize them to use it.
Wondering what the top hashtags for likes are this year? Here are some of the most popular and effective hashtags across key categories:
Photography
Travel
Food
Fitness
Fashion
Art
Music
This is just a small sampling of effective hashtags in popular categories. Remember, the key is to choose tags that are specifically relevant to your content and audience.
Instagram Hashtag Updates & Changes in 2024
It‘s important to stay on top of any updates or algorithm changes Instagram makes that may impact hashtag best practices. Here‘s what we know going into 2023:
Instagram recently enabled the ability to follow hashtags, in addition to user accounts. This means using targeted hashtags can now directly grow your followers, not just your likes. (Source)
Instagram is cracking down on the use of repetitive, spammy, or banned hashtags. Avoid gimmicky hashtags like #likeforlike or #followme. (Source)
Some hashtags have been banned or limited by Instagram due to inappropriate content. Make sure your hashtag isn‘t on one of these lists. You can check if a hashtag is banned by searching for it in the app – if no results come up, it‘s likely banned. (Source)
As we move through 2023, I‘ll update this guide with any critical new developments in how hashtags function on the platform.
Additional Instagram Hashtag Tips to Drive Engagement
To wrap up, here are a few final tips and tricks to maximize your hashtag strategy for likes and overall engagement on Instagram:
- Geotag your posts with a location hashtag (like #sanfrancisco or #nyc) to make your content discoverable to people browsing that location.
- Hop on trending hashtags when you have relevant content to contribute. This can significantly boost your exposure. Sites like Trendsmap can help you find trending hashtags.
- Use hashtags in your Instagram Stories too! You can use up to 10 hashtags on Stories, but 1-3 is optimal. You can make them smaller or hide them behind stickers to make them less distracting.
- Regularly switch up your hashtags so you‘re reaching new audiences. Don‘t just copy-paste the same block of hashtags on every post.
- Participate in popular hashtag challenges like #10yearchallenge or #dollypartonchallenge when appropriate for your brand. Challenges are a great way to jump on a trending tag while creating unique, engaging content.
- Use hashtags not just for exposure, but for social listening and competitor research. Analyzing the hashtags your target audience and competitors use can give you valuable insights into their interests and behavior.
Tools for Tracking Hashtag Performance & Metrics
Finally, to continually refine your hashtag approach, you should track your performance and results over time. Here are some tools that provide detailed hashtag analytics:
These tools can show you metrics like your most engaging hashtags, hashtag reach, and how your hashtag use compares to competitors. Use these insights to continually tweak and improve your strategy.
Hashtags remain one of the most powerful tools for organic reach and engagement on Instagram – but in the ever-evolving social media landscape, staying on top of best practices is key.
Use the strategies, tools, and tips outlined in this guide to craft a data-driven hashtag approach tailored to your unique brand and goals. Remember: when it comes to hashtags, relevance and specificity are paramount. Embrace experimentation and stay agile.
Equipped with this hashtag playbook, you‘re ready to crush your Instagram goals and KPIs in 2024. Implement these hashtag hacks and watch your likes and followers grow – one strategic #hashtag at a time. You‘ve got this!
