Okay, let’s discuss hashtags now. Love them or despise them; they are not going anywhere. And if you are among those seated there wondering, “Do hashtags even work anymore?”—spoiler alert—they do. Big Time. Actually, hashtags utilized correctly can double or even treble the interaction on your Instagram entries. Moreover, this is not some old-fashioned hack. This year, next year, and most likely always 100% relevant.
What then is the magic underlying hashtags? Why do they work, and more importantly, how do you employ them without looking as though you were only throwing spaghetti against a wall and wishing for the best? Allow me to dissect it here.
What Exactly Is a Hashtag?
Alright, consider hashtags as Instagram’s method of grouping material into orderly small boxes—or, better even, art galleries. Consider every hashtag as a separate gallery with entries (or “art”) on a given theme. As with #cats? Boom, you’re in the cat gallery looking through many pictures of cute furballs. Into Beachvibes? Welcome to a virtual sandy toe paradise with sunsets.
The worst is that you are essentially hanging your “art” in that gallery when you slap a hashtag on your post. And then your material is discoverable to everyone visiting that gallery, not only visible to your followers. That is great. Instagram’s algorithm sees this as an opportunity to test your material with a larger audience, thereby offering you a possibility to witness explosive increase in interaction. Only so, though, if you play your cards correctly.
Why Most People Screw This Out Of Order
Most people, incidentally, are quite bad at utilizing hashtags. They either use too little or they follow the “king hashtags,” such as #love, #food, or #sunset, straight forward. You know, the people with millions, sometimes billions of postings. Trying to hang your artwork in the Louvre close to the Mona Lisa is like trying to do. Indeed, your post is technically there, but luck will help you get anyone to see it.
Start small instead of striving for these crowded hashtags where your material gets buried faster than you could say “algorithm.” Consider it like ascending a ladder: start with the neighborhood art galleries before attempting to enter the major leagues.
The Ladder of The Hashtag: Your Hidden Weapon
To win at hashtags, climb the ladder. In what sense does that apply? It is basic. Target less competitive, smaller hashtags first; then, as your account expands, progressively move up. It appears as follows:
The first step is start small
If you are just beginning (say, under 10,000 followers), use hashtags with 5,000 to 150,000 postings. Your neighborhood galleries are these ones. Less rivalry means your post has more potential to stand out and become the major draw. For instance, consider #entrepreneurminds (40,000 posts) instead of #entrepreneur, which has millions of postings. Smaller ponds, larger fish—you get the picture.
Level Up Gradually
Target medium-sized hashtags (150,000 to 1 million posts) when your account develops and your posts start showing better. These are like regional art shows—more eyes, more competition, but still under control.
Third Step: Go Home or Big
You can start assuming the “king hashtags” once you have a strong following and your involvement is almost non-existent. These are galleries on the Louvre level akin to #love or #entrepreneur. If you rank here, even once, you might go viral and overnight acquire hundreds of thousands of followers. Don’t hurry though; this is a long game.
How to Determine Appropriate Hashtags
Though it takes some work, determining the ideal hashtags for your niche is not rocket science. You do this here:
One starts with the “King Tags.”
Start by looking for the clear heavy hitters in your field of expertise. Starting with #pizza, if you run a pizza restaurant. Try #workout if you enjoy physical exercise. These will produce related, minor hashtags.
Obsess rivals
Look at the hashtags used by accounts just like yours. Bonus points if they are somewhat larger than you; they have most likely already conducted the necessary trial-and-error for you.
Make use of hashtag apps
Many apps exist to assist you locate hashtags particular to your field of work. Just search “instagram hashtag” on your app store and try a couple till you come upon one you like. They will offer ideas and even show you the popularity of every hashtag.
The “Micro Test Phase”—And Why It’s Crucial
A little-known Instagram secret is that Instagram does not instantly show anything you post to all of your followers. Rather, it “micro-tests” your material among a tiny group—think of 100 people. Should that group interact—likes, comments, shares—the algorithm recognizes, “Oh, this is fantastic stuff!” and distributes it to more people.
Here now is where hashtags are useful. Using the correct hashtags during this micro-test phase will help you to enlarge that initial group outside of your following. Suddenly Instagram might test your post with 500 or perhaps 1,000 instead of 100 people. More eyes equal more involvement; more reach follows from this. One finds a lovely cycle here.
Caption against Comments: Where Should Hashtags Land?
Ah, the classic argument: should your hashtags show in the comments or the caption? Here is the deal: either works. On Instagram, they are treated equally. But (and this is a major “but”), leaving them in the comments maintains your caption clear of distractions. Nobody wants to read a sincere caption just to be slapped in the face with thirty hashtags.
Post your picture or video with your great description, then right away add a remark on your own post using hashtags. Explosion. orderly, professional, and just as successful.
The Cycle of Hashtag Life: Keep Rising
It’s not one-and-done to use hashtags. It’s a process. You maintain the motion like this:
1. Choose low-key hashtags to rule.
2. Sort among those hashtags highest, have interaction, and expand your following.
As your account develops, progressively shift up to medium and highly competitive hashtags.
List the hashtags you have used together with their performance. Your unique hashtag here is “cheat sheet.”
Last Thoughts: Your Best Friend Still Is Hashtags
Look, hashtags are really near but they are not magic. Using them deliberately will help your Instagram game to improve. The secret is to be deliberate; avoid merely stuffing random hashtags at your entries and wish for the best. Start small, ascend the ladder, and see how much your involvement leaps.
Oh, and remember to have fun with it as last advice. Instagram is expected to be social after all. So go ahead, experiment, and perhaps occasionally sprinkle in a #YOLO. Nobody knows who might find your “art” in the museum.