Adding hashtags to your Instagram content has been a best practice since the creation of social media, or so it feels. We all know that adding hashtags to your post can help your audience find your content. But if in 2019 you still haven’t added hashtagging to your Instagram strategy you are really missing out. Here are the reasons why hashtags are still important today:
- Users can follow Instagram hashtags: One of the great changes in recent history was Instagram allowing users to follow hashtags just like they follow people or brands. Your favorite hashtags show up as posts in the middle of your feed. For example, if a user is interested in seeing posts related to interior design, they can now follow the hashtag #interiordesign. The content that utilizes this hashtag. whether the user follows the page or not, appears in their feed. Can you say monumental?
- Hashtags categorize content: When you click on a hashtag you are able to see some of the most popular content that utilized this hashtag. Instagram has now updated its algorithm to show the most popular, and relevant hashtagged content to the top of the feed. In order to maximize the effectiveness of hashtags in your strategy, make sure you are using hashtags that are actually relevant. When you click on a hashtag, Instagram will also suggest relevant hashtags that are similar. Those are usually a great place to start when deciding which other hashtags to use.
- Business profiles can measure if their hashtags are effective: Data doesn’t lie. When you create an Instagram business profile, you are able to track metrics on the hashtags themselves. According to new 2019 data, posts with nine hashtags get the most engagement, although Instagram will allow you up to 30. Utilize these tools available to determine which hashtags are the most successful in increasing engagement and impressions.
As of 2019 using at least 1 hashtag on Instagram content will get you 12.6% more engagement.
Do you need to start marketing your company on social media, but aren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you’ve been posting content, but can’t seem to get the results you want.
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