Why Use Hashtags?
Hashtags are so important on social media, especially when it comes to Instagram. Essentially, hashtags (used correctly) can increase your engagement and reach, and it will make a difference very quickly!
*Keep in mind, follower count, post likes, etc don't always lead to sales, they can however help build brand trust and awareness.
Check out these results:
Now, check out the difference between a post that has hashtags and a post that has the right hashtags. Both of these posts were very similar, viral content (meme, joke, comic, tweet) post.
Just has hashtags related to the niche
. Has researched hashtags that are shown to be the most powerful for the niche
So, how do you find the best hashtags for your niche?
It' takes a little research and a lot of testing but I am going to tell you the exact steps to take to find the most powerful hashtags and how to use them!
Research other accounts/businesses in your niche.
There's no need to recreate the wheel, if other brands or accounts are having success using hashtags, you can use them too! Check out 3-4 other brands that are in your niche and write down all the hashtags they are using.
Head on over to best-hashtags.com
Start typing in your list of hashtags, see all of the other hashtags that are popular and related, make a grand list.
Head back to Insta
Start typing your hashtags into the search bar, make note of how often the hashtags are used, when you are making your final list of 10-12, you want to have a mix of very popular hashtags, medium audience hashtags, small audience hashtags. Also note what other posts are using these hashtags, if you notice the posts really aren't relevant, throw the hashtag out!
Create Groups
Now it's time to make groups of 10-12, as I've said before, you want to have a nice mix of hashtags. Make around 3-4 groups.
You want some big audience, medium audience, and small audiences. Keep in mind when it comes to hashtags, bigger isn't always better. #selfie probably won't get you much traction because millions upon millions of people use it every day.
You want to mix to use hashtags from different subjects, for example, location-based hashtags (#LA), relevant phrase hashtags (#slayallday), daily hashtags (#motivationmonday), product hashtags (#leggings), niche hashtags (#bulletjournalling), etc, etc.
Use Insights
Once you have your groups, start posting, use your insights to see which hashtag groups are having the best results. You will start to notice which hashtag groups are getting the best results and which aren't, so it's time to figure out the exact hashtags that are getting you those results.
Where do you stand?
Once you start to see some good results - this can be in the form of likes, shares, comments, and or saves. Click on each hashtag and see where you are on the popular post page. Are you near the top? If yes, you found a winner!
This might take a while, but once you found your 10-12 winners, this will be your gold group of hashtags!
Best way to use hashtags
The best way to use your hashtags is when you are making a post. Instead of including the hashtags in your post, it's best to comment on them, this way they are hidden but still do their job!
Make your post
Make a comment with a relevant emoji
Comment to that comment with your 10-12 hashtags!
Best way to boost your hashtags
After you make your post, click on each hashtag
Start making comments on the top 5-10 most popular posts under that hashtag
Be sure your comment is engaging and contributes to the post
Best way to save your hashtag groups
The best way to save your hashtag groups is in notes and then create shortcuts.
Type all the hashtags out in your phone name them, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, etc.
Create a shortcut - iPhone
Settings
General
Keyboard
Text Replacement
Hit the +
In the "Phrase" section put in your hashtag group
In the "Shortcut" section put in your group name
Now, whenever you type in your group name it will be replaced with your hashtags!
Things to keep in mind
Banned hashtags - these hashtags won't benefit you in any way, so try to avoid them the best you can! You can learn what the 2021 list of banned hashtags is here.
Always use all 10-12 hashtags - there's no reason not to!
Don't use the same hashtag group over and over again - switch it up!
Act like a human - Don't over comment, try to be engaging, and keep your comments unique!
Use hashtags in Stories - Use your popular hashtags in Stories!