Social media platforms are part of our everyday lives in the digital age. It has become increasingly popular over the years to use platforms such as Instagram. It is a visual platform where people share their pictures and videos with their followers. Apart from connecting with people, many individuals and businesses use Instagram to showcase their products and services. Hashtags are words or phrases used after a hash symbol (#) that categorize your content on Instagram. When someone searches for a hashtag on Instagram, they can find all public posts containing that hashtag in one place.

Use relevant hashtags

• Using relevant hashtags is crucial as it helps your content reach people who are interested in similar topics. Research popular hashtags related to your niche or industry using tools like Hashtagify or All Hashtag. Using popular hashtags such as #artoftheday or #artgallery can be useful for artists who share their artwork on Instagram.
• Creating branded hashtags unique to your business or personal brand can help increase awareness about your products or services among potential customers. Nike uses its branded hashtag #justdoit which has become synonymous with Nike’s brand image.
• Using trending hashtags can help increase visibility as it allows users to search for those specific tags at that moment and get results accordingly. You can research the best service for your Instagram needs  and trending topics using Twitter trends or Google Trends websites before creating content around them. However, ensure that the hashtags you use are relevant to your brand.

Location-based hashtags

• Location-based hashtags help target users interested in specific locations or events, which can be beneficial if you’re promoting a local business, event, or product. The hashtags #nycfoodie or #newyorkcityeats could be useful if you own a restaurant in New York City.
• Your Instagram posts can look spammy and unprofessional if you overuse hashtags. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but using between 9-12 relevant and trending tags is sufficient enough. The best practice is to mix up widely used tags with niche-specific ones so that your content reaches both broad and targeted audiences.
• Creating a hashtag strategy will allow you to track the effectiveness of each tag used and optimize future posts accordingly. Keep track of which tags generate more likes or followers for your profile and eliminate those that don’t work well. However, note that it takes time before seeing significant results from using Hashtags hence consistency matters when creating a hashtag strategy. Try sticking with it for an extended period before making changes.