Why You Should Use Instagram Hashtags to Grow Your Followers
How do you grow your Instagram following? If you’re like most people, you simply start posting photos with the hope that some of your followers will like them and start following you back. However, this strategy isn’t always successful. By using Instagram hashtags, however, you can expand your audience and gain more followers faster than ever before. You’ll also make it easier to find people interested in your content. Because these hashtags connect users based on their interests instead of location or what they like to post about. So, how do you use hashtags?
Benefits of Instagram hashtags to grow your followers
Benefit #1: Reach New Audiences
With over 300 million monthly active users, there’s a very good chance that your target audience is already on Instagram. That being said, it’s important to create content that appeals to your specific demographic. Using relevant hashtags is one of your best bets for reaching new audiences. For example, if you sell health and wellness products, then hashtags like #health #wellness #fitness might be some of your top contenders for getting more eyes on your photos. And subsequently more followers and potential customers! But don’t just use relevant hashtags for business posts; using those same tags for personal content can help you build connections with other like-minded people.
Benefit #2: Build Engagement
People search for hashtags and click on your profile when they see it pop up on their home feed. After all, how do you know who has already followed you if you haven’t used any of your hashtags? If someone uses one of your tags and then clicks through to your profile after seeing it appear in their feed, that person becomes engaged with your content, which is a great way to build up an audience. The more people engage with your content by liking and commenting on posts, or by following you (which is what happens when they use one of your hashtags), the more likely you are to get engagement from others. That means your reach will expand exponentially as time goes on.
But be careful not to use too many hashtags at once! This can make your post look spammy and drive users away instead of drawing them in. Try no more than 2-3 relevant hashtags per post and definitely avoid using generic terms like #photooftheday or #instagood unless you have millions of followers already! When it comes down to it, less is definitely more when it comes to using hashtag keywords wisely; overusing them can actually work against you rather than for you. Also, remember that not every post needs a hashtag, so use them sparingly; some pictures just don’t need anything other than a well-thought-out caption!
Benefit #3: Increase User Participation
More user engagement means a higher likelihood that your posts will show up in more users’ news feeds. This means more exposure for your business and its brand. That translates into more followers and customers down the road. When users click on a hashtag, they can be sent to a page of similar photos. This is called an Explore Page. These pages give you an opportunity to connect with other users who might be interested in what you’re posting about! Explore pages also help drive traffic back to your profile page, increasing your chances of being noticed by new followers as well as existing ones!
Benefit #4: Boost Brand Exposure
Using hashtags on Instagram allows you to expand your brand exposure and grow your followers by using popular hashtags related to your niche. By strategically using hashtags, you can post a photo with a hashtag and potentially reach thousands of users who might not have otherwise seen your photo. And when users follow a hashtag on Instagram. They will see every single picture ever posted with that hashtag, giving each user potential access to hundreds of photos and brands in their feed. This is an amazing way for brands to gain new followers! It’s important, however, that you are posting quality content along with those hashtags. Otherwise, users may unfollow you if they do not enjoy what they see.
Benefit #5: Save Time on Searching
The best part about using hashtags is that you can follow someone else’s lead. If a successful Instagram account uses #dogs, then why not use that hashtag too? That way, if someone wants to find your content through search, they’ll be able to more easily. I actually discovered one of my favourite accounts on IG in 2016 by searching #kayaks. This way, you don’t have to come up with your own tags! All you need is one great tag and you are well on your way to growing your audience. If people like what they see when they visit your page or profile after searching for it, chances are they will continue following you down the IG rabbit hole.
