For the promotion of your Instagram account, you should use suitable hashtags. It seems all hashtags are simple to put but there are some rules and tricks on how to be popular on Instagram and not to be punished by Instagram.
I could say that the hashtag came from microblog on Twitter, where it was performed in the 2007 year for the first time. Then I could tell how it appeared in other social networks, how it became popular in the net and so on and so forth, but I won’t. It is neither interesting nor useful. It has no sense. The more important is to figure out what is a hashtag and how to write it correctly to be popular on Instagram.
Let’s waste no time and start from scratch.
What is a hashtag?
A hashtag is a word or phrase without spacing. Before every hashtag, it is necessary to put the symbol # – hash. All hashtags are put by the common rules. What are they? Scroll down to the blog post!
Why it is necessary to put hashtags in the post
There are several reasons why the hashtag is a must for accounts that want to be popular and successful on Instagram. Let’s discuss the most common reasons:
1) search for posts and for better classification
Most Instagram users use hashtags mostly for this reason. It is the best way to divide your materials into several groups according to topics, it is necessary to put one hashtag for similar materials and your catalog is ready.
If your follower becomes interested in your text, he will put the hashtag and receive all your posts on the topic. For instance, such hashtag as #work can signify all working materials, #happiness – personal posts, etc.
Writing your hashtags to classify all your posts do not look at others. Do not copy others, be yourself, find your own approach. Be creative, underline your individuality. Put hashtags as it is suitable for you.
2) branding
To attract new followers it is necessary to stand out, and to do it you are to use popular hashtags and create your own ones. Choose the firm title, product, and process – the main thing is to choose something that associates with you.
Branding hashtags have one peculiarity – they work for you in the long term. The more often you write the hashtag the more texts you publicize with it, the more popular you become. Some hashtags propose their users the most famous tags thus working for your brand.
3) hype and popularity
Many users use hashtags that are too popular to make their posts more attractive. There is a problem – not all hashtags correspond to the topic of the account. In consequence, the user searches one but gets the other. It really annoys. Thus, some Instagram users try to show followers and other users all their material on the wave of the hype.
In spite of the fact that the majority of users do not like such an approach and cheating, they have a stink eye on them but it really works. That is why to get as many Instagram users as possible and to get many views, you can follow it too. But if the material does not correspond with hashtags, your company and service will fall into the follower’s eyes.
Main types of Instagram hashtags
We can divide all hashtags into several types:
1. reciprocal
They are used to exchange the activity on Instagram between two sides: likes, followings, and comments. Some specialists propose to use such hashtags at the beginning of promotion on Instagram. The question is whether you need fake followers and likes of users that are not concerned in your account or a target audience, potential customers.
2. hashtags are put just to be there
Some insert hashtags to make a hint of humor, others try to show their intellect, and there are those who put hashtags to communicate with others in such a way.
3. relay races and flashmobs
These are virus hashtags, you probably have seen them on Instagram. There is always a certain idea in relay races. It was used in different countries and performed a certain aim. For example, in Ukraine, such hashtags were used to gather money for ATO. You could see such a flashmob as like ‘#5factsaboutme’. Those who get this relay race are to write 5 facts about himself, etc.
Usually, such relay races are PR activity. A large-scale flashmob can increase recognizability, small – do not have the sense.
If you want to launch your relay race you need several things:
– the idea that would be accepted by public personality such as actors, singers, politicians, etc.;
– money for hashtag promotion.
4. associative
They are created in compliance with the post topic and your Instagram account. Having made a photo near the Tour Eiffel, it is appropriate to put such hashtags as #Paris, #TourEiffel. It is up to you to decide whether to use associative hashtags or refuse from them.
5. individual
Using this type of hashtags you mark the topics you have got on your account. They usually are used for user’s content. Almost every brand uses such hashtags.
Thinking for a future it is worth using individual hashtags.
Some rules on how to makeup hashtags correctly
To write a hashtag it is necessary to put # before any word and that is – the hashtag is ready. It seems that everything is annoyingly simple but there are some important rules that you should follow to become popular and achieve success:
– hashtags can be written in Cyrillic and Latin;
– a hashtag is not always a word. It can be a word combination;
– it is forbidden to insert spacing or special symbols. To divide words it is better to use the underscore. Rarely it is possible to use numbers and emoji.
– writing several hashtags use gasping as it is read easily.
– you can use no more than 30 hashtags in one Instagram post.
Useful programs
Writing hashtags for every post can be annoying, so If you do not want to write them manually, you can use special programs that will help to search Instagram hashtags and among the great variety find necessary hashtags. Many of them are absolutely free.
1. Ingramer.
Ingramer is an irreplaceable assistant in the creation of all hashtags. All you have to do is just upload a picture, write a URL or a keyword and the program gives the most popular and suitable hashtags for you. Having written the keyword, you get a number of relating hashtags and niche hashtags to choose from. You can select all suitable variants and then copy them at once.
2. Websta.
It is one of the most popular and free services that give a hand every user to search hashtags. It has one of the largest databases of hashtags. It shows not only asked words but wordforms where there is a hashtag in the content.
The service has several filters that are very convenient.
3. Instatag
Online service provides you with the most active and well-known hashtags absolutely for free. The service has its peculiarity – all the hashtags are sorted by directions and even have special classifiers of the type “hashtags for likes”. It is very easy and pleasant to work in the program as it is necessary to enter the service and pick the necessary hashtags.
To demonstrate how it works let’s find hashtags for some key words using the free program:
– top hashtags for photographers
#photoftheday #photo #photogrid #photoshoot #photos #photograph #photoaday #photoofday #photoda y#photooftheday #photogram #pic #picoftheday #photographer #picstitch #picture #piccollage #pictureoftheday #pictures #picsart #pics #picofday #picoftheday #pictoftheday #pickoftheday #instaphoto #instapic #instagramanet #photochallenge
– top hashtags for a travel blogger
#photooftheday #instagood #nature #photography #summer #instatravel #wanderlust #trip #instadaily #naturephotography #instagram #beauty #vacation #tourism #followme #sun #adventure #selfie #instalike #landscape #instago #photographer #bestoftheday #instapic #traveltheworld #f4f #travel #travelling #travelgram #travelphotography
– top hashtags for a musician
#musiclover #music #musician #dubstep #instamusic #instatag #musical #goodmusic #hiphop #musicvideo #musicislife #musicians #musiclife #musicfestival #musicismylife #song #songs #instagramanet #songwriter #songoftheday #songlyrics #bestsong #melody #rnb #pop #rap #electro #musica
– top hashtags for a food blogger
#foodblog #instafood #instatag #food #foodporn#foodphotography #foodie #foodgasm #foodpic #foodstagram #foods #instagramanet #foodies #foodlover #foodforthought #foodisfuel #foodblogger #foodcoma #foodgram#foodpics #fooddiary #foodlovers #foodart #foodspotting #foodshare #foodlove #yum #hungry #eat
– top hashtags for a visagiste
#instamakeup #instagramanet #instatag #makeup #makeupartist #makeupaddict #makeupjunkie #makeuplover #makeupforever #makeupbyme #cosmetic #cosmetics #eyeshadow #lipstick #gloss #mascara #palettes #eyeliner #lip #lips #tar #pomade #foundation #concealer #powder #eyes #eyebrows #lashes #lash
– top wedding hashtags generator
#marriage #instaweddingw #wedding #weddingday #weddingphotography #instagramanet #instatag #forever #weddingphotographer #weddingparty #together #weddingcake #bride #bridesmaid #bridesmaids #weddingdress #bridetobe #brides #happy #happyday #bestday #bestoftheday #weddings #bestofday #love #family #smiles #smiles #ceremony #romance
– top hashtags for a nail master
#nails #nailstagram #nails2inspire #instanail #nailsofinstagram #nailsdid #nailpromote #nailsoftheday #nailsdone #nailsalon #nailsdesign #nailsofig #nailstyle #nail #nailart #naildesign #nailporn #nailedit #nailaddict #nailsart #nailartaddict #nailswag #naildesigns #nailartwow #nailgasm #instanails #instagramanet
– top hashtags for a hairdresser
#hair #hairstyle #haircut #haircolor #hairstylist #hairstyles #hairfashion #haircolour #hairoftheday #hairup #hairideas #hairs #hairofinstagram #instahair #instagramanet #instatag #hairdo #fashionhair #curly #black #brown #blonde #brunette #coolhair #braid #straighthair #longhair
Common mistakes on Instagram with hashtags
It goes without saying that hashtags play a great role on Instagram. That is why it is important to use them carefully. Making mistakes has a negative effect on the Instagram promotion. Here are the mistakes that many users make:
– too many hashtags.
Some business accounts believe that if they publish a great variety of hashtags, they can attract traffic easier and briefly. Actually, the more hashtags are published the more you program the system against your account. Too many hashtags signal that you are a spammer.
– too many popular hashtags
It is better to write clarifying hashtags than the popular large tags without specifics. You will get fewer likes but more clients.
– one and the same hashtags
This is a powerful signal for Instagram that you are a spammer. The punishment can be very serious. It is necessary to change hashtags in every post and sometimes publish posts without them at all.
– a closed page
Some Instagram users try to write hashtags on the closed page. It is a waste of time as Instagram does not rank hashtags on the closed pages.
Note! If you use hashtags wrong you can suffer from punishment: you can be deleted and be banned (when you can see your posts but your followers can not).
Approaches to putting hashtags
As usual, users put hashtags traditionally it means to write a list of all the hashtags that come to mind. It helps to achieve the aim but there are more clever approaches to put them more effectively:
1) Improved version
First of all, prepare for about 10-15 hashtags for every post. At the end of the post, it is necessary to detach them from the text as a separate block. It helps to perceive them more loyally.
2) Native version
Put a few hashtags (2-4) in the text of a post, spreading along the entire length. Other hashtags (for about 10) write in the first comment. Thus, you are killing two birds with one stone: the post with hashtags looks nice and the followers read the post to see the comment.
3) Great version
The main task of a hashtag is to attract followers and help the publication to reach the Instagram top. For this aim you can use the following trick: you write 30 hashtags inside the post and 30 in the first comment. When you start the promotion of an account on Instagram, it can give growth of likes. But if you want to try this method of putting hashtags remember two important things:
– do not do it very often otherwise, you will be punished by Instagram;
– in a few days, it is necessary to remove most of these hashtags so that Instagram will not impose restrictions as for a spammer.
Remember that you can use no more than 20 hashtags in a post. It should correspond to the topic. To promote an account, you should create interesting text and quality pictures, spend your free time on this and let the programs to do find good hashtags for you.