Instagram Hashtag Strategy: Tips To Have Your Reach Soar!

There are so many Instagram accounts out there! Some of them would love to find a page like yours. Unfortunately, your Instagram hashtag strategy is depriving them of the best. We want to help you fix this problem. 

Hashtag strategies for Instagram can be tricky to formulate. It’s a good thing you have your Plixi social media experts to tell you everything you need to know. Are you ready? Your potential followers are waiting!

What Is a Hashtag and What Can They Do for My Page?

Social media popularized the idea of using hashtags. So, what is a hashtag? It is a word or phrase grouped without spaces. In front of his word or phrase will be the hashtag symbol. 

Users on social media platforms use hashtags to label their digital content. They tend to be hyperlinks that lead to other content that uses that hashtag. This is why people drop in a few hashtags per post: 

It Increases Your Reach 

Using hashtags will help put your content out there. You already have high-quality photos and Reels. Sometimes, it’s just hard to break the barrier of Instagram. Using relevant hashtags can help you find more people in your target audience. This is why so many creators swear by them.

It Makes Your Content Searchable

Picture this: You just created the Instagram Reel that someone out there wants to see. Unfortunately, they don’t know your username, so they can’t search for you that way. 

Fortunately, you have included some niche hashtags in your post. All that a user has to do is type in keywords relevant to what they want to see. For example, this could pertain to a workout routine or a trip to another country. 

Ideally, your content should appear when they type in these niche hashtags. They have now found your page without even knowing your Instagram handle. If they like what they see, they may even become a follower.

This is the magic of using hashtags on Instagram. It increases how searchable your page is. This produces lasting results and attracts followers who genuinely care about what you post. That’s how they got to your page. They already had the desire to see your content.

How Do Hashtags Work on Instagram?: Get the Formula

Are you asking, “How do hashtags work on Instagram?” Well, you already know that hashtags are keywords people use to search for content on Instagram. But you need to use this hashtag strategy to see how they work for you. Don’t just use random tags that you see on other posts. Use this mix of hashtags that we are about to share with you.

1. Popular Hashtags

Some hashtags will always be relevant to our posts. If you post a carousel of photos about your vacation. People will generally think of hashtags like #vacation and #beach first. It would make sense to use them in your caption. 

However, you don’t want to overload your caption with too many popular hashtags. Your post will join a sea of other posts that use that same hashtag. You don’t want your post to be competing against many other posts. 

Some posts will already have huge engagement because a popular creator made the post. Popular hashtags need to have a balance with more specific hashtags.

2. Niche Hashtags

These hashtags are less popular than the ones that quickly come to mind. More than likely, someone with a very specific interest will use these hashtags. Let’s use an example. Maybe you posted your fitness routine for the day. More general hashtags include #Fitness, #DailyRoutine, or #YogaInTheMorning. Niche hashtags, however, would focus on little details in the post. 

You could focus on the brand of gymwear that you had on. You could also focus on the brand of protein powder that you drink. This could attract a different type of target audience that you didn’t even know you had access to. Niche hashtags open up your page to a wider range of followers.

3. Branded Hashtags 

Now, we’re going to be even more specific. Consider creating a hashtag that is solely for your brand. Because it is for your brand, only posts relevant to your brand will use it. If you host a giveaway, you can encourage entrance to use this branded hashtag. 

Every time you post, use could this hashtag. This way, you have a database of content relevant to your brand. If someone wants to find out about your brand, they will know to use this hashtag.

4. Follow a Similar Formula With Hashtags for Instagram Reels

Keep this formula in mind when you create hashtags for Instagram Reels. A Reel is a video with many frames of single photos. This means that there are many opportunities for niche hashtags. You can maximize these types of tags when you create Reels.

For example, you upload a Reel showing a day in your life. There are so many aspects to a full day. Instead of using the general hashtag for Reels like this (#dailyvlog, #dayinthe life), you can get very creative. 

Create a tag for the brand of coffee you drank that morning. Do another one for the shampoo that you use in your morning shower. Do you like to light a candle when it’s time to turn in? Don’t just tag the brand of the candle. Also, include a hashtag for that candle brand. 

There are many different opportunities for you to find an audience that likes what you like. An Instagram Reel gives you a lot of hashtag potential.

How To Use Hashtags on Instagram

Using hashtags is a popular growth method for the platform. Sometimes, you have to use hashtags that sound a little weird. Some of them might be embarrassing to include in your content. 

Still, you want to keep them because they can guarantee results. You know other people of like minds will search these hashtags. 

If you are a little shy about using hashtags, there are ways to conceal them. We don’t want you to miss out on using this growth tool. There’s too much potential. Because of this, we will share with you how to use hashtags on Instagram discretely.

1. Use the Dot Method

We would like to direct your attention to the caption section of an Instagram post. The preview for an Instagram caption doesn’t fully show the caption. Well, that is if the caption is too long for the preview. You can take advantage of this. Just use the Notes app on your phone:

1. Open an app or program you type freely on. 
2. Type the caption that you want to use on your Instagram post. 
3. Click Enter to go down several spaces. Insert sets of ellipses. 
4. Click Enter again to go down several more spaces. 
5. Type all your hashtags of choice. 
6. Review all that you’ve written and then copy the text.
7. Paste the text into the caption of your desired post.

We suggested using the Notes app because, on Instagram, you can’t enter a different line by clicking Enter. Because the text is so long, an Instagram user will not see the hashtags immediately. They would have to click on the caption to see the rest. They may not do that if they think the caption is complete. This way, tuck away your hashtags at the bottom. 

2. Your Comment Section

The hashtags you use in your comment section also count. If you don’t want to have a caption full of hashtags, this is a great place to put them. 

There are two possible ways to do this. You can simply comment full of hashtags. Or, you could type a comment that includes relevant hashtags organically. Instagram still recognizes the hashtags in comment sections.

3. Blend Them Into Colors in Your Story

In case you didn’t know, you can also put hashtags in your stories. If people search for hashtags, IG could present your stories to them as a result. Instead of having stories full of obvious hashtags, you could hide them in the story. 

You may already know you can change the color of your stories’ text. To conceal text, put the hashtags on top of a color that matches that text. You can choose from several color options that IG presents to you. 

Or, you could secure an exact match by choosing a color from the IG story. Then, you can place your hashtag text in that story section. Then, watch them disappear before your very eyes. No one will know that you have hashtags in your story. Still, these hashtags will be searchable by other IG users. It’s like having the best of both worlds.

Reason for Your Instagram Hashtags Not Working the Way They Should

When you see Instagram hashtags not working the way they should, it can be discouraging. You might wonder what the hype is about hashtags overall. You want to get in on this hashtag strategy for Instagram growth. Still, it’s just not working out for you. It makes you wonder what you are doing wrong. 

There are several potential reasons that your hashtag strategy is not doing what it can for your brand. We’ve listed some potential reasons here. I hope this helps!

Are Your Hashtags Banned?

Believe it or not, not everything is worthy of being a hashtag. You might be thinking of some obvious words that are obscene or vulgar. Instagram has banned hashtags that seem very innocent on the face. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous characters have overtaken these innocent words. 

Then, they attach some questionable media to the hashtags. To prevent the widespread use of hashtags for nefarious purposes. You might be blissfully unaware of any hashtag ban on the platform. So when you use these innocent hashtags, your content doesn’t get the reach it should get. 

IG will stifle your content right along with any inappropriate content. This is very unfair, but it’s not personal. This is why it’s important to check your hashtags online before posting. You can quickly find out if you use any hashtags that IG has banned. When you’re clear, you can post your content freely.

Are Your Hashtags Too Popular?

You might think that some content is popular because the hashtags used are popular. With this logic, you go on to use popular hashtags in your content as well. 

Unfortunately, you do not gain the same popularity as the other posts. Then, you conclude that your hashtag strategy isn’t working. Popular hashtags may not be the best idea for your content. 

If you use hashtags that everyone is using, your content will have to compete with their content. On the search results page, many different posts will appear. You can’t guarantee that yours will be at the top. This is why it’s best to have more diverse hashtag strategies for Instagram.

Did You Check the Spelling?

It’s pretty popular to have a typographical error in a hashtag. Sometimes, you can’t count on your phone or a laptop for correction. You could be off by one letter and completely miss the power of the hashtag. 

Because of this, you need to read through your hashtags very closely. One simple mistake could completely destroy your hashtag strategy for Instagram.

How To Create an Instagram Hashtag Strategy?

We hope you see an improvement in your hashtag performance. You have all the best tips on how to create an Instagram hashtag strategy. You are steadily on your way to growth on this platform. Still, there is a way to expedite the process even more. 

You need to help a growth expert in this field. Resources that you get from Plixi are second to none.

We have the tools to guarantee the results you have been dying to see. Have you heard about our in-house platform of Instagram influencers? What about the buzz on our propriety AI targeting algorithm? Your group on Instagram is within reach. Start growing your Instagram followers today.