Hashtags on Instagram have changed and evolved so much in the last few years which means the strategy that you’re using, is probably outdated.
If you are looking for a new strategy for 2022, then you have come to the right place!
By doing some research on what was popular back in 2016, I came across an article called PetaPixel saying Hashtags are essentially a way to tag your photo and throw it into a chronological pool of other photos/videos that have used the same tag (which can be viewed by clicking on the hashtag itself). For example, if you are a photographer looking for portrait pictures by other photographers, then you would search or use the hashtag portrait to get the results.
Hashtags were originally created for photographers to find other content, photographers and make connections which worked back then. Now, fast-forward to 2022, we have influencers, businesses, and entrepreneurs with strategies that meant hashtags stopped working.
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said this in April 2022 when answering “Do hashtags help views?” This is what he said “Not really, they do help us to understand what a post is about which means it might be more likely to show up on a hashtag page for instance. But in general no, I wouldn’t try to think of hashtags as a way to get more distribution.”
There is a new sheriff in town and the laws are different!
To answer the question are hashtags dead? No. The way we have been using them is dead.
If hashtags don’t help with getting views, then why do we use them at all? You don’t have to use hashtags at all as Instagram has expanded into more SEO practices meaning they are making the platform more search-friendly similar to YouTube and TikTok where you can look up a keyword or key phrases that will turn up in results.
Hashtags are a tool to categorise your content to the algorithm. Why should you categorise your content? So, Instagram can better connect you with users who are relevant to you. Remember, Adam Mosseri didn’t say that hashtags are pointless, never use them! He said they do help us to understand what a post is about which means it might be more likely to show up in places like the hashtag page.
How do hashtags work?
You have a post, use hashtags but it receives poor engagement and doesn’t reach anyone so you try again. New posts with hashtags and this time it does perform well or the engagement is better and the reach goes up. Your initial thought is, ‘oh, I used the right hashtags so and that’s why my post performed well’ when in reality it was because your content was performing well on its own, then Instagram suggested it to more places like the hashtag page.
Your content didn’t get improved reach because of the hashtags. It was great content which pushed the hashtag for you to appear on the hashtag feed.
Stay with us!
In conclusion, your goal should be to create quality content.
What should your hashtag strategy be?
Step 1: Think less time about your hashtags, and more time on quality content for your followers.
Step 2: Find the new relevant hashtags related to describing your video/picture, the content itself, or your page/niche.
Step 3: Be as descriptive as possible about the content are you talking about and the industry that you are in.
Step 4: Use 3-5 hashtags so that you are more specific and particular rather than spamming the search results.
Step 5: Put the hashtags in the captions, not the comments. This is one of the tips that Instagram gave itself in its best practices posts!
It’s all about the quality of your content and the quality of your hashtags.
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