As we promised, we are going to start with a summary of the successful predictions made at the beginning of the year. Thus, the marketing trends that dominated the year were content marketing, influencers, the rise of social e-commerce, chatbots and VR. As expected, the most notable forecasts came true in social media: livestreaming, video and ephemeral content. Speaking of them, we move on to the topic of this article, Instagram for business, which is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Hashtags are an effective way to drive organic traffic to the content. According to Simply Measured, using even a single hashtag increases post engagement by 12.6%.
In order to drive engaged, quality traffic, you need to use specific hashtags, that attract your targeted audience. So how do you find the right hashtags to use for your posts?
Start by researching the most popular brands/companies in your niche, and check out the hashtags they’re using. Make a list of these, and start to test them on your posts. You’ll quickly determine what works and what doesn’t and varying degrees of each. Remember, the more specific, the better.
In the same time, use some of the most popular hashtags on Instagram (such as #instagood, #photooftheday).
The maximum number of hashtags you are allowed to use is 30. But you don’t have to type all of them every time you post. Instead, make a list, write them in notes and then, you will only need to select, copy and paste.
Besides using hashtags to grow followers and likes, categorizing content using the # symbol can be a powerful marketing tool. Among your list of hashtags, include a signature, one that’s just yours as reinforcement of your brand. This can create a brand and also build a tribe around it (a community passionate about your content).
Whether to grow your followers or build your brand, hashtags remain one of the most powerful tools of the Instagram network. Leverage them to grow your online image and notoriety.