BENEFITS OF TRENDING HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM

If you are a Twitter or Instagram user, you definitely are aware of the popularity of using a hashtag. As a business, however, you may not be as familiar with what benefits a hashtag can provide for your brand. Hashtags are truly an integral part of digital marketing. Here’s why:

1. Branding and Visibility

Fundamentally, the biggest benefit to using hashtags on Instagram are branding and visibility. Hashtags are an opportunity for your business to expand an audience and increase brand awareness. This can occur in two ways. First, when a user searches your brand they will see hashtags you are using. And second, when they search a specific hashtag, they’ll see your branded posts in the relevant results. This optimizes the brand awareness and the visibility of content.

2. Competitor Research

Instagram hashtags are a benefit when it comes to checking out the competition and determining your own brand strategy. A business can use hashtags to gather research on competitor accounts, posts, and hashtag use. This information can then be used to gauge audience interest and what is working with your consumers. Competitor hashtag research will also help your business stay on top of the constantly changing hashtag trends on Instagram.

3. Promotion

Hashtags are a huge benefit when it comes to promotion of a campaign. It’s the Instagram version of word-of-mouth. A business can post about a promotion with a hashtag, followers pick up on it using the same hashtag and it can spread like wildfire as more and more users use the hashtag. Hashtags create visibility among your target audience and connect you with followers.

4. Embed Hashtags On Your Website

A lesser known benefit of Instagram hashtags, but one that should be mentioned for businesses, is by embedding them on your website. A business can embed Instagram hashtag feeds directly into their website, collecting and generating additional content from followers and customers about your brand. The feeds are engaging and grab website traffic’s attention quickly. This can lead to longer visitor time on the website and increased engagement and customer retention. It will also add unique content to your site that builds trust with the user.

MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO FIND TRENDING HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM

Trending hashtags on Instagram are constantly changing. It can be challenging to stay on top of the hashtags that are most relevant and effective for your brand. Here’s an in-depth list of 6 effective ways to find trending hashtags on Instagram.

1. Research Hashtag Trends Using Instagram

The most effective way to find Instagram hashtags that are trending is by using the app. Write down a list of niche phrases and words that describe your brand. Using these keywords, start researching on Instagram. Here’s how:

1. Open the Instagram app and tap on the search icon (bottom of the screen)
2. Type in the key phrase from your niche list in the search area and then tap Tags
3. If the photos on this list are similar to what you are posting, it’s probably a good match.
4. Check out the “Related” section of hashtags that are located directly above the photos and write them down. You can also use these terms to see if they are a match for your brand and how many posts are using that particular hashtag.
5. Another way to use Instagram is to scan the posts of successful influencers in your niche and write down what hashtags they are using. 

2. Find Trending Hashtags Your Community Already Uses

To make Instagram hashtags effective, you want to pick the ones that fit with your niche. The more relevant your hashtags are to a specific audience, the more traction the posts will receive. 

1. Take a look at the posts that are already happening in your community. What hashtags are being used with the content?
2. If there’s a trending pattern, take advantage of it.
3. Check out what the competitors are posting. What’s working for their content? Use the same hashtags that are already creating visibility.

3. Review Instagram’s Explore Page

Instagram’s Explore page provides posts and reels that are driven by the content you are interested in. The Explore page uses an algorithm based on your interaction with the app and selects content that is relevant. Everybody’s Explore page is different.

A user can manually search for hashtags on the Explore page. These hashtags are note-worthy since content that makes it to an Explore page is usually aligned with trending Instagram hashtags. Write down the hashtags that you see numerous times and use them in your own content.

4. Use A Social Listening Tool

This type of tool is a great way to find trending Instagram hashtags. A social listening tool essentially takes note of keywords that are used all over the web. Depending on the tool or tools you choose, you can quickly come up with a list of hashtags that are trending. Here are a few popular ones currently.

1. Task Ant– You simply enter a keyword in their search engine and it shows you all of their hashtags associated with it. It will also give you an in-depth analysis of each hashtag so you can determine if it is a good fit for your niche.
2. RiteTag– This tool is a comprehensive tool that suggests trending and popular hashtags based on the content you post. It will use the image and caption of the post to put together a list of hashtags. An added bonus is it is simple to use!
3. Tagstagram- This tool will allow you to find and copy trending Instagram hashtags based on either a keyword or a specific category. Although some hashtags are more generic with this tool, it is a quick process without a ton of research.

5. Use a Hashtag Suggestion Tool

There are two ways that you can use a hashtag suggestion tool. 

The first is the autocomplete feature in Instagram. Using the Instagram search engine, begin typing a keyword. The search engine will show you similar hashtags and other popular hashtags. These hashtags are from the accounts that you are following. Just make sure when you are using autocomplete that you are not choosing hashtags with millions of posts, your post could be lost in the crowd.

The second is by downloading a suggestion app. There are options, but one that I have found useful is Later. The app will make suggestions for hashtags based on the content of your post and for ones commonly used in your industry. You simply type a hashtag into the search bar and hit “Suggest”. The app will sort the generated hashtags by relevance for you! Again, be cognizant of how many posts are in the hashtag category to ensure your content isn’t swallowed up.

6. Use Instagram’s Tag Search Tool

As discussed in the above numbered item, post volume matters when it comes to finding the best hashtags. To keep your post from being lost among the masses, check the hashtag volume using the tag search tool.

To do this, access Instagram’s tag search tool on the Explore page. Review the hashtags that are similar and would fit with your niche. If the hashtag has hundreds of thousands or even millions of posts in the category already, opt for another hashtag that works with fewer posts. On the flipside, you would not want to use a hashtag that only has a couple hundred posts because no one is searching for it. Using the tag search tool is a great way to discover new niche hashtags that you are not aware of. 

HOW TO GET YOUR HASHTAGS TRENDING ON INSTAGRAM

Having a trending post on Instagram is not as easy as it may seem. Instagram has an algorithm that takes into consideration several factors before it catapults your post to the top of everyone’s page. The algorithm reviews things like number of comments and likes, how popular the hashtag is, and how fast your post receives audience engagement. 

Trying for a trending hashtag on Instagram? Try these quick tips to optimize your results!

• Pick the correct hashtag for your post. The hashtag should be relevant to the content that you are posting. Make sure that you are connecting the hashtag with your specific niche. You will want to choose a smaller hashtag versus a longer hashtag because they tend to have more staying power.

• Make a call to action. Get your audience involved with re-posting the hashtag by asking for a comment using the hashtag. You can even have followers respond to a question you pose on the post by using the hashtag.

• Tag an Influencer in your niche. You can create momentum for a hashtag by bringing in reinforcements in the way of influencers. Create a post that ties in an influencer or two and tag them in the post. Hopefully, they will take note and boost your trend by using the hashtag or sharing it.

• Add the hashtags before publishing the post. Instagram will not position or review the algorithm for your post in the same way if you add or remove hashtags after it has been published. To optimize your hashtag positioning within Instagram, make sure the hashtags are present before posting.

WRAP UP

Hashtags are used across a variety of social media platforms and have become a strategic part of digital marketing. It is important to remember that hashtags can help your business with visibility and branding. Whether you are looking to grow your audience or launch a new product, hashtags have a place in your social campaign. There are a number of ways to effectively use hashtags to attract people to your brand and raise consumer’s level of engagement. 

In this article, we took a closer look at the benefits of hashtags on Instagram, ways to find trending hashtags on Instagram, and how to get a hashtag trending on Instagram. If you want to be visible on Instagram, hashtags are a surefire way to make it happen.