Do you want more people to see your Instagram content?

Are you using Instagram hashtags?

Using the right hashtags makes it easier for people to find your Instagram posts and grows your reach.

In this article you’ll discover how to use Instagram hashtags to connect with new people on Instagram.

Why Hashtags Matter on Instagram

Instagram is a powerful social channel. With over 400 million users, an average of 80 million photos posted each day and 3.5 billion likes on any given day, it’s a valuable platform to include in your social media marketing mix.

But how can you get some of those 3.5 billion likes for your business? That’s simple: Use hashtags.

Instagram is a social channel where hashtags are particularly valuable. According to Buffer, accounts with fewer than 1,000 followers that use 11 hashtags with their photos get an average of 77.66 interactions per post.

With hashtags, you can reach a wider audience and increase your followers. You can also do market research on your competitors and connect with people who have specific interests.

Now that it’s clear hashtags are an important part of any Instagram strategy, here are some ways to use them for your business.

#1: Leverage Established Trends

Popular (or trending) hashtags are a great way to develop an Instagram presence and build brand awareness. There are many popular hashtags you can use, including:

• #photooftheday: Choose a behind-the-scenes photo of your company and share it as your photo of the day.

• #selfie: Take a selfie while you’re working (or have your employees do it) and share the selfie on your Instagram account.
• #instalike: Don’t just use this hashtag, also go through other posts that use it and interact with those users.

#2: Tap Into a Popular Theme

Themes can be a lot of fun, and Instagram has some popular themed hashtags that you can use with your Instagram posts. Here are a few to consider for your business:

• #TBT or #throwbackthursday: Throwback Thursday is a great way to reminisce about your company. On Thursdays, share your first dollar made or photos from a special event. You can even include cute or hilarious high school photos.
• #motivationalmonday: Add some positivity to your feed by participating in Motivational Monday. Share quotes or life lessons from your professional life.
• #followfriday: Showcase photos from other users and encourage your followers to follow them with this hashtag. You might even get a reciprocal #followfriday tag from those users. This is also a great way to say thank you to your client base.

#3: Share an Inspirational Quote

Quotes are a great way to get traction and interaction for visual content, and they work as well on Instagram as on your other social channels. Use image tools like Canva to create high-quality image quotes to share. Here are some hashtags to use with them:

• #instaquote: Use this hashtag with your quote posts. Also look through other tagged posts to boost your client engagement and share something interesting with other users.
• #quoteoftheday: Whether you use #quoteoftheday or #qotd, you can get some traction from other Instagram users. Consider creating an editorial calendar and plan quotes to share throughout the week using this hashtag.

Share quotes from authors and industry leaders, as well as from your blog posts. Quotes that reflect your brand and goal are typically good choices.

#4: Tell People What You’re Doing Now

Telling people what you’re doing now is a great way to make your Instagram account fresh and inspiring to users. Plus, balancing business with fun is a great way to create a following on Instagram. Try these hashtags:

• #amreading: Are you reading an interesting book about your industry? Or the latest Stephen King bestseller? Share it with your audience to spark conversation and make new connections.
• #amwriting: Whether you’re an author or simply writing a blog post, #amwriting is a great tag to use. Plus, it helps drum up interest for your next post.
• #WIDN (What I’m Doing Now): Showing your audience the real you adds personality to your brand. Use this hashtag to share what you’re doing right now, such as taking a yoga break, drinking chai tea at your desk or strolling through the local park.

#5: Drive Traffic to Your Blog

Use the following hashtags to promote a new blog post or show your Instagram audience that you’re working on one:

• #blogging: While you’re writing a new blog post, snap a photo of your computer and keyboard, add an Instagram filter and share the image with your followers using this hashtag.
• #instablogger: This is another tag to add to your blogging hashtag repertoire.
• #newblogpost: Once you’ve published a new blog post, share your featured image on Instagram and add this hashtag. Direct people to the link in your bio, and you’ll start driving traffic to your blog from Instagram.

Over to You

• Check out the Instagram hashtag suggestions above. Consider adding one or several of them to your future Instagram posts to see how they improve your visibility with new users.

• Experiment with other hashtags to see which ones are the best fit for your business and target audience. As you keep an eye out for new hashtag trends to try using with your content, remember they should always be relevant to your industry to get the right type of traction and interaction from your customers and prospects.

• What do you think? Do you use hashtags on Instagram? Have you tried any of these hashtags with your posts? Which hashtags work well for your business? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.