One of the easiest ways to attract new followers and likes on Instagram is through hashtags. There are a couple of nuances to know about. In this article, we will discuss the types and varieties of hashtags, why they may not work, and how to properly write them under your post. Interested? Let’s not delay and move from words to action.
Hashtag function – what is it and why is it needed
First of all, it’s worth explaining what a hashtag is and how to use it. A hashtag is a word or phrase that serves as a tag. Any user, even if they are not your follower, can find your post using it, provided it was made with the tag that interests them.
Tags on Instagram can be compared to genres and a library, respectively. In a library where everything is not piled up in one pile, an employee will not be able to find the book requested by the reader. However, if they sort everything by separate genres, it will take 1-2 minutes, and the desired literary work will be in the hands of the customer.
Useful to know. Hashtag literally translates as “hash” and “tag”. Therefore, it is no coincidence that almost all services use the “#” symbol to start a hashtag.
Hashtags are most often needed for likes and subscriptions, that is, for promoting your page on Instagram. This is because a user who is looking for something interesting through tags may notice an eye-catching creative post and even subscribe to the author’s channel.
In addition, tags are needed for:
- Organizing a huge amount of information in the Instagram system. Now anyone can find publications from different bloggers on topics they like.
- Profile design. For example, creating different categories of posts in your feed. This significantly facilitates navigation for your followers.
- Conducting contests. Each subscribed reader needs to use the hashtag set by the organizer to participate in the draw.
- Promoting your own products.
How to write and use hashtags on Instagram
If you’re interested in this feature on social media, you need to understand how to add hashtags to photos or videos. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:
- Launch the Instagram app from your phone.
- Log in using your username (nickname/email/mobile number) and password.
- Create a new post by clicking on the “plus” sign and selecting materials from your device’s gallery.
- Edit it and click “Next.”
- Tap on the caption field and type “#text” without quotes.
- Select a suitable tag from the suggested set or leave it as is.
- Click “Share” and post it to your feed.
The above steps will work perfectly not only on Android smartphones but also on iPhones. This is because the official Insta program on both OS has almost the same interface.
Note. If you want to attach a label word after publication, select “Edit” and sign everything you need under the image.
Now let’s look at some universal rules for writing your hashtag:
- Use Russian or English.
- Insert lowercase or uppercase letters.
- Add numbers.
- Exclude spaces.
- Write relevant tags (suitable for the context of the post).
- Place label words at the beginning, middle, or end of the text.
Important. If your profile is private, posts with hashtags will not be displayed to unsubscribed users.
The optimal number of tags on Instagram
It is worth understanding another important detail: how many hashtags can be used on Instagram? The developers of Instagram have set a limit on the use of tags in one post. You can attach up to 30 tags at once. If you exceed this limit by even one keyword, you will not be able to share your news.
If you are interested in how many tags to use to increase likes, the answer will be slightly different – up to 5. This is the optimal number of hashtags. After all, their accumulation can only repel the reader.
Working hashtags: types and categories
All key tags on Instagram are divided into separate types and categories. For example:
- High-frequency – over 100,000 posts using them.
- Medium-frequency – from 10,000 to 100,000 posts.
- Low-frequency – from 500 to 10,000 posts.
- Rare – up to 500 posts.
To see how often a particular tag is used, you can choose one of the two methods below:
- Add it to the post description and find it in the resulting list. The number of its publications will be indicated there.
- Tap on the “magnifying glass” icon and click on the search bar. Go to the “tags” tab and enter the one you are interested in. Its frequency will be displayed under the search result.
To choose the type that suits you best, analyze your popularity:
- If you have few followers and want promotion, use high-frequency keywords in your posts;
- If you have enough readers and want to create your own style, use low-frequency tags.
There are also types of hashtags:
- Spam. Used for likes and subscribers. However, if you overdo it with them, you can harm your page instead.
- Geotags. Used to indicate places or specific addresses. For example, if you are traveling or have your own point of sale for interesting goods.
- Categorizers. Necessary for formatting and organizing your profile by categories and sections.
- Brand. Can be useful for indicating the brand of your product.
- Content or relevant. Describe the topic of your post.
- Trending. Currently have the highest popularity. Suitable for promoting your account.
Hashtags are not working – errors in writing
If you are having trouble adding tags on Instagram because they simply do not work, then this section is for you. The most common reasons for an inactive tag are:
- spelling errors in the word;
- use of prohibited hashtags;
- temporary technical glitch.
To solve them, you need to:
- check the correct spelling of the word by looking it up in a spelling dictionary;
- exclude tags with pornographic context, incitement to interethnic strife, sale of weapons, etc.;
- restart the Insta app.
Useful to know. If the keyword remains gray instead of blue, contact the service’s technical support. To do this, go to “Settings” and then to “Help”. Select “Report a problem” and briefly describe your situation, preferably with a screenshot attached.
So, we have figured out what a hashtag is on Instagram. It has several functions and is often used to gain popularity on the social network. But this does not mean that you should insert 25 tags in one post for the maximum number of followers. It is better to use them wisely, choosing the appropriate type and form of tag for yourself.