As the use of the hashtag increased in popularity, other social media platforms became accustomed to their use, too. It is difficult to argue with the simplicity and functionality of the hashtag. It is easily created and searchable and has become a unique marketing tool for businesses, organizations, celebrities, and even the average person. (If you like, you can view a more detailed picture of the hashtag history here.)
Shortly after posting polls on Instagram Story last October, two months later they introduced users’ ability to follow the hashtag. From now on, you can click on the hashtag in the post or search using the hashtag in the Check section on Instagram. By following the hashtag, you can now get captions for that hashtag displayed in your news server, as is the case with the accounts you follow.
Once part of Twitter, the hashtag becomes the most important feature on Instagram. The designer of the new feature, Matthew Ogle, said in an interview with The Verge: “My job was to find ways to resolve conflicts [on the Check tab], to be a discovery and community-led beauty where people already exist. The Hashtags are truly beautiful buildings since they are already a community-led movement going up and down. ”
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Despite the many jokes and humorous illustrations about the excessive use of hashtags, when used properly, they are an important part of digital marketing. You can follow and interact with specific hashtags to stay informed of the current topic/trend, you can create your hashtag to develop a new product or service, search the hashtag to break the digital clutter and find what you want, and much more.
If you are still unsure about the use of hashtags, we have highlighted below some of the main reasons, in our opinion, why hashtags are so important on Instagram (and in all social media and apps!). If you have any other reasons why hashtags are important, be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Competition
As with any business, it is important to find out who your competition is, what they offer, and how they advertise, so that you know what makes your business a better decision. You can use Instagram hashtags to research our competitors’ accounts, their top posts, and the most commonly used hashtags.
For example, suppose you are a graphic design freelancer who aims to grow your business. You will be able to log in to your Instagram account and log in to the search bar to see your competitors and find the most used and popular hashtags in the “graphic design” article. In the screenshots below, you will see that under the “Top” section, there will be a list of all hashtags, accounts, users, and locations. And to look specifically at hashtags in clear design, you can simply click on the “Tags” section and look at the list.
Reading this information can help you measure the audience’s response to a competitor’s post, give you an idea of what works best and what doesn’t do for your social media marketing.
Additionally, hashtags are constantly changing and appearing. What was once a popular hashtag today, may be out of date tomorrow. Keeping up with the latest news and trending hashtags will make your product look authentic and trustworthy.
Marketing and visibility
While these are two or three technical reasons, we have put them together because a lot of thinking goes hand in hand. Creating a positive outlook will enhance the success of your product and vice versa.
Marketing and visibility are the effective use of hashtags on Instagram. If you are a new business, you can use hashtags to increase your audience and increase brand awareness. When users search for your product, they will see related hashtags you use; or when they search for specific hashtags, they will see your name named in the results. This often results in gaining new fans and potential customers.
Or – whether newer or more established – you can create your hashtag for a product, service, or event you promote. You can encourage your fans and customers to use the hashtag when purchasing/using a product or service, or at an event you host. Creating your hashtag (or choosing a hashtag with minimal use) allows you to dominate that hashtag with your product. Continuing to include that hashtag in your post not only helps to increase your visibility (as it does all use of the hashtag), but helps users begin to associate your business with that hashtag, and continue to develop your product.
Promotion
One of the main reasons why hashtags have gained such popularity on social media is because of their ability to help marketers and businesses create targeted campaigns. According to Tweetangels, “when it comes to promotions, think of hashtags as a ‘word-of-mouth’ approach.” In other words, when you post about promotions, your followers will use the same hashtag, their followers will use it, and so on. Hashtags create great campaign visibility and help you reach your target audience by using key hashtags that you know your audience is already following.
When used to promote an event, the hashtag not only connects you with your fans but also your followers. The hashtag can promote before, during, and after a major event.
