Let’s learn about hashtags. #hashtagstrategy

The more relevant your hashtags are, the more likely they are to help you get discovered. Start by making a list of hashtags that you see others in your niche using or that you feel strongly define your brand. Write them down and then prepare to cross them off one by one to replace with 2-3 more refined hashtags for each. You see, if the hashtags are too broad or too popular, your photos will likely get lost in the noise.

By searching the hashtags that you want to use, you will also be able to populate “relevant” hashtags and generate lists of ones that you can use to help your photos stand out. For example: Maybe you are into plant based cooking, the hashtag [#plantbased] has MILLIONS of posts, but the hashtag [#letscookvegan] has less than 800K. 

So your chances of having your photo populate on that last hashtag are much higher!! It still puts you in that niche and will make you discoverable by anyone searching in those categories. The thing is, you don’t want to be using the hashtags that everyone else is using. The chances are the only people using super popular hashtags are people who are trying to gain followers, likely not ones who are looking to truly connect with people. So really dig and find ones that define your brand and your content, without being overused. 

How many hashtags should you use? You can use up to 30 on posts and 10 in stories, but research has shown that 9-11 hashtags gets you the best engagement. 

Pro tip: You can hide the hashtags by commenting on your own photo after you post it so that users don’t see it as front and center in your caption.

Today, spend time creating sets of hashtags to use on your photos and save them all in your notes on your phone. You may have a few different sets based on the types of photos you’re posting (a set of hashtags for business posts, a set for wellness related photos, hashtags for photos related to your favorite products, etc.).

Comment here when you’ve got your hashtags all figured out and saved! Share one or more with us!