Have you ever wondered about Hashtags? If so, you’re not alone… I get questions about that topic a lot!
There’s a lot of information out there about hashtags (enough to fill a book or two), but I’m here to share a few tips…
My top 3 tips to keep it simple:
1. Don’t use ALL the same hashtags, ALL the time
Mix it up a bit and only use hashtags that really represent the content you’re sharing in a post. Note: the maximum number of hashtags you may use on IG is 30, but stick to around 9-11 hashtags – a few studies have shown that’s the optimal number (but don’t freak out if you have more!).
2. Use hashtags with varying popularity
Add a few popular hashtags (1,000,000+ posts, i.e. #parenting), a few that aren’t as popular (~100,000 posts, i.e. #parentinglife ) and a few niche ones (under 10,000, i.e. #parentingtwins). This gives you a greater chance of reaching varying audiences – everyone from the bigger topic (parenting), all the way down to your more granular topic (parenting twins).
3. Don’t use banned hashtags
Banned hashtags are hashtags that Instagram users have reported because the posts using them go against Instagram’s guidelines. So, any post that uses that hashtag will be hidden, hurting your organic reach and growth efforts. This list is always changing, so I found a post that contains a list of banned hashtags to keep you in the know.
- If you ever want to check one, do a search in Instagram. Be sure to include the # symbol when you look it up in the search bar. If nothing shows up, it’s probably banned.
Bookmark the list 👉 Banned Hashtags