Having a solid Instagram Hashtag strategy is a great way to get more ‘likes’ and engagement on your Instagram post. Which will lead to more exposure and followers.
However it is important to ensure that your Instagram hashtags do not distract from the imagery nor the copy of your post. Best practice is to place hashtags at the end of a caption.
When crafting an Instagram post, consider what hashtags are relevant and which hashtags will resonate with your target audience. Researching hashtags is a very important part of your Instagram Hashtags Strategy.
People search hashtags on Instagram that topics that interest them. This should be the number one focus of your Instagram Hashtag Strategy. So think of hashtags you think people might be interested in looking at. It’s usually best to keep it simple, the more obscure the less likely someone will search it.
Instagram Hashtag Strategy
Some ideas to help your kick start your hashtag research. (Using a hotel client as an example).
- Hashtags that relevant to the image you are posting about.
- Hashtags relevant to your location or region. For example #VisitAustralia #SeeAustralia are broad Australian hashtags however most regions or tourism bodies within your region will have hashtags that can be utilising in your Instagram posts.
- What are the local hashtags that someone may search if they are looking to visit the region. Local suburb hashtags like #southcoastnsw #portstephens # adelaidecity
- Event specific hashtags can also broaden your reach and exposure in the lead up, during and post events in your region. For example #ADLfringe #DarwinSuperCars
- Hashtags that are relevant to the hotels, travel and family getaways.
- Creating your own hotel specific branded hashtag and promoting this on your own posts. For example #InsertHotelNameHere. Over time your guests may also include this hashtag in their own social media posts. One of the benefits on having a branded hashtag, is that it can then be tied back directly to your property.
- Study your competitors.
When selecting hashtags to include in your posts, choose a hashtag that is popular but searchable. The hashtag #holidays has been utilised over 45 million times (as at May 2018). It is very unlikely that this hashtag would result in any genuine followers or promote past and futures guests back to your park. The hashtag #holidaytime may however be more appropriate.
For Instagram audience growth, 15-25 hashtags should be used. If you do find a high number of high-quality hashtags make sure they are relevant – quality over quantity.
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