How to Use Hashtags to Grow Your Business

Instagram has a lot of functions that can help you increase your growth, and they continue to release more on the regular. Tools like location stickers in stories, ‘special rings’ stickers in stories, creating Reels (which are similar to TikTok), and friend tagging are always great ways to maximize your reach in the content you share.

The most important tactic for growth that has been available since day one, though? Hashtags.

Hashtags are the number one source for increasing your reach beyond your followers for your post. By adding hashtags to your posts, you can increase your visibility by over 20% on a regular post– and it can increase exponentially beyond that if you are using the right hashtags.⁠⠀

These little hyperlink monsters help your customers find you when they search for topics relevant to them. An example, you ask? If you are a dentist in Chicago, using the hashtags #Chicagodentist or #dentistsinChicago can give you a prime position in the search queue for users looking up that hashtag. Call it free advertising. 

Here are the best tips for acing your hashtag game:⁠⠀

• Use 20-30 relevant hashtags per post⁠. The most you can post is 30 hashtags– why limit yourself to just 7 or 10? 

• Always update a few hashtags on every post, as Instagram recognizes when you always post the same tags, which can result in your content being muted in searches. Just like how the algorithm is always changing, your Instagram hashtag sets must do the same. The best way to combat this is to have 3 to 5 sets that you can rotate through. Even adding or omitting hashtags within your set so that they are more relevant to the post is a good idea. 

• Tag size matters. Aim for hashtags that are not too popular, but not too unpopular — 20,000 – 200,000 is a great range of hashtag uses to strive for⁠. Of course it is okay if some of your hashtags fall outside of this range– as long as they are relevant to your content. 

• Make it relevant– no one likes to get bamboozled by dentist content when they are looking at #travelinspiration,, so make sure your content matches your hashtags⁠. This also ensures that you are targeting your ideal audience and not wasting views on people who would never be your customer. 

Remember, social media is a complex world for businesses. Having a solid hashtag strategy is important, but not the only factor that drives results for brands. Be aware of who your brand is and what your target demographic is like. Post content that is relevant to this audience, combined with using the right hashtags, to attract and convert your ideal audience. 

Finally, be hyper-focused on your overall goals. If you’re strictly looking to convert sales, you should be focused on metrics that support sales (conversions, revenue generated, calls scheduled) and not arbitrary measurements (followers). Translate these goals into calls-to-action (CTA) for each post to direct people where you want them to go, so that people who find your post through a hashtag know where to purchase your products or services from.

And there you have it! Get started on building your 3-5 hashtag set of 30 (this tool is great to get inspired), and save it to the notes on your computer or mobile for easy access. 

Want more customized advice for hashtags? Schedule a customized coaching session with Social HQ here.