Mastering Hashtag Strategy: How to Increase Your Reach on Instagram

In today’s social media landscape, Instagram hashtags are more than just trendy labels. They’re essential tools that help your content reach new audiences, enhance engagement, and fuel growth. But, like any tool, hashtags are only effective when used correctly. If you're a business owner or entrepreneur looking to expand your Instagram reach, mastering hashtag strategy is crucial. In this blog, we’ll dive into the steps for doing effective hashtag research and building a strategy that will help you maximise your reach.

#WhyHashtagsMatter

Hashtags are Instagram’s way of categorising content. When users search for or follow specific hashtags, they’re taken to a collection of posts that include those hashtags, making it easier for them to discover new content. In essence, hashtags act as keywords or SEO for Instagram. Using the right ones ensures that your content is seen by the right audience. A well-researched hashtag strategy can increase visibility, drive engagement, and potentially bring in new followers and customers.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Before diving into hashtag research, it’s essential to understand your overall goals on Instagram. Are you trying to:

• Increase brand awareness?

• Drive traffic to your website or landing page?

• Engage with a specific niche community?

• Promote a particular product or service?

Each goal may require a slightly different hashtag strategy. For instance, if you’re launching a product, you might focus on hashtags related to your industry and trending terms. But if you’re building brand awareness, you might use broader or branded hashtags.

Step 2: Start with Broad Hashtag Research

Hashtag research begins by exploring broad, industry-specific hashtags that apply to your business. These are the foundational hashtags that make your posts relevant to your niche. Start by:

• Searching for hashtags related to your industry or business. For example, if you're a virtual assistant, terms like #VirtualAssistant or #SmallBusinessSupport may apply.

• Checking out the hashtags your competitors or influencers in your space are using.

• Using Instagram’s search function to see the number of posts associated with each hashtag.

Tip: Avoid only using hashtags with millions of posts. While popular, they can be over-saturated, making it hard for your content to stand out. Instead, blend popular hashtags with medium-sized and niche-specific ones.

Step 3: Use Hashtag Generators

Hashtag generator tools like Hashtagify, All Hashtag, or even Instagram’s own auto-suggestions can help you discover new hashtags. These tools analyse popular hashtags and provide recommendations based on your content’s keywords.

When using hashtag generators:

• Focus on related hashtags that align with your industry and audience.

• Mix in location-based hashtags if you’re trying to target a local audience.

• Experiment with different combinations to find the best fit.

  
  

Step 4: Create a Branded Hashtag

A branded hashtag is a unique, custom hashtag that ties directly to your business. It could be your business name, a tagline, or a specific campaign. For instance, #ReliableVAServices could be your go-to branded hashtag, or you could create campaign-specific ones like #VirtualAssistance101 for educational posts. Branded hashtags encourage user-generated content, help people discover your brand, and create a sense of community around your business.

Pro Tip: Promote your branded hashtag by including it in your bio, captions, and Stories.

Step 5: Mix It Up—Diversify Your Hashtag Groups

Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but it’s not always necessary to use all 30. Focus on a diverse range of hashtags that cover:

• Broad hashtags: Popular terms like #Entrepreneur or #BusinessOwner can give you visibility but are highly competitive.

• Niche hashtags: Hashtags with fewer posts, such as #VAforEntrepreneurs, may have a smaller audience but will likely give you higher engagement.

• Community-based hashtags: Join niche communities by using hashtags like #WomenInBusiness or #Solopreneur to engage with like-minded individuals.

• Location-based hashtags: Target local audiences with tags like #SmallBusinessAU or #SydneyEntrepreneurs.

• Branded hashtags: Encourage people to use your own brand-specific hashtag to build a following around your business.

Create different groups of hashtags and rotate them in your posts to avoid repetition and increase visibility across various audiences.

Step 6: Analyse and Adjust (Hashtag strategy)

Hashtag strategy isn’t a one-and-done deal. It requires regular monitoring and adjustments. Instagram’s built-in analytics (under Insights) will show you how each post performs in terms of reach and engagement, and which hashtags brought in the most traffic. Use this data to refine your hashtag sets.

Key metrics to track include:

• Post reach: The number of unique accounts that saw your post.

• Hashtag reach: How many impressions came from hashtags.

• Engagement rate: The level of interaction (likes, comments, shares) your post generated.

If you notice certain hashtags consistently underperforming, swap them out for new ones. Over time, you’ll discover which hashtags are most effective for your content and audience.

Step 7: Don’t Overload with Hashtags

While it’s tempting to use the full 30 hashtags on each post, more isn’t always better. Overloading your captions with too many hashtags can come off as spammy. Instead, focus on using 10-20 well-researched hashtags that align with your post’s content. Keep them relevant, intentional, and varied for the best results.

Final Thoughts

Hashtags are a powerful way to increase your Instagram reach, but they need to be used strategically. By conducting thorough hashtag research, experimenting with a variety of tags, and consistently analysing performance, you’ll fine-tune a strategy that helps your content get discovered by the right audience. With a little patience and persistence, mastering hashtag strategy can unlock incredible growth potential for your Instagram account.

Now, it’s time to start researching those hashtags and expanding your reach! #GetDiscovered #HashtagMastery #InstagramGrowth #ReliableVAservices