4 steps to finding hashtags that will explode your Instagram following!

One of the biggest questions we get here at Get Social With Cait what strategy is best when it comes to hashtags.

Should you be using hashtags anymore?

If so, how many?

Should you put them in the caption, or in the comments?

The truth is - none of us know for sure what exactly the truth is. Even the creators of Instagram have contradicted themselves on this very subject.

Our take? When using a sample of 10 viral reels (100k views or more), do you know what we saw?

Each Reel had 10 or more hashtags, in the caption. Take away from that what you will but one thing everyone can agree on, is that hashtags help categorize what your content is about.

Why is categorization important? Read more on that here.

So, how do you find the best hashtags for you?

Step 1:

Make a section in your Notes for each category of content you post. For example Real estate, gardening, interior design, parenting, hiking, etc. You probably already have at least one or two hashtags you're using for these types of posts.

Step 2:

Type one of them into the search bar on Instagram.

From there, you will see how many posts are using that hashtag. Ideally, no matter how many hashtags you’re using, you want to shoot for about a 50/50 ratio of smaller hashtags (like this one) and bigger hashtags, like #instagood. The smaller the hashtag, the more specific the user!

Step 3:

Go to the “Top” tab, and start scrolling! Any posts we see in the “Top” feed, we know are performing well. Go through the hashtags they are using and see if you can source a few that are unique to your niche.

Step 4:

Repeat this process for each category of content you make, and copy the ones you like best into your notes section. Now, whenever you make a post, you have a group of hashtags at your disposal with no searching necessary!

Bonus Step:

Search “hashtags” in the app store to find a generator! These are helpful with the bigger hashtags & to save time but, they aren’t built to find those smaller, very specific hashtags you need to connect with your ideal follower.

So there you have it! By spending no more than 45 minutes, you can create a customized list of hashtags for yourself to use again and again.

If you’re ready to take the next step & level up your instagram even more, schedule your free consultation with us here!