Why Are Instagram Hashtags Key To Customer Engagement?

Using hashtags is an innovative means of tagging people on social media, such as Instagram, for this time and age. What you may not know is that hashtags are not only used for personal purposes.

In this article, our a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency has teamed up with Webster Solutions, to share tips on how hashtags can be used to grow your business on Instagram and boost customer engagement. Below are the reasons why this situation is the case: 

The Allowable Number of Hashtags to Post is Limited
The limitation of the allowable number of hashtags to be posted prevents spamming on Instagram. Customers can trust businesses that observe strict rules against spamming.

Many scrupulous organizations don’t sell and offer legit and high-quality products services, out to con customers out of their money. Sometimes, businesses that do what appears to be spamming of hashtags are the scrupulous ones.

Ideally, keeping hashtags to two to three or five to eight are not considered spammy according to the results from a recently conducted engagement study. Posting such several hashtags on Instagram generates a 10 percent rate improvement in customer engagement, in comparison to the posting of one, four, six, and seven hashtags.

Posting 11 hashtags generate the highest percentage number of customer engagement. Posting an excessive number of hashtags is not an issue when you do so after a couple of comments have been made. The multiple numbers of hashtags you post overshadow the older comments on Instagram. 

Hashtags Can’t be Placed Just Anywhere on Instagram’s Platform 
Instagram has a strict rule against placing hashtags just anywhere on its platform. Not complying with this rule can cause your business to be labeled as spammy. For hashtags to be considered legit, they need to be posted in the comments, photos, and videos sections. The captions below the photos and videos sections, though, are the parts of Instagram where customer and call-to-action engagements are focused. 

Hashtags Can Be Hidden 
If the moderator of your business’s Instagram account desires, they may hide the hashtags on Instagram’s comments sections. Hiding hashtags on Instagram is one way of subtly letting industry experts know your business is not spammy. Transform the hashtags to merely search words. You can do this by just putting periods and dashes at the end of each hashtag. 

Only Trending Hashtags are Recommendable 
There’s no way audiences can keep track and follow outdated hashtags. Hashtags are similar to keywords. Potential customers search for hashtags associated with the trending search phrases for the newest models and forms of products and services.

Keep in mind, though, that there are constant changes in the trending business hashtags on Instagram. Webstagram and Tailwind Hashtag Finder are among the examples of hashtag research tools. The frequent use of the same hashtags, though, can cause them to be removed and labeled as spammy on Instagram. 

Customized Tags are Useful 
Every business is recommendable to have special tags or hashtags that just going to tell the market to which the company belongs. Specifically, each project of your business is best to be labeled with an exceptional and rare single hashtag.

Spread the word of the usage of a customized tag for your business to your potential customers and followers on Instagram. Doing so may be the source of increasing the instances of customer engagement. 

Common Tagging Mistakes are Avoidable 
Tagging involves the use of a couple of single words or terms. With this said, it’s easy to avoid common tagging mistakes. Avoid adding tags at the end of posts on Instagram.

By the time you add your tags to posts, the latter would have gone live and have been seen by countless people, already. Another tagging mistake you should avoid is utilizing the same hashtag groups within 24 to 48 hours. Finally, don’t utilize broken and prohibited or banned hashtags. 

Hashtags Act as Topic Indicators 
The topic indicators associated with hashtags are commonly the subjects of interest about products and services businesses sell. Propagating the popularity of such tags makes your business appear, customer, rather than, sales-oriented on Instagram.
 
By Vishal Dudhal, partner, Webster Solutions and consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc.

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