Harness the Power of Instagram to Build Your Brand, Part 2: Hashtags and Who To Follow

To an untrained eye, hashtags might look like daunting blocks of texts and phrases strung together without much thought. But if you’re approaching hashtags with that mindset, you are missing out on a key factor for boosting your engagement on Instagram. I want to focus your attention exclusively on hashtags and who to follow because simply posting without engaging or deploying hashtags in a strategic manner is going to be a big, hairy waste of your time. And, what good is it to spend your precious time on Instagram if it is not getting you that needed client traffic? 

So, Why Hashtags?

The point of using hashtags when you post is to get you found faster. But, the most important thing to remember is that hashtags are not exclusively for search engines. They are also for human beings. They are for vendors, brand partners, potential clients, existing clients, and designers…really, they are there for all users on Instagram. In fact, hashtags can also be followed–you may even have a few that you follow for your own inspiration.

Keep that at the forefront of your mind when you are designing hashtags. This is why I love to geek out about hashtags–once I really understood what they were for, that they were more than just this annoying thing I’m supposed to do on every post, I got intrigued, and I started to do a little digging and research into my own analytics. I found that using hashtags in a smart way does numbers for my engagement. You just have to know how to approach them in a smart way.

Leveraging Local

A localized tag is one that references specifically the region or area or city or state that you work in. These can be especially beneficial for you because you are targeting specifically the clients you want to work with through these hashtags. I’m betting that some of your clients are actually already following specific hashtags on Instagram that are related to local businesses or activities in their area. Using specific hashtags they are familiar with—as long as they have to do with the post you are making—could be an excellent way to gain more localized client traffic.

I know what my clients would be searching for, and I use those things to create my hashtags. Think of your client’s voice. They probably won’t be searching interior design terminology. They might instead be looking for inspiration based on the things they want in their room: “leather sofa” or “Persian rug.” You shouldn’t be using the same hashtags every time or stuffing your hashtags with trending tags. Instead, think of what searches your clients may be running and use those search terms to your advantage when creating your hashtags. You’re not aiming to attract bots, you’re aiming to attract your ideal client!

To keep geeking out with me over the power of hashtags and engagement, or if you want to learn more about The Affluent Creative, check out www.melissagalt.com/ac025 !