So I popped some insights from some recent posts on my story and received floods of messages from you guys interested in how I have been using hashtags to improve my reach on instagram after what feels like the longest stale period ever. I am a well known offender of a few "algorithm rants" because I know how frustrating it is when you work really hard to create content, often dedicating a whole day to it, sending it off to brands - they are watching - you are watching - you've done all the things you should be, engaging 20 mins before and after posting blah blah blah and NOTHING. You check the insights at the end of the evening and see "523 accounts reached" WHAT.
Anyway whether its a sheer brush of luck, or some things which I have been doing a little differently recently, I have suddenly gone from this to between 6000-9000 reach on my recent posts, often 90% of these from hashtags alone (so the algorithm is still screwing me with my own followers but another day) and I thought I would share a few tips on how my have been finding and using hashtags. Like I said I am by no means an expert and it will be sods law that as soon as I post this my next one will flop but here we go anyway!
1. Have a hashtag bank on your notes
What I mean by this is save any set of hashtags that do well into a little bank in the notes app on your phone and try trial and error to figure out which ones are working (p.s. don't use the exact same hashtags on every post - I've heard this can get you shadowbanned)
2. Different hashtag banks for different categories of photos
Use different hashtag banks for different sets of photos - eg ones which work well for outfit photos, flatlays , going out photos, casual outfits, beauty photos etc etc, keeping them as niche and specific as possible!
3. Put hashtags in the comments of your photo
I put my hashtags in the comments of my photo immediately after posting it, with 5 bullet points above so that they don't show up and it keeps the comments looking neat and tidy.
Now we get technical
4 . 5-10 hashtags describing the outfit
This feels a little strange at first but I start off by describing EXACTLY what is in the photo, eg if its an outfit photo, I describe the top, what the jeans look like, what material the dress is, what shoes I'm wearing, what jewellery I'm wearing. All feels a bit simple but seems to work so I don't ask questions!
5. Find brand specific hashtags
For any brands you are wearing, go to their own instagram page and find the hashtag they ask people to use to be featured like #boohoobabes - more likely that the brand will find you and therefore more people!
6. Hashtag wherever you are
Same goes for location, any restaurants, bars, locations in London
7. Hashtags where you would wear this outfit
Is it a #goingoutoutfit or #datenightoutfit or #casualoutfit or #springoutfit? Get inventive and think about what you would be searching for inspiration for if you wanted an outfit similar to this.
8. Add a few popular hashtags
Experiment with these, these are the wildcards that you can switch up and see which work, I usually find them by going on some profiles which have a similar style to me and looking up which generalised hashtags they are using eg #londonfashionblogger #fbloggeruk #discoverunder10k
9. Research NICHE hashtags applicable to your photo
This is the bit that takes a lot of time but it pays off, I search some very specific hashtags to the photo for example #parisianstyle and click up the top on some similar hashtags that instagram recommends and keep doing this until you've got yourself lost down a deep dark instagram rabbit hole. For this I tend to do a mixture of hashtags that are pretty popular (10k + posts) and some more obscure ones (2000 or less) so that you have a mixture of lots of people potentially seeing it in 'RECENT' or the increased chance of you being in the 'TOP' tab.
10. #Gifted
Now I wasn't sure whether to put this one in as its a catch 22 really because in reality it's a legal requirement, however I have noticed recently is that any posted which is #gifted or #ad (even if I put AD at the start without a hashtag to try and be legal but also trick the evil IG computer), it is automatically restricted and hidden from many of my own followers. Do with that information what you will, because we all technically have to include it to avoid fines and be transparent with our audience and all that jazz - but the way I'm looking at it is that I have to now ramp up my own personal content that isn't including gifted outfits/ products in order to keep up the momentum.
And thats about all folks. But in all seriousness, this is all when I'm feeling particularly extra and if I'm having a busy or lazy day I will just copy and paste a few from and old photo which was kind of the same and be done with it, so don't feel too pressured into all this bollocks, Instagram isn't real life. Just have fun with using instagram as a creative outlet and don't get caught up in the numbers, they may all be gone next year anyway!
Good Luck, let me know if you have any success with any of it and may the algorithm be forever in your favour!
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