Blogging 101: Should I Use Hashtags?

Should I use hashtags? Simply put, YES!!!

Hashtags are a wonderful way to categorize your content. These words, phrases, and emojis that can be used to describe your picture or who you are as a brand. Some hashtags are hits and others are misses, while some are straight-up blacklisted and can wind up getting you shadow banned by Instagram for two weeks. True story – it’s happened to me.

You Get 30 Chances

On Instagram you are able to use 30 hashtags for every single post. This gives you 30 chances to not only describe yourself and your content, but to also be found by others. Yes, friends, this is one of the many growth strategies that bloggers, content creators, and influencers employ. Imagine it, if you use all 30 hashtags that gives you 30 chances to have your content appear under that category. You will either appear under “Most Recent,” or if you have a lot of engagement, under “Top Posts.” Of course, the goal is to appear in “Top Posts” because they get more visibility, while “Most Recent” is updated with every new post that uses that hashtag and subsequently pushes older posts down.

E-meet And Connect

Hashtags are not only a great way for others to find you, but also for you to find others and connect. For example, a few months ago, I started following the hashtags #discover3k, #smallblogger, and #michiganblogger. All of these described me – I have under 3,000 followers, I have a small blog following, and I am a blogger in Michigan. My thought here is that this would lead me to e-meet and connect with similar bloggers and I was not wrong. I have been able to connect with bloggers all over the nation and some from different parts of the world from just following hashtags and genuinely interacting with their content.

Hashtag Sets

As I previously mentioned, some hashtags are hits and others are misses, but unfortunately Instagram doesn’t break it down by each individual hashtag to tell you which are working and which ones are not. That is why content creators typically have multiple sets that they pull from and use. At any given time, I have 3-4 hashtag sets that I use. These sets typically contain 20-25 hashtags, so that I can fill the remaining five spots with new hashtags that I may find that week or month that I would like to try.

I create new hashtag sets every 2-3 months, but there are some hashtags that I do tend to always use, such as #grandrapidsblogger, #michiganblogger, #midwestblogger #discover3k. When it does come to creating new sets, I do tend to look around me and observe what hashtags other creators are using. Then I will take an in depth look at some hashtags and see what type of content is being created under that category. How much content is current categorized under that hashtag. And lastly, how frequently that hashtag is being used. Based off of what I learn, I will then either add it to a set or pass on it.

My hashtag sets do tend to have themes. For example, when I am talking about local business or Michigan, I will use a set that is specifically uses Michigan hashtags, such as #MichiganAwesome or #Michigrammer. I also have a hashtag set that relates to fashion and the current season. When I am photographing a portrait, I will use a set that relates to portrait hashtags. Then there is a skincare set, and, well, you get the picture.

Why You Judging?

So, I just mentioned how I briefly judged hashtags, but I cannot stress that part enough. Some hashtags, #ootd (299.7 million posts) I’m looking at you, are just too big to even bother with. However, other hashtags like, #SelfCareIsQueen (16 posts), are too small, or might be someone’s personal hashtag. There is a sweet spot when looking for useable hashtags – mine tends to be between 2,000 – 700,000 posts. Yes, I know those are two very different numbers, but I have found the most luck with sets of 25 hashtags that are made up of smaller and larger grossing hashtags. Of course, you have to find what is right for you.

So, now that I have come to the end of my rant about hashtags, I hope you can see the benefit of them. Yes, it might take some getting used to – I know I felt very self-conscious when I first started using them because none of my friends used them. However, they are great for growing your audience and meeting other creators in the digital world.