Hashtags can be an AMAZING way to boost engagement, but often times they are underutilized or used incorrectly. Today, I’m sharing some common mistakes that are made with hashtags and what YOU can do to avoid them.

Not using tags at all

Hashtags can be SO GREAT for boosting engagement! They are an easy tool to use, why not take the extra two minutes to curate some tags that can boost your engagement and get your content in front of new people?

Using the same tags every time

Sometimes, Instagram can pick up on this and actually shadow ban your posts from being seen if you are repeatedly using the same set of tags. Try mixing and matching! You also want to be trying to reach different people each time you post, which isn’t as easy to do if you’re using the same tags every time.

Using hashtags with 1M+ posts (or a high number of posts in general)

When you use really popular hashtags, you run the risk that your post will be buried along the million other posts in that category! Try varying your tags with some under 100k posts and some with less than 10k posts and see how your hashtags perform!

Not adding them in immediately after posting

If you wait to add your hashtags until long after your post is live, it is likely your post won’t be seen as many other photos have been shared with those hashtags since your post went live. Try adding your hashtags IMMEDIATELY for maximum exposure.

Using irrelevant hashtags

You should tailor your hashtags CAREFULLY to your content. IG can sniff out when tags aren’t relevant to the content you are sharing. And, you are missing out on those who might’ve been searching specifically for an influencer who specializes in that subject. For example, some relevant hashtags for an Instagram post on this topic would be #tipsfornewbloggers #hashtagstrategy #instagramtipsandtricks