Using an Optimal Instagram Hashtag for Maximum Reach

We already know how to research hashtag in various ways and maybe you have collect some hashtags that related to your business.

Then the next question is, what hashtag should we use? How is the composition? How many hashtags in one post?

Lets keep reading..

1. Use Hashtags that Highly Relevant to Your Posts

An interesting content is indeed an important key to make your post goes viral on Instagram.

But another important key is also using a relevant hashtag, so Instagram can categorize your post pricieselyand it can be spread to the right users.

Besides, do you know ? It turns out that Instagram has a system that can assess whether you are using relevant hashtags or just spammy one.

You can get banned if you use irrelevant hashtag too often.

When you post on Instagram, first thing is your content will be spread to a small part of your followers. not instantly to all your followers.

Instagram system needs to evaluate first whether your posted content has high quality by looking at how fast the content will get the interaction since it got posted.

If the content can get a lot of likes or comments fast, then it will be spread again to some of your other followers gradually.

This process happens gradually until finally your post can be spread to all followers, including hashtag followers you used.

Then what happened if you use irrelevant hashtag?

Suppose you post a photo jersey ball and you use hashtags #hijab.

Just imagine...

When your wife who has an interest in hijab, but gets a football jersey post in her Instagram feed, what will happen? There will be no interaction.

People will ignore the posts that are not relevant with the hashtag they are interested to, and even can report it as a spam.

The lack of interaction or negative feedback is considered by Instagram as uninteresting and unqualified. The result is, Instagram algorithm will not spread your post, or even give your account shadow banned.

Shadow ban is a temporary ban for an account that post spammy hashtag too often. The posts will not appear on recent posts, more over on top posts. It can happen for at least 2 weeks until 1 month.

2. Use other hashtags that are still relevant

Tthere are other hashtag types, such as: topic, time/moments, activities, locations, deals, and brands.

Suppose you post a photo of the mosque, then:

• Content: #masjid, #mesjid, #mosque, #mosquephotography, #mosqueofworld
• Topic: #islam, #muslim = > to still be relevant because more coverage is wider or more common. And the mosque is also related to Islam and Muslims.
• Time or moments: #sholatjumat, #jumatmubarak
• Activities: #adzan, #sholat, #sujud, #pengajian, #kajian
• Location: #masjidsurabaya
• Promotion: #subuhberjamaah,
• Branded: #masjidagung, #istiqlal, #masjidnabawi

Hashtags #quran or #quranverse are less relevant to mosque photos although the topic is generally still the same as Islam, because the context is already different. Unless your content shows the Quran and mosques only as background.

3. Combine Hashtags based on popularity/size

You are free to decide how to compose it.

But my advice is, if your amount of follower is still below 50k, then use medium hashtag more often because it’s easier for you to reach top post than using popular hashtag.

This is just a personal preference, feel free to experiment with your hashtags to find the best composition that suits your niche or business. 🙂

The more followers you have later, try to experiment with changing the composition, and use more popular hashtags.

4. How Many Hashtags are Optimal in a Post?

The maximum number of hashtags that can be used in an Instagram post is 30 hashtags. But that doesn't mean we have to use 30 hashtags in each of your posts.

Its okey to use less than 30 hashtag in a post. You dont need to add irrelevant hashtags just maximize it to 30 hashtags.
It can instead lead to a shadow banned.

Still from the research conducted by simply measured in 2014, the optimum amount of hashtags to get interaction is around9-15 hashtags.

It's just a general overview and may be varied in every niche or topic.

Thus, we created a Virol feature to help you research and analyze by yourself, how many hashtags used by the competitors in your niche in every post.

5. Create Your Own Brand Hashtag / UGC

Note how Nike's brands always insert #justdoit as their nets, or Tiket.com with a typical #semuaadatiketnya, and many other examples.

Now it's your turn to create your branded hashtag for UGC campaign. If it's successful and viral, then your brand will be widespread and make people curious.

This can also motivate your followers to use your brand hashtag, and their best picture will be reposted with that hashtag as a reward.

Surely people will do this proudly, especially if your brand is already huge and popular.

with that, you can hit two birds with one stone. Your brand will be spread widely, and you don’t have to post contents because your followers will do that for you, by creating their best content

and you just have to repost it in just 2 clicks using Virol.