April 29, 2021
Hashtags remain one of the most effective ways to generate engagement on your Instagram posts in 2021. A report says that a post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without any. So, it’s worth including them in your content strategy. They can help your posts reach the right target audience, attract new followers, increase engagement, and ultimately improve your brand presence on social.
Before choosing the most relevant hashtags for your posts, take a look at the most common ones and their categorizations.
Best Instagram Hashtags for Companies
Product or service hashtags. Companies should use product hashtags for posts related to their products or service offerings. This will usually be general, such as #hairsalon or #knitwear.
Industry niche hashtags. These hashtags are used to indicate the specific work you do and are narrower than your product or service hashtags. Examples include #blackhairsalon or #handmadeknits.
Branded hashtags. Branded hashtags can help you build a community around your brand or business. This could be a slogan or the name of a specific product that you offer. This also can be even your business name.
Campaign hashtags. If you’re running a sponsored ad, you can use a unique hashtag to keep track of activity relating to the campaign.
User-generated content hashtags. This type of hashtag is created specifically for your customers. These are different from product, branded, and campaign hashtags because your company cannot influence what gets posted. Other people can visit these hashtags to see unfiltered and unsponsored photos of your product.
Instagram community hashtags for your industry. These hashtags are a great way for getting more visibility among other Instagrammers who do something similar. For example, if you were a knitter, you might post in #knittersofinstagram.
Event or conference hashtags. As a company or business owner, you can use these hashtags to add to the conversation relating to a specific event or industry conference.
Cultural movement hashtags. Cultural movements such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ Pride, and feminism have created unique hashtags on Instagram (#BlackLivesMatter, #Pride, #feminism). Use these hashtags to uplift voices, share updates and information, and stand out from the crowd.
Location hashtags. These are great to target users in your area. Think #hairsalonlondon or #londonbakery.
Phrase hashtags. Phrase hashtags such as #befiteveryday and #staypositive can hint at what you do while inspiring users.
Now that you know how hashtags categories differ, let’s take a look at the top Instagram hashtags for the year.
#love
#instagood
#fashion
#photooftheday
#art
#beautiful
#photography
#follow
#happy
#cute
#nature
#tbt
#followme
#travel
#style
#repost
#instadaily
#summer
#selfie
#fitness
#beauty
#food
#fun
#likeforlike
Understanding the importance of hashtags for your content strategy and how to implement them effectively can be challenging. Unless you’re tracking your efforts, you’ll get stuck between what’s working and what’s not. To avoid mistakes altogether, work with an experienced partner – like us! Get in touch today!