[SMK] Social Media Knowledge

DIGITAL MARKETING NEWS

[New Report] Do Instagram Hashtags Help Grow Impressions?

How many hashtags should you add to your Instagram posts to make engagement pop?

Four?

Fourteen?

None?

According to Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, hashtags don’t really help with post distribution, so it’s probably not worth losing too much sleep over, either way…

Mosseri stated that hashtags are designed to help categorise posts better and ensure users find the stuff they’re looking for. But can it really be true that they don’t help with distribution?

Data examined – new hashtag info produced

That’s where a new study from Social Insider comes into play.

Social Insider recently crunched the numbers and analysed over 75 million Instagram posts between March 2021 and March 2022 to determine what’s happening in the app.

And… turns out Mosseri does know what’s happening on the platform he runs. The results found that the number of hashtags used on an Instagram post does not influence distribution.

Theodora Stanciu, Content Writer, Social Insider

“The number of hashtags a post has doesn’t really influence post distribution, which we calculated as the average engagement rate by impressions.”

The theory goes like this: as hashtags are used to categorise content and tell users what your post is about, they do not help gain more distribution. Additionally, the introduction of Instagram keyword search means users can find items via longer search terms, not just hashtags.

Different tactics for different account sizes

The boffins at Social Insider ran extensive tests and presented findings that showed you can use between 1 and 20 hashtags, and you’ll still get around the same engagement rate by impressions (3%). There was some slight fluctuation, but nothing significant – and certainly nothing significant enough to base an Instagram strategy around.

However, there were some interesting takeaways concerning follower count.

Theodora Stanciu, Content Writer, Social Insider

“The best practice for big accounts (with 50k – 1m followers) is to post Instagram content with three-four hashtags to obtain an average engagement rate by impressions of 3.42%.”

Results showed that smaller accounts (with 10k – 50k followers) get a higher impression rate if they use five to six hashtags.

Instagram’s take

Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, really put the cat among the pigeons with his latest quote – read what he said in full below.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, via Hootsuite

“They (hashtags) do help us to understand what a post is about, which means it might be more likely to show up in a place like a hashtag page, for instance, but in general, no, I wouldn’t try to think of hashtags as a way to get more distribution.”

In some instances, it might seem like hashtags cause content to perform better, but that’s only because people are engaging with your post, which then prompts Instagram to promote it on top posts via hashtag pages, suggested posts, or hashtags people follow. In this instance, the post is popular, so the hashtag is then promoted.

Not, as we previously might have thought, the post is popular because of the hashtag.

Hashtags have a place in Explore

An area where hashtags can be helpful is in Explore (Search).

Search is built to help users find accounts or topics of interest – think of it like the For You Page on TikTok, but not as good.

What you interact with within the main Feed and the things you search for will inform Explore, which will show you different content.

Instagram

“It’s different from Feed, Stories, Reels and Explore because your input helps us figure out what to show you. Your search tells us what you’re looking for.”

Brands can be discovered via search if they’re using the proper hashtags.

Let’s say someone is searching for ‘desks’. They type that into the search bar, and #desks show up as one of the top results. The person clicks on that and discovers your range of sleek, innovative work from home desks. They can then browse your profile, and if they like what they see, make a purchase.

Annnnd that’s how you can use hashtags to grow reach and even win a little bit of business.

But, make sure you’re using relevant keywords and hashtags in your captions (not the comments). Also, have locations in your bio and make sure your bio has the proper keywords for good measure.

Learn with SMK through March

Start your SMK: Digital Excellence 30-day free trial today and unlock unlimited, on-demand access to hundreds of hours of digital masterclasses, training courses and hands-on tutorials.

Your risk-free trial offers the perfect opportunity to expand and upgrade your digital intellectual property.

Each month SMK releases 30 hours of new and updated social media and digital marketing educational course content, ensuring you never get left behind – be it on digital strategy, tactics or implementation.

Alongside this, SMK offers live help and support weekly within the SMK Working Group. It might be a quick fix or the root of a bigger problem; either way, a problem shared is a problem halved. On a day-to-day basis, SMK’s team gives you hands-on support and fresh ideas.

Not to mention a shoulder to cry on, occasionally.

March's Courses, Live Help & Support Options

Live Member Clinics every Monday & Tuesday from 1 pm – 2 pm AEST
  • Live help and support from SMK’s team of analysts.
  • Book in to request a personalised discussion for 15 or 30m via Zoom within the Facebook Working Group.
Weekly Technical Labs: Google Analytics 4 on Wednesdays from 1 pm – 2 pm AEST
  • Technical Labs explore the technological process and workflows related to key digital marketing activities.
SEO Made Easy Masterclass on Thursdays from 10 am – 12 pm AEST
  • Module One: 2024 Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
  • Module Two: Understanding Technical SEO, User Experience & Google Search Console
  • Module Three: On-Page SEO, Website Copywriting & Content Marketing
  • Module Four: Off-Page SEO, Local SEO & Google Business Profile Optimisation
Digital Marketing Evaluation Masterclass on Fridays from 11 am – 1 pm AEST
  • Module One: 2024 Ads Trends, Landscape and Opportunities
  • Module Two: Social Ad Reporting, Evaluation & Campaign Optimisation
  • Module Three: Advertising Strategy, Targeting & Campaign Planning
  • Module Four: Social Ad Creative, Copywriting & Campaign Testing

Leave a Comment