How to rank highly on Instagram Hashtags

Are you looking to go VIRAL? Well, believe it or not, the key to going viral on Instagram is hashtags! So if you want to grow your following fast, you have to master the art of hashtagery. When it comes to hashtags, your goal should be to be featured on the Top 9! What is the Top 9? When you go to the Explore tab in the Instagram app and type in a hashtag, the "Top Posts" area is a grid of 9 trending posts (as seen above). This is prime real estate because it exposes your content to hundreds of thousands or even millions (depending on the size of the hashtag) of new, active, and targeted followers!

Now that we've established the importance of the Top 9, let's discuss how you get there! Like most things on Instagram, there is no cut and dry formula for getting featured. And while we don't know EVERYTHING about how the algorithm chooses these 9 posts, several best practices will increase your chances of getting there. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

1. Bring your A-Game

You don't see spammy, low-quality, or dull content featured on the Top 9. All trending posts have a few key things in common - they are high quality, engaging, and interesting! And rightfully so, because being in the Top 9 is incredibly valuable, as it means that anyone who searches for that specific hashtag will see your post first.

2. Engagement

Likes, comments, saves, and shares play a big role in Instagram's selection process for the Top 9. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have a huge following to be featured on this list, either. But you do have to prove to the algorithm that your post is worth being in the spotlight, i.e., there is a lot of engagement and buzz around it.

A great way to boost engagement is to spark conservation with a Call to Action (CTA). After you give users a new piece of information, tell them what they should do next. This could include commenting about a similar experience they've had, clicking the link in your bio, or sharing the post with a friend. CTA's should be simple and easy enough that users can complete the action within less than 30 seconds. ⠀⠀

3. Details

You can add a maximum of 30 hashtags to a post. And we recommend always using all 30! As for placement, you can either put your hashtags in the caption or in the comments. The only difference is timing. The first 30 hashtags count. So, if you put them in the comments, make sure that it's the first comment posted! And if your followers are viewing your post using the mobile app, they won't even see the hashtags unless they click to view all of the comments! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

4. Pick the best hashtags for you 

 It should be clear by now that using a few random hashtags won't get you very far. Instead, think about who you are targeting and what you're really trying to achieve with each hashtag you use. When deciding which hashtags to use, there are 2 key qualifiers: relevance and size.

Relevance: your hashtags must be relevant to your post. If they're not, not only do you forgo targeting your ideal audience, but you also become at risk for being flagged for spam - using irrelevant hashtags can actually do your post more harm than not having hashtags at all. Relevant hashtags are different for everyone and can cover anything from location-specific, seasonal, covering special events, and your industry's niche. For example, at AMR Digital Marketing, we use hashtags about social media marketing, content creation, and the different social media platforms because that is what our content is about. If we used hashtags related to cars, dogs, or vacations on a post about social media tips, this would be irrelevant and likely harm the post's performance.

Size: The goal of hashtags is to rank highly and expand your reach, so it's super important to make sure that you're using hashtags that match your business's size and allow you to stand out. The first step is to be aware of what is realistic for YOU. Meaning, the smaller your following, the smaller the hashtags you should be using! For example, #socialmediamarketing has over 12 million posts, making it unlikely that your post will get much attention using this hashtag. To rank on a hashtag this large, you'll need to outshine nearly 12 million posts, and even then, your spot on the Top 9 will likely only last a few hours. Instead, try using #contentstrategy, which has less than half a million posts. Moral of the story - aim to be a BIG fish in a SMALL pond, NOT a small fish in a big pond. You'll get way more attention that way. For more details about the size of hashtags that your business should be using, check out the guide below:

Now it's your turn, comment below with 5 hashtags that you would like to be featured on! 

Written By: Leah Ross, AMR Digital Marketing, Copywriter