Hashtags are a simple and playful way to get your Instagram page noticed by thousands of users. When you spend hours creating stellar content, you want a lot of people to see it!

Unfortunately, you can’t just add a hashtag and expect your social media post to blow up – there’s a craft to managing them. That’s why our Social Stamina team compiled some pros and cons of using Instagram hashtags for your business.

Pro: Getting Discovered by Potential Customers with Hashtags

Adding hashtags to your Instagram post is the best way to get noticed by potential customers. You can include hashtags that describe your business, the picture, or your customer interests.

Let’s say you own a bagel shop in Lavallette and you’re looking to reach every bagel lover on the Jersey Shore. Try adding “#jerseyshorebagels” to the next delicious photo of your famous pork roll, egg, and cheese sammie. Doing so will connect you to potential customers that are interested in your cuisine.

Con: You Can Turn Away Followers by Using Too Many Hashtags

Hashtags are great for boosting your Instagram engagement, but too many hashtags can sometimes turn away users. Your followers want to read a caption that is thoughtful and entertaining, not a jumble of hashtags.

Rather than inserting a dozen hashtags within your Instagram caption, put them in a separate comment underneath your post. This way, you can add up to 30 hashtags without frustrating your followers.

Pro: You Can Create a Marketing Campaign Using a Specific Hashtag

One genius hashtag collaboration included Disney and Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2017. In the marketing campaign, Disney inspired fans to post pictures in their Mickey Mouse Ears with #ShareYourEars. Disney would then donate $5 to Make-A-Wish Foundation for every post. 

The campaign was an absolute hit, with $2 million in donations. As this strategy shows, including a hashtag in your marketing campaign helps instantly gauge its success.

Con: It's Easy to Get Lost in the Noise of a Specific Hashtag

#PhotoOfTheDay and #FlashbackFriday are playful hashtags most people adore (#FlashbackFriday has more than 15.1 million posts). Unfortunately, its commonality is the problem! With the overuse of popular hashtags comes low reward – your post may get lost in the noise and lack engagement.

To make your Instagram posts stand out, use more niche hashtags that aren't too vague. Like search engine optimization, your hashtags should be specific enough to attract your target audience. For example, instead of #realestate, opt for #jerseyshorerealestate or #northernnjrealestate.

Looking to #BoostYourBusiness on Instagram? Let our marketing experts at Social Stamina help! We’ll give you a free consultation and get your business #trending.