Hashtags can be confusing — we get it! Here are 8 Instagram hashtag hacks for you to check out & see what works best for you on Instagram.
From hiding hashtags in your posts & Instagram Stories to creating hashtag groups we’ve got a hack for you.
Let's jump in? Here are 8 Instagram hashtag hacks:
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #1: Hide your Hashtags in the Copy
You can hide your hashtags by adding line breaks before you put in all those #'s. There are a variety of ways to hide your hashtags
Lucky for you, we have an easy Instagram hashtag hack for this: use this tool to create clean-looking copy for the Gram. 
If you’re posting a caption with 25-30 hashtags, this is also a great way to keep your caption from looking cluttered and messy. When you post your photo, Instagram will only reveal the first few lines of your caption so your hashtags will be hidden.
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #2: Hyper-Relevant Hashtags for Engagement
Using ultra-popular hashtags #love, #instagood, and #photooftheday might get you a few extra likes, but they aren’t going to help you grow an engaged, targeted following on Instagram. There is a problem with the ultra-popular hashtag use in that your posts will get buried quickly if you are using those hashtags. The goal is to show up in the Top 9 for your account to be discovered & gain more of those coveted followers.
If you’re hoping to get more genuine engagement, you need to get super-relevant & niche with your hashtags. Do this by using hashtags that describe your account, your business, and your ideal target market. We've got a great hashtag strategy plan courtesy of Sunny Lenarduzi – YouTube Video for the Hashtag grouping strategy go to the 3:15 minute mark.
Here are the tools she mentions Flick.Tech & DisplayPurposes
Niche hashtags are perfect for growing a community of like-minded users for your brand. Plus, they help you connect with others, improve the searchability of your posts, & gain new followers (& hopefully customers, too!).
We broke down Sunny's strategy in the image.
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Instagram Hashtag Hacks #3: Post Hashtags in the 1st Comment
One of the best ways to boost engagement is to add hashtags in the 1st comment. Why?
Too many hashtags in your caption or original post can look bad or even worse — SPAMMY!
Consider posting your hashtags in the first comment is a great way to make your caption the star of the show, without compromising any of the engagement you can get with hashtags. Planoly lets you do this by simply clicking the speech bubble icon & adding your #'s to be shared in the first comment.
You've got options with your Hashtags — to hide in the original post or to put them in the first comment. You may be wondering which is best, right?
Our friends over at Agorapulse host the Social Media Lab where they test things to help us determine what works best. They did an experiment on this topic & you can check out the full results here.
Turns out it was really close, but there was higher likes & reach if you put the hashtags in the copy versus the first comment. So, you do you! Decide which format you like better or what works for your audience. 😎
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #4: Add Hashtags to Your Instagram Stories to Get on the Explore Page
Adding hashtags to your story is a great way to give your content an added chance to be discovered by new audiences.
When people search for a hashtag on #Instagram, if it’s popular enough, they’ll be able to view active, real-time stories on that hashtag’s page – including your own. See how the Stories circle is highlighted? That is how you know if there are stories related to that hashtag.
And if they like what they see, they might even tap the follow button!
There are two different ways to add hashtags to your stories. The first is by using the hashtag sticker (you can only add one hashtag with this method). The other is by using the text tool & simply typing your hashtags out (you can add up to 10 hashtags using this method).
If you want to maximize your story’s discoverability, use this under-utilized hack & add relevant hashtags to your next story!
PRO TIP: If you use the same hashtags on your stories consider creating a note or shortcut on your phone to save you from typing them out every time.
Halfway to the 8 Instagram Hashtag hacks!
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #5: Hide Your Hashtags in Your Stories
As we just learned, hashtags are great for making your stories more discoverable. However, they can also ruin the aesthetic of an Instagram story and look “spammy” if you’re posting a ton on each story.
Luckily, there are tricks to get around it!
👈 If you want to hide hashtags in your Instagram Stories, type out your hashtags, & then pinch them to make them smaller.
Then place a GIF or image sticker over the hashtag text so it’s hidden! 👉
Or you can select the color tool from the text option and choose a color that perfectly matches your Instagram story background (this works a lot better if the background is a solid color). With just two taps, your hashtag content will magically blend into the background but still be searchable!
Keep in mind that if you make the hashtags too small, Instagram won’t register them! So the best way is to camouflage them with the background or hide them behind another design element like a GIF.
Did you know that you can follow hashtags just like you follow other accounts?
This is an under-utilized trick that has a ton of business uses. For example, you can encourage your existing audience to follow your branded hashtags so that you connect more easily with your community.
Just like this with #SociallyPowered – we'd love if you'd follow our branded hashtag! ❤️
Or you can use the feature to keep a close eye on competitors & even discover potential partners by choosing to follow industry-specific hashtags.
When you find a hashtag you’d like to follow you simply open the hashtag page and tap on the “Follow” button.
Once you’ve selected to follow a hashtag you’ll begin seeing top posts from that hashtag in your feed and some of the latest stories in your stories bar.
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #7: Add Hashtags to Your Instagram Bio
What’s so great about this feature is that it makes your bio even more functional! You can use hashtags for everything from promoting your Instagram community to highlighting your branded content.
Including your branded hashtag in your bio is also a great way to get your followers in the habit of posting with it.
All you have to do is include a “#” before any word in your bio and it will automatically become a clickable link that leads visitors to that hashtag.
Instagram Hashtag Hacks #8: Use 30 Hashtags to Increase Your Engagement Rate
Our friends over at Agorapulse did another test in the Social Media Lab & determined if you use 30 Hashtags you will see increased engagement on your account.
One of our biggest insights? Instagram posts that include hashtags get more engagement… a lot more!
After analyzing influencer posts that contain hashtags, the data shows using more hashtags actually results in a higher engagement rate.
The sweet spot? 25-30 hashtags per post! This is especially true for smaller accounts with less than 10k followers.
Instagram hashtags are a great way to connect with customers, find followers & build long-term relationships with partners.
Hopefully, these Instagram hashtag hacks & tricks have sparked some new ideas you can implement on your own account!
We love hearing if these hacks have helped you! Drop us a line & let us know which of these 8 Instagram Hashtag Hacks is your favorite!
*Please note: Links to Agorapulse & Planoly are referral or affiliate links meaning I am rewarded for referring you to join or sign-up. I would only refer you to something I personally use & believe in. If you ever have any questions about anything I have promoted please reach out. I'm happy to answer any questions.
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