How to Boost Engagement on Instagram with an Easy Hashtag Hack

Is your school district using Instagram? 

Do you want more people to see your Instagram posts?

Using hashtags is easier for people who don’t follow you on Instagram to find your content.

In this article, you’ll learn how to boost engagement on Instagram with an easy hashtag hack.

The Importance of the Hashtag

Hashtags started on Twitter, but have become the lifeblood of any post on Instagam. A proper hashtag can help boost engagement and allow people who do not follow your account to discover your content.

According to Dictionary.com, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign (#) and used to identify messages on a specific topic.
The keyword in their definition is “identify.” A hashtag puts your content into a category. Instagram users search hashtags to discover content pertaining to that category.

For example, our district’s “Teaching in Dallas” instagram account will use popular teacher hashtags to attract educators from across the country to our content.

 
By using these hashtags, our content is categorized so other Instagram users who enjoy teaching and classroom tips can easily find it—even if they don’t yet follow our “Teaching in Dallas” feed.

This is an excellent way for schools or school districts that are new to Instagram, or have small follower numbers, to get exposure to more interested people. The beautiful thing is that Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post.

Instagram Hashtag Hack to Boost Engagement

With hashtags on Instagram being so important, you have to use them to drive engagement. However, you need be creative on how you use them so you do not look like you are spamming Instagram with your posts.

Putting all 30 hashtags into your initial description is so 2016. With this simple hack, you can use hashtags to boost engagement without looking like a hashtag spammer.

The secret is to post your picture and content, and then put your hashtags in the first comment of your post.

By using this technique, your initial Instagram post is not full of annoying hashtags that crowd your post.

Using the comment section allows you to have a break between your caption and your hashtag categories. But simply putting your hashtags in the first comment is not enough. This is where the Hashtag Hack comes in.

Hashtag Hack Step 1: Know Thy Audience

First tip on this hack is to know your audience you are trying to attract with your post. Do you know what type of content they want? Do you know what hashtags they are using or what type of hashtags are they searching for?

HubSpot's Audience Persona Templates

You do not want to put hashtags in your post just to use hashtags. You need to have a good reason. You must know what is going to attract your audience.

Hashtag Hack Step 2: Text Editor

This is the real secret the hack. Do not type your hashtags directly into the comment section. Instead, type your hashtags into a text editor like your notes app on your iPhone. And make sure to use the dot character on your typepad to create line breaks.

By using the “Dot”, you give a break between your post and the comment section, yet still giving you the power of the hashtag. We use FIVE DOTS to give the adequate space between the post and our hashtags.

Hashtag Hack Step 3: Paste into Comment

The next step is to take your hashtags you created in your text editor, and then paste them into the comment section on your Instagram post. Make sure when you copy your note in your text editor that you copy all five dots and all of your hashtags.

 

Posting your collected hashtags into your comment section will help non-followers find your awesome content without making you look like a spammer.

Conclusion

Using hashtag with Instagram is a powerful technique you must be using. Without hashtags, your posts are basically hidden from the outside world.

School districts can take advantage of hashtags as long as you carefully select the right kind that match with your content, and as long as you do not misuse or spam your followers.

Do you have questions about using hashtags in Instagram? Do you have questions about boosting social media engagement? Leave your questions in the comment section below.