While hashtags originated on Twitter, they quickly became part of each social media channel. At this point, Instagram hashtag density tends to be much greater than Twitter’s because companies realize the success of their Instagram marketing depends on proper hashtagging. One of the ways people find content and contributors they enjoy on Instagram is to search with hashtags.
There are two types of marketers on Instagram. The one focusses on getting as many followers as possible, by using the general hashtags that receive thousands of posts every day with every single picture they upload to Instagram. These include #love #instadaily #food #fashion #yum #picoftheday, and many others. And it works.
The hashtag-culture on Instagram is very prominent and users actively search and browse through hashtags that are of interest to them. As a brand, this gives you the opportunity to reach an audience that is outside of our community/following. The accounts that make use of these general hashtags are often big international companies or social media celebrities (being just two examples) and this tactic works very well for their brands.
Then there are small local businesses.
As a local business, you don’t need to reach an international audience. It’s nice that people from all over the world are liking the pictures of the latest menu launch at your restaurant, but if they are all from America or Europe then that doesn’t bring much value to your brand.
Of course, there are aspects to general hashtags that needs to be considered and one is social proof. Avoiding to submit a full psychology paper, the concept can be explained along the lines of “if others engage with an image, then I am more likely to engage with it too.”
In addition, with Instagram rolling out it’s new algorithm, you need to look for engagement as proof that the image you have posted is relevant. How the algorithm works it that it takes engagement into account to decide to how many people the post should be shown to. With excellent engagement, reach to your following will improve.
But you also want to make use of hashtags that are only relevant to a local audience. This way you will reach people who are outside of your following and currently in your area. Just search for your city on Instagram and then select tags as an option; you will see many suggestions for hashtags being recommended. Here are just a few.
Local Hashtag Examples!
Cape Town
#capetown #capewinelands #lovecapetown #capetownliving #capetownlife #capetownvibes #capetownfood #capetownlove #capetownbest #capetownsummer #capetownwinter #capetowncafe #capetownfoodie #capetownpictures.
Durban
#durban #durbanvibes #durbanite #durbanism #durbanrocks #durbannorth #durbanbeach #durbanthings #durbanlife #durbansummer #durbanlove #durbanites
Johannesburg
#jozi #jozigrams #jozivibes #joburg #joburglife #joburgfood #joburgfoodie #johannesburg
Garden Route
#gardenroute #gardenrouteevents #knysna #knysnaheads #knysnalagoon #mosselbay #mosselbaypoint #plett #plettenbergbay #wilderness #tsitsikamma
Pretoria
#pretoria #pretoriavibes #pretoriaeast #pretoriaphotographer
Lowveld
#lowveld #lowveldliving #lowvelder #lowvelders #nelspruit #nelspruitvibes #nelspruitphotographer #sabie #krugerpark #krugernationalpark #hazyview #whiteriver
How to use hashtags for your local business?
- Make use of 10 relevant general hashtags with every picture you upload
- Make use of 10 relevant & local general hashtags with every picture you upload
- Include 5 specific hashtags that categorise the image you are uploading
This way you will categorise the image to give users an idea of what you are posting about, maximise your engagement to improve your reach as well as reaching a local audience that is relevant to your local business.
