(Update on November 14, 2021 at 9:00AM PT: This blog post was published in 2019. For up-to-date information, learn more about discovering inspiration on Instagram.)

Learn tips about hashtags and tagging to get discovered on Instagram.

When you add hashtags to your posts, they can appear when people are searching for that hashtag. This will increase your discoverability with different audiences.

Learn what a hashtag is here.

Hashtags indicating your product or service, like #sweater or #coffeeshop.

Hashtags indicating your niche in your industry, like #weddingphotographer or #travelphotographer.

Hashtags for Instagram communities in your industry, like #bakersofinstagram or #foodiesofinstagram.

Hashtags for special events or seasons, like #whiteday or #nationaldonutday.

Hashtags using location, like #pastrynyc, #madeinToronto, or #sydneysweets.

Daily hashtags, like #mondaymotivation, #tuesdaytip, or #wellnesswednesday.

Hashtags with phrases relevant to what you do, like #becreative or #bakerylove.

Hashtags with acronyms, like #qotd (quote of the day) or #ootd (outfit of the day).

Hashtags with emojis, like #shoes👟 or #🌞.

Use a variety of hashtags on your posts and stories, so your posts can reach different communities. For instance, if you have a bakery in NYC, you can use #nycbakeries to reach those looking specifically for bakeries in NYC, but also use #bakerslife for those who are interested in your day-to-day life as a baker.

Now that you know what types of hashtags to use on your posts and stories, try these 4 tips to reach more people with your hashtags.

Check the popularity of the hashtag.

When you search for a hashtag, you can see how many times it has been used. Combine hashtags with different levels of popularity so you can reach different audiences. For instance, you can reach a very broad audience with #foodtrucks, a narrower group of people with #dcfoodtrucks, and a very specific group of people with #koreanbbqfoodtruck.

Create lists of different types of hashtags you’d like to use.

For instance, create a list about bakeries like #nycbakeries #bakerslife #bakeries #croissants, or another set about pastries #nycpastries #chocolatecroissant #🥐.

Try typing a hashtag you’ve used previously and see what similar options auto-populate in the search. Keep rotating between the hashtags to find the best mix.

Tap ‘View Insights’ on your post to see Impressions from Hashtags, which is the amount of views people are getting from the different hashtags you’re using. Learn more about Insights here.

Create a hashtag for your business to get recognized on Instagram. Here’s how you can create one and start using it with these 4 tips:

Decide what your business’ hashtag is.

It can be as simple as your #businessname. Make sure it is not too long and easy to remember.

Encourage customers to use your business’ hashtag.

Once you create your hashtag, remind customers they can use your business’ hashtag by sharing it on your stories or calling it out in your captions. This way, their followers can tap the hashtag and see other posts about your business.

Keep track of any posts where people are using your business’ hashtag. Search for your business’ hashtag and then tap ‘follow’.

For instance, if a local ice cream company named Tasty Creamery is celebrating their business’ 50th anniversary, they can encourage customers to use #tastycreamery50th when posting at the party. This way, people can check out the hashtag and see all the posts from the party.

Tagging or mentioning other people on Instagram can be a way to connect with your community. People that you’ve tagged or mentioned get notified, which may encourage them to continue connecting with your business.

Learn more about tagging people in your photos and videos here.

Here are 5 ways you can connect with people on Instagram through tagging or mentioning them:

Share photos of your customers using your product or service, after getting their permission. Don’t forget to get their account name, so you can tag and mention them in your caption.

Having customers sharing photos and videos about your business is not only a good way to create more content, but also a good way to build your credibility. You can even consider including your business’ username on your physical products – like a receipt, a business card or even a price tag for your product, so people remember to tag you.

Think about complementary businesses that you can build a relationship with on Instagram. For example, if you own a yoga studio, you can share a story about yoga mats and tag the company that makes them.

If you have a physical store, you can also create a location for your business. To do this, your Instagram account must be connected to a Facebook Page that you manage — learn how to do that here. The Facebook Page you manage must have a physical location associated with it. After linking accounts, the location will populate on Instagram. This will not change historical posts that may use an older or incorrect location.

Once you’ve created a location for your business, encourage your customers to add the location on their photos and videos when they visit you in person, so their followers can discover your business.

Whoever you mention or tag, make sure that the photo or video is actually relevant to the people you’re tagging. Avoid tagging accounts with many followers if you don’t have a relationship with them.