The Key to Using High Traffic Hashtags for Increased Reach

Chernel Sharpe July 1, 2019

If you’ve ever posted something on social media, no doubt you’ve used a hashtag to summarise what’s in the image and improve the chances of it being seen. Any brand, business or personal account looking to gain more likes and followers will use the high traffic hashtags trick. But what’s in a traffic hashtag? And do they actually work?  

What High Traffic Hashtags Are Best?

When it comes to Instagram, using these high traffic hashtags doesn’t necessarily mean you’re guaranteed more likes, but it can ensure that more people see your posts. As far as Twitter is concerned, hashtags are far more news orientated, meaning that they’re supposed to represent what people are talking about at the time. So, therefore, if you’re tweeting about something popular in the moment when it’s happening, more people are likely to see it.

Generally, on certain platforms, some hashtags perform better than others. For example, currently some of the best hashtags to use on Instagram are as follows:

• #cute
• #instagood
• #instadaily
• #photooftheday
• #fashion
• #beautiful
• #tbt
• #selfie
• #love

And on Twitter they are:

• #motivationmonday
• #caturday
• #OOTD
• #tbt
• #traveltuesday
• #friyay

It’s even been said that the reach of the hashtag you use has an effect of who sees it on Instagram. Using small hashtags with under 100k users will allow you to target smaller communities. Also, if you’ve got a decent amount of followers and good engagement, you’re likely to be at the top of the list as fewer people are using it.

Medium-sized hashtags, those that reach around 500k also gives you a good chance of topping the page while using a traffic hashtag that is slightly more popular.

Major hashtags, 500k+ reach, give you a bigger audience, but you’re less likely to be seen with such strong competition.

Selecting the Right Hashtags 

Many brands fall into the trap of using the same high traffic hashtags in every picture, over and over again. The hope is that this will continue to bring in the likes. However, this way of using hashtags can be detrimental to the cause! This is because Instagram sometimes picks up on it and mistakes your posts for spam, therefore they’re less likely to appear on the explore page or at the top of the hashtag pages. Instead of using the same ones, have a few small, medium and major ones that you rotate for every post. That way, you’re keeping things as natural looking as possible.

Other Ways to Attract Attention

Engagement 

Yes, hashtags are great for drawing in likes and potentially followers, but you need to do more to actually keep them there. Success on Instagram also relies heavily on engagement. Reply to DMs, write back to comments and don’t ignore those who are trying to engage with the brand. The more interaction there is surrounding your profile, the more relevant Instagram is going to think it is. 

Captions

You should also try to keep your captions as interesting as possible. Sometimes, a great caption can push the user to like a picture. With concise, effective captions written in the tone of your brand voice, you’re able to build warmer leads who may get in touch via DMs. Captions are also an excellent way to establish trust and bring some personality to your profile.

Optimising Your Profile 

Make sure your profile is properly optimised for improved user experience. Your photo, website link and bio should all be kept up-to-date. Users on all social media platforms will be more likely to click through to your website if the process is made as simple and seamless as possible.

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