In recent years, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over one billion active users worldwide. Hashtags have played a crucial role in helping users to discover and engage with new content on Instagram since they were introduced in 2011. However, as the platform has grown, so has the effectiveness of hashtags, making it increasingly difficult for creators to stand out in a crowded space.
A recent experiment by social media content management platform Hootsuite has revealed that keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) on Instagram will surpass hashtags in 2023. By thinking about keywords when writing a post and optimizing for SEO instead of hashtags, users can improve their reach and engagement by a significant percentage.
Hootsuite and author Stacey McLachlan conducted an experiment to better understand how hashtags influence the behavior of a post. They uploaded 10 posts to McLachlan’s Instagram account, half of which focused on keywords in the title, while the other five used hashtags to describe similar images. McLachlan found that she achieved 30% more reach with SEO posts than with hashtags, and commitments such as likes, comments, and saved times were also higher for SEO posts.
For content creators, outreach and participation are essential for sources of income such as brand sponsorships, collaborations, or subscriptions. However, a June study by social media marketing platform Later revealed that the commitment of content creators to the news has drastically decreased recently using hashtags.
Instagram encourages creators to avoid using more than 10 hashtags in any given post, but a study conducted later in 2021 found that 20-30 hashtags could support a post. Despite this contradiction, Instagram emphasized that content itself and the way people interact with it have more of an impact on virality than hashtags.
As the operation of the algorithm will be hidden behind the scenes in Meta, Instagram’s parent company, the platform’s artificial intelligence prioritizes the hashtag or keyword form to develop content in front of users. It is noteworthy that Meta is preparing AI for social networks that will undoubtedly be imposed on Instagram.
In conclusion, while hashtags have been a crucial part of the Instagram user experience, creators must now consider keywords and SEO to increase their reach and engagement. With the rise of AI and the changing social media landscape, it will be interesting to see how creators adapt to ensure their content is seen by a wider audience.
