When it comes to Instagram, using the right hashtags can make a huge difference in growing your followers.

Without hashtags, no new Instagrammers are going to find your amazing photos. Hashtags are what keeps the whole Insta-community together. They are the glue that binds your handstand picture to the latest yoga girl post. They are the only way to navigate in the depths of Instagram photos and finding new inspiring content.

So you’ll definitely wanna use them, and use them right.

There are some tricks and best practices when it comes to using hashtags. Here are my top 6 do’s and don’ts when it comes to using hashtags for Instagram:

1. Don’t use hashtags that are too popular

Generally speaking, any tag with over 1 million posts associated with it is too big. When you add this tag to your photo, your image may appear in the tag for a split second, but it will almost immediately be buried by other images that were added to the tag at the same time. This means it’s highly unlikely anyone will see your image within this tag, unless you have a very, very big following and can gather enough likes quickly to make it to the top posts for that hashtag. I recommend using hashtags between 5.000 and 500.000 posts connected to them instead.

2. Use between 20 to 30 hashtags with each post

Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags on each post. Each hashtag gives you the opportunity to connect with new followers. The more exposure you get, the better, right? Don’t limit yourself by using too few hashtags.

3. Don’t use new hashtags for every post

Consistency is key here. Choose a group of hashtags that work with your feed and only add some single hashtags that fit with your post, for example the name of the yoga pose you’re doing in your photo.

4. Use only relevant hashtags

You want to attract the right people, who will not only like one image but your entire feed, That’s why it’s important to use relevant hashtags only.

5. Don’t just copy your competitor’s hashtags

Be unique and select hashtags for YOU and YOUR audience. Check out what other yogis are doing, but don’t simply copy them.

6. Check and update your hashtags every few weeks

If you find your set of hashtags is no longer giving you good engagement, consider switching it up. A good way to tell which hashtags are working for you is to check which ones you’re making “top posts” for. Keep these and swap out the others until your engagement improves again.

Well that’s it, my top tips for using Instagram hashtags for yogis! Implement these and I’m certain you’ll see a rise in not only your engagement but your followers as well.

Wanna learn more about Instagram? Check out my post “5 Strategies To Grow Your Instagram Followers”.