Advantages of Instagram’s hashtag search and follow
This is just some of the things any user would do on photo-sharing site Instagram. But thankfully, it introduced a new feature in which users can be able to follow hashtags instead of the long way around. Before, if you want to find contents about a specific niche, you search for people who are also interested in the same thing and then you follow him or her. This rigorous task is not only time consuming, but it is also inefficient for those who are busy.
You can use the Explore tab if that is what you are thinking but searching with hashtags will give you a more specified result. This hashtag following was first revealed by Pippa Akram, a social media consultant, but Instagram has announced in December the hashtag following.
Basically, the feature allows users to search for a specific hashtag, or click on a hashtag on posts you deem important. Then, the result page will give you all the post related to what you have searched for. That is the time to decide whether you are going to follow the hashtag so that you will be able to see similar kinds of posts on your feed and Stories tab or just leave it like that. You can also unfollow any hashtag at any time you like.
For example, you are addicted to different designs of nails. You can type in the search bar #floralnails. The next thing you know is that Instagram is showing you the relevant posts to hashtag. And because you are interested in nail designs, you can follow the hashtag so that you do not have to search for it again.
However, if you got fed up with your feed containing a lot of posts related to nail designs, then you can always unfollow the hashtag. Also, if you do not like what you are seeing, there is a drop-down menu that has the “I don’t like this post” option, helping Instagram analyze your wants, therefore, filtering more posts to appear on your feed.
If you have followed a hashtag, Instagram will filter the contents that will be seen to you. This is based on a number of factors, including the algorithm it follows. As what the social media platform had been doing prior to the release of this feature, the channel analyzes the contents being uploaded to their site. Then they make sure that these adhere to their terms and conditions.
To cut the long story short, they choose the most recent ones and are of high quality. With the introduction of this new feature, there would be many advantages. For one, as mentioned, it could save time and energy. Let’s admit it, some of us are on Instagram because we needed to just look at the things we love.
For instance, if you are into makeup inspirations you can use this feature to find loads of makeup inspirations on the platform. This just saves you time to go look for other people who share the same passion and then following them. This means that it is ideal for busy people who only have a short time to look at their Instagram accounts.
Second, users will be able to discover other contents on Instagram. This social media platform is a gold mine of contents. There are many creative souls in Instagram waiting to be discovered and this feature allows the discovery of talented people in their community. It also gives these artists some opportunity to be discovered and to be popular, so it is a win-win situation.
And with this, Instagram will also benefit. As it is slowly becoming a discovery engine, more and more people who are looking for the right person with the right skills can sign up for an account on this social media platform. This is because they know that they could find the right, skilled person they are needing on Instagram.
Third, there will be more chances of formation of new friendships. Hashtag following is a great way to see and know who shares the same interests as you. It’s one of the most popular ways to safely increase your Instagram followers. Users can do this by searching for a hashtag and identifying whether the uploader is really a fan of a niche. Upon knowing that users really share the same passion, they can start another community.
As for the mentioned example before, makeup enthusiasts can look for makeup inspiration and find friends from all over the world who are also into makeups. Once they get to know each other, they can find other users that might want to learn more about makeups or those that have experience. The process goes on and one, and voila! A community dedicated to makeups is made.
The hashtag search could also be relevant to marketers and businesses. They could trace the ones interested in the product or service they offer, making it easier to target them. They could also find some of the communities that they market on, especially that Instagram is widely used and has loads of users.
Marketers could also use the hashtag search to find users that might be interested in their product. Once they see the results, they could see how people are using the hashtags and they could base their social media marketing strategies on this.
For example, if you are selling jewelry, you could search for #bling. Upon seeing the results, you can note how people use the hashtags and take note of the people who might be interested as well. If you are determined, you might even find a whole community dedicated to the kind of product you have. After which, you can analyze and understand their activities. Finally, it would be easy for you to adjust your marketing campaign. So basically, it is like hitting two birds with one stone.