Instagram Is Removing Hashtag Follows: What It Means for Your Business | FORTAYmedia
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Instagram Is Removing Hashtag Follows: What It Means for Your Business

Instagram Is Removing Hashtag Follows: What It Means for Your Business

Instagram is always changing things up, and its latest shake-up? Say goodbye to following hashtags. If you’ve been relying on hashtags to connect with your audience and boost post visibility, you may have noticed a change. Hashtags have been a long-time strategy for businesses to reach niche audiences and get their posts seen, but with the announcement from Instagram that the option to follow hashtags will be removed, this may leave businesses wondering ‘how do we magnify our reach now?’ Let’s discuss how you can adapt…


WHAT’S CHANGING AND WHY?

For years, hashtag following has allowed users to explore new content and brands to get discovered organically by people who are interested in their content. This feature meant that Instagram users could see posts from accounts even if they didn’t follow the account posting them, as long as they followed the hashtag they had used.

While Instagram hasn’t given a detailed explanation as such for the removal, it’s clear that the platform wants to push its recommendation engine instead of hashtag discovery. This shift fits with Instagram’s broader goal to provide a more personalised experience where suggested posts and content discovery take centre stage (sound like another platform we’re all familiar with?). This nudges businesses to focus less on hashtags and more on ways to boost engagement.

Although not confirmed, some other likely explanations for the removal of this feature include:

  • Some hashtags have become overrun with spammy or irrelevant posts where accounts have jumped onto a popular hashtag. This has led to a less enjoyable user experience.
  • Instagram’s algorithm is all about tailoring content to each user’s unique interests. Hashtag follows likely didn’t provide enough precision for the platform to deliver highly engaging content.

WHAT SHOULD I BE FOCUSING ON NOW?

Without being able to follow hashtags, your posts will not show up in the feeds of people who once did follow the hashtags you used- that’s the bad news. But here’s the good news! Although following hashtags is no more, Instagram’s algorithm, suggested posts and keyword-based search features are stepping up to fill the gap.

  • Keywords

Like search engines, Instagram’s search feature is evolving to be more keyword-based. Previously, searching on Instagram was all about hashtags and usernames, but now, users can type in phrases like ‘fashion tips’ or ‘best coffee shop’ and Instagram will deliver them relevant posts/profiles/reels, even if they don’t use any hashtags.

This shift means that Instagram is leaning more towards SEO-style discovery.

For businesses, this is a chance to reconsider the content you create and how you write your captions. Instead of stuffing your captions with hashtags, businesses will need to optimise them by using natural, descriptive keywords that match what your audience may be searching for.


TIPS TO OPTIMISE YOUR CONTENT FOR KEYWORD SEARCH

  1. Think like your audience. Use natural language that coincides with what your audience might type in the search bar. Use these in your captions or even in your bio.
  2. Instead of having vague captions, utilise strings of words that will answer searches. For example, change ‘#weekend’ or ‘weekend incoming’ to ‘Looking for something to do this weekend?’
  3. Make use of Instagram’s alt text feature. Of course, it is first and foremost for accessibility but it’s also a chance to include keywords that describe your content.
  4. Although hashtag follows are gone, you can still incorporate specific and relevant hashtags into your captions to help the platform understand the context of your content. 
  • Algorithm

Instagram’s algorithm prioritises posts that get a lot of interaction and the algorithm will now play a part in the discovery of your posts. The algorithm looks at the amount of engagement posts get, so for businesses, this means that creating engaging, high-quality content is more important than ever.

The more people interact with your posts, the more likely that the algorithm will push your content onto the Explore page or as a suggested post where your content will be seen by someone new.

This doesn’t mean just focus on getting engagement on individual posts, the more holistic approach would be to focus on creating an engaged community overall so that engagement is consistent rather than just on random posts.

If hashtags aren’t the main visibility driver anymore, engagement definitely is.


TIPS FOR BOOSTING ENGAGEMENT:

  1. Spark conversations with captions that ask questions.
  2. When someone comments on your post, reply! It’s good for building relationships and also signals to Instagram that your post is active.
  3. Post regularly to keep your account visible.
  4. The Instagram algorithm currently favours reels so they naturally gets pushed into feeds more than static posts. Creating short, entertaining videos, especially with trending music or sounds, can help to boost your engagement as well as your post’s visibility. P.S. don’t forget to include keywords in your on-screen text and caption.
  • Suggested posts

If you’ve spent much time on Instagram lately, you will have probably noticed suggested posts popping up in your feed. These are posts from accounts you don’t follow, but that Instagram has chosen to show you based on what the platform thinks you’ll like.

For businesses, this is actually a great opportunity. It’s like free advertising to the right crowd because it further exposes your content to people who may never have found you otherwise.

Instagram has been doubling down on suggested posts to keep users scrolling longer and, let’s be real, looking at more ads. These posts will appear based on users’ interests, behaviours and similar accounts you follow.

If your content aligns with trending topics, popular niches or content they usually enjoy, it will show up in a user’s feed, even if they’ve never heard of you.


HOW TO MAKE SUGGESTED POSTS WORK FOR YOU

  1. Focus on creating high-quality content that sparks conversations and encourages users to share them.
  2. Instagram will look at user behaviour such as likes, comments, shares and saves to decide which content to show in feeds. If your posts are engaging, they are more likely to land in suggested posts for your target audience.
  3. Keep a watch on your analytics to determine which posts are performing best so you can double down on them for maximum engagement.
  4. Utilise specific hashtags to categorise your content so Instagram can determine who to show it to. 

WHAT ABOUT HASHTAGS NOW?

Hashtags aren’t completely dead.

Instead of relying on hashtags for visibility and discoverability, think of them as a tool to categorise your content and signal its relevance to the algorithm. You can use a mixture of broad and niche hashtags to do this.

  • Use 5-10 highly relevant hashtags instead of spamming 30 random ones
  • Use a combination of popular hashtags and niche ones
  • Use Instagram’s search to see what hashtags your audience is using

Focus on creating content that works with or without hashtags.

This is an opportunity to really refine your Instagram strategy. The shift towards keyword-based discovery, algorithmic recommendations and suggested posts can actually help businesses reach a more targeted and engaged audience.

Your audience is still out there and, with the right strategy, they’ll find you with no hashtags required.

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