December 13, 2017

Yesterday, Instagram rolled out a new feature on their social media network which allows users to follow hashtags. Forbes contributor Paul Monckton called this “a real game changer” while Gizmodo’s Sam Rutherford feels like this may “wreck your Instagram experience”.

As with most “hot takes”, I fall somewhere in the middle. When used effectively, I think following hashtags can be very beneficial for users. On the other hand, some Instagram hashtags are filled with so much SPAM that I think following them could lead to some odd and annoying photos flooding your feed. I think the key will be following the right hashtags and refining those hashtags based on what you’re seeing in your feed.

There are a few ways following hashtags can be beneficial for businesses but before we get into that, let’s first review how to follow hashtags on Instagram. It’s super simple.

How to Follow Hashtags on Instagram

• Step 1: Open Instagram and tap the Discover/Search tab.
• Step 2: Tap “Search” at the top of the screen and then tap the “Tags” tab.
• Step 3: Search for the particular hashtag you’d like to follow.
• Step 4: Tap the hashtag you searched in the search results.
• Step 5: Tap the blue “Follow” button below the hashtag.
• Step 6: You’re done! Top posts from that hashtag will now begin to appear in your Feed.

Why Businesses Should Follow Hashtags on Instagram

1. Keep Up with the Latest Industry Trends – Keeping up with the latest trends in your industry just got a whole lot easier. In addition to following industry specific blogs, thought leaders and news magazines, you can now follow what’s hot in your industry by following various industry hashtags. I’ve already started following #digitalmarketing, #webdesign, #emailmarketing and #SEO.

2. Follow Competitors without Following Competitors – I personally have never been one to shy away from following my competitors on social media but I can understand why some businesses wouldn’t feel comfortable with it. If your competitor tends to use a certain hashtag, or even better, has created their own personal hashtag for their business, you can follow their hashtag without them receiving a notification that you’re following. (Note: If your business Instagram Feed is public, anyone can view the hashtags you’re following, similar to how they can view the accounts you’re following.)

3. Event-based Following – Attending a tradeshow, conference or event and want to keep up with what’s happening? Follow the event hashtag! Despite the best efforts of the event organizers, one or two people managing the Instagram account will never be able to curate the content of everything that’s happening in real-time… but hundreds of event attendees will!