10 Instagram Marketing Hacks

Table of Contents

New to using Instagram for business? Or just looking for tips and tricks to make your Instagram marketing more effective?

Updated: July 27, 2020

This post will walk you through 10 Instagram marketing hacks you may not have thought of.

1. Use Hashtags on Every Single Post.

using hashtag instagram hack

Consider “hiding” your hashtags in your caption or first comment.

If you want your posts to get found via Instagram’s search feature – or to show up on the Explore page – it’s important to make sure you’re using hashtags on all your posts.

Instagram lets you use up to 30 hashtags in your posts, and up to 10 on your stories.

But how many should you really use, and where should you put them?

According to a study that looked at nearly 650K posts, the best strategies for using this Instagram marketing hack are:

  • Use your hashtags in your captions. For small to medium-sized businesses, this brings higher reach-per-post.
  • Aim to use around 5-6 hashtags per post if you have less than 10K followers, and 2 hashtags if you have more than 10K followers. Of course, these are just suggestions! Some businesses find they do best when they use all 30, so make sure you test this with your own audience.
  • Consider “hiding” your hashtags in your caption or first comment. This involves leaving some space before your hashtags. This results in a cleaner appearance, while still giving you all the benefits of the hashtags.

When deciding which hashtags to use, I recommend using a variety of general and niche hashtags.

Include a few general, really popular hashtags (e.g., #marketing, #blogging, etc.), as well as some highly-specific, niche and brand hashtags (e.g., #influencerstrategy, #igtvmarketing, etc.). This instagram hack will ensure your posts rank high for the niche hashtags, but also give you the chance of getting HUGE reach if you show up for the really popular ones!

2. Remove Yourself from a Tagged Photo on Instagram.

Have you ever found yourself or your business being tagged in a less-than-flattering photo?

Or maybe someone has tagged you in a photo that has nothing to do with you – simply to try to catch your attention and get engagement? (Hello, spam!)

Fortunately, Instagram lets you remove yourself from tagged photos. Here’s how: Navigate to the photo or video, and tap on your username. Click “Remove Me From Post”, and then “Remove”.

That’s it!

And if you feel the tag is inappropriate and/or spammy, I also definitely recommend reporting the post and blocking the account!

3. Try Posting Between 9 and 11am EST for Highest Reach.

In general, this is the best time to post according to research done by Later.com. However, the optimal times also vary depending on the day or week…and of course your audience’s habits and preferences.

For instance, their research also shows that if you’re posting on a Monday, the 3 best times to do so are at 6am, 10am and 10pm EST. The 3 best times for the other days are included in the chart below.

But again, use this data as a starting point, and test out what works with your audience!

4. Post 1-3 Times Each Day.

Confused about how often you should post to Instagram?

While there is no one-size-fits-all posting frequency, I recommend aiming for 1 post per day.

According to research done by Dash Hudson, posting once per day is the optimal frequency; and he found that anything more than that may actually reduce reach-per-post.

According to research done by Dash Hudson, posting once per day is the optimal frequency; and he found that anything more than that may actually reduce reach-per-post.Click To Tweet

Of course, definitely test this out with your own audience. You don’t know what YOUR audience wants until you try it out!

5. Focus on Posts (not just stories) if You Want More Reach.

While stories are great for getting your followers to really engage with your business, you may just find that your posts are actually getting far better reach.

Rival IQ analyzed data from thousands of posts and stories and found reach rates were overall far higher for posts. For accounts with fewer than 10K followers, they found post reach was 26.6% on average, while story reach was only 8.4%.

Rival IQ analyzed data from thousands of posts and stories and found reach rates were overall far higher for posts. For accounts with fewer than 10K followers, they found post reach was 26.6% on average, while story reach was only 8.4%. Click To Tweet

instagram stories and posts

So, does this mean you shouldn’t use stories?

Not at all! Instagram stories are amazing for connecting with your followers and for showing the personal side of your brand.

Just make sure you’re using both posts and stories for optimal reach and engagement!

6. Have a Routine in Place to Get More Followers.

Marketing guru Neil Patel recommends having a routine in place to increase your growth on Instagram.

Not sure where to start? Here’s his routine for getting more followers:

  • Find valuable comments on your posts and respond to them
  • Identify people you want to follow you, then leave 3 comments on their posts (this is great for catching their attention!)
  • Post at least once per day
  • Post at the optimal time of day (see #3)
  • Use 11+ hashtags (and do some research to figure out the best ones)
  • Write awesome captions
  • Find and follow at least 3 new accounts each day.

Your routine may differ from this, and that’s perfectly okay!

The point of this Instagram marketing hack, is that you use the platform consistently, and have a plan in place for building your following…rather than posting sporadically and just expecting it to grow on its own.

7. Tag other users in your posts.

tagging other users hack

No man or woman is an island – especially on Instagram.

If you’re posting something that’s relevant to another Instagram user, definitely make sure you tag them!

According to this infographic, the most engaging posts on Instagram tagged an average of 1.6 users.

Just make sure your tags actually make sense, and that you’re not just doing it to get increased engagement. Tag people if you’re sharing their stuff, posting an interview, mentioning their business, or, of course, posting a photo or video of them.

8. Never Miss Your Competitors’ Posts.

Do you follow your competitors on Instagram?

I sure hope so!

This is an amazing strategy for staying in the know when it comes to their promotions, new products and marketing strategies.

But as you follow more and more accounts, you may find you just don’t see every single thing they post.

Fortunately, there’s a way to remedy this. Go to your competitor’s profile page, and tap the 3 dots next to their name. Then tap “Turn on Post Notifications”.

With this Instagram marketing hack, you’ll never miss any of their posts again!

9. Consider Switching to a Creator Account.

instagram hack creator account

Source

Did you know Instagram now offers more than just a personal or business account?

A creator account may be the perfect option for you if you’re a:

  • Public figure
  • Influencer
  • Artist
  • Content creator/blogger

A creator account offers additional features and tools like simplified messaging, advanced analytics, and additional publishing tools.

As a creator, you can also tag sponsored products in your posts and stories, which is a GREAT feature if you regularly work with brands!

10. Add Geotagging After You’ve Posted a Picture.

I find geotagging to be an underused, under appreciated feature on Instagram.

Geotagging (adding your location to your image) is a great feature for locally-based business, as it can help you get found by local searchers.

But what if you forget to turn on geo-tagging when you upload an image? No problem.

To add your location after the fact, go to your image and click on the 3-dot icon underneath. Click “Edit”, and then “Add Location”.

Done!

And don’t forget to add a location sticker to your Instagram stories too! This will help your stories show up on your local city page.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 10 Instagram marketing hacks, and that you’ll try them on your own account! These are terrific, effective ways to grow your account, increase engagement, and expand your brand’s awareness.

What are your top Instagram hacks? Share below!

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David Mitchell
David Mitchell
8 years ago

Thanks, Kim. I’ve found that interactions increase on the final photo that I post if I’m posting a few, especially if the previous ones used popular hashtags. It seems that folks come to see one of the previously posted photos in a batch and then notice the final post even more.

Alice Sheridan
Alice Sheridan
8 years ago

I’m lucky – being an artist, it’s easy for me to share good visuals, although it does tend to attract other artists rather than personal potential buyers! 🙂 Nevermind, I love the interaction… I’ve only been using Instagram over the last year and see it used very cleverly, this is a good list of tips and ideas which I should start thinking about, but I’m still seeing a steady natural increase.

MAYANK PAMNANI
MAYANK PAMNANI
Reply to  Alice Sheridan
4 years ago

Really love your Pinterest Posts. That’s such a valuable information that we will not find anywhere else. Thank you so much!

Kim Garst
Admin
8 years ago

WOOHOO!

emily quirq
emily quirq
5 years ago

Wow, such useful information here. Very big thanks to you for sharing it. It helps a lot.

jigyasa sewkani
jigyasa sewkani
4 years ago

Instagram is the new era of marketing with proper analytics. great content thanks for sharing.

Carla Fedigan
Carla Fedigan
4 years ago

I will use Instagram to add pecial affects,
questions, stickers,, wording or GIFs, etc to photos then save the image to my phone to have to post on other platforms.

Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson
4 years ago

Thanks Kim. Is this an updated post?

Avhbrand
Avhbrand
4 years ago

I’m lucky – being an artist, it’s easy for me to share good visuals, although it does tend to attract other artists rather than personal potential buyers.

aa
aa
4 years ago

I’m lucky – being an artist, it’s easy for me to share good visuals, although it does tend to attract other artists rather than personal potential buyers.

Anand
Anand
4 years ago

Amazing article helpful for all, thanx team for this article. Must read full article

Dilshad
Dilshad
Reply to  Anand
4 years ago

Thanks for your such valuable information

beonesolutions
beonesolutions
4 years ago

Hi
Kim, fast thanks a lot to you for your great artical. It’s update and stongly informative,.

Ravi dhule
Ravi dhule
4 years ago

Hiii
It is very good article.
Thanks for writing this article.

hpo
hpo
4 years ago

It is very good and nice article. I like this article

Porvabor
Porvabor
4 years ago

I Like it How You Write This Article

amit
amit
4 years ago

your instagram marketing stratergies are so brilliant and i will share this with my friends 🙂

IAS Coaching
IAS Coaching
4 years ago

hi admin this is amazing post i love this informative post

hostnetindia
hostnetindia
4 years ago

Amazing article helpful for all, thank you team for this article.
Must read full article

Unais
Unais
4 years ago

Hi Kim,
Thanks a lot for sharing this awesome info.I like the way you explained.Awesome Post

govtjobssnow
govtjobssnow
4 years ago

nice and valuable post keep shearing with us.

KC
KC
4 years ago

Hi, nice article and interesting fact about the timing of posting …., thanks, KC

Compute Expert
Compute Expert
4 years ago

Thanks for the sharing. Will add those to my mind when I do the Instagram marketing. I think it is true what you say that each case of Instagram account and followers might be different (number of tags, posting frequency, etc) and you need to be consistent in “playing” on the platform to get to know the optimal use for you better.

Prabhat Kumar
Prabhat Kumar
4 years ago

Thank you so much for sharing this information.

Samra Saghir
Samra Saghir
4 years ago

Amazing marketing Hacks I will use these on My business Instagram account.

Renee Zellweger Age
Renee Zellweger Age
4 years ago

good post sir

Charlene Pedrolie
Charlene Pedrolie
4 years ago

Thanks alot Kim,
Looking forward to check my Instagram Profile.

govtjobssnow
govtjobssnow
4 years ago

Wow, such useful information post here thanks to you for sharing it.

Arishfa Khan
Arishfa Khan
4 years ago

Very informative Article regarding instagram marketing Thanks alot for sharing it with us 🙂

akhilesh
akhilesh
4 years ago

Haye, can you please guide me how to make money from Instagram?

Ashish Dhadhich
Ashish Dhadhich
4 years ago

Hi kim,
Thank a lot for sharing this awesome info. I personally like Instagram Marketing Hacks and follow in my blog. I love to share social media. Keep it Up!!

Ratna Priya
Ratna Priya
4 years ago

Hi Kim,

I have few followers on instagram. But After reading this article, I know about the better way.

Thank You for sharing this article.

Thanks You Kim.

Ajay singh
Ajay singh
4 years ago

Greet Article, I liked your all articles   

Thanks For sharing Amazing Article 

Tech And Tricks

harsh
harsh
4 years ago

Good information instagram marketing

Eve Deown
Eve Deown
4 years ago

Thanks for sharing this useful article.

Baker ST
Baker ST
4 years ago

I really like your article. It’s evident that you have a lot knowledge on this topic. Your points are well made and relatable. Thanks for writing engaging and interesting material.

Vivek singh
Vivek singh
4 years ago

instagram marketing hacks and i’m using all these thank you

Shammy Mansa
Shammy Mansa
4 years ago

amazing article….thanks for sharing this nice post…its really helpful for me….

manishvohra
manishvohra
4 years ago

Great Content Bro Thanks for this. You are try to do some best of peoples. I will share the content with my Friends. once Again Than you so much.

Jay
Jay
4 years ago

Thanks again Kim for another wonderful Article! Wouldn’t miss it for the world. This marketing hacks for instagram is Gold!

PC Suite
PC Suite
4 years ago

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komal wani
komal wani
4 years ago

Hi Kim,
I really loved reading your article. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he enjoyed it as well! Please keep up your good work. We always with you and Waiting for your new interesting articles. Thank you for sharing this information with us ..!!!

Naveen Poonia
Naveen Poonia
4 years ago

Nice To See That This Type Of Article Help Us Quickly.

Thanks For Sharing.

AMIT KUMAR SHARMA
AMIT KUMAR SHARMA
4 years ago

Amazing article sir

nezar kamal
nezar kamal
4 years ago

Amazing article helpful for all, thanx team for this article

ema green
4 years ago

thanks for sharing useful tips of instagram

minty
minty
4 years ago

hiiii,
Social media marketing is the most trending currently, i have get some important tips and useful info from your blog very nice thanks for this content thank you….!

Eduardo Oliveira
Eduardo Oliveira
4 years ago

Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on writing interesting stories on instagram

Asish agarwala
Asish agarwala
4 years ago

Hiii
It is very good article.
Thanks for writing this article.

Akwebguide
Akwebguide
4 years ago

Lol this is what i was finding now finally got this post. thanks for this well understandable post.

WizardArticles
WizardArticles
4 years ago

Nice post, Hashtags are very important. My half of post reach depended on hashtags. great article

Island park dental
Island park dental
4 years ago

Thanks, Kim.
Thanks for sharing with us your great knowledge
Form Now i am going use this all hack in my Instagram.

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