How to Use Instagram and Hashtags to Promote Business

In the beginning, social media involved sharing chats with friends, invites to new friends, and plans for the weekend. Today social media has become an avenue for companies to advertise and promote their products or services.

Instagram gives this personal information through photos, videos, and hashtags. However, how do you use hashtags on Instagram to promote your business?

It begins with keywords. The keywords you use to capture your prospects’ attention are the same words you turn into hashtags. The difference is a hashtag within a sentence goes all over the internet, where the same keywords on your Facebook page will stay there until someone decides to share the page.

For example: “Julie’s Boutique will showcase the new spring line on March 12 at 12:00 noon. Finger foods, wine and this spring’s colourful array of flowing pants and tops, dresses flattering every size, and accessories to bring the ensemble together. Your jaw will drop as you scramble for your purse, chequebook, or credit card! And although the clothing is beautiful, the accessories bring out the colours, accentuate the look and no more heavy bags to carry — the purses are smaller! Don’t miss this event!”

This post on Facebook has a few photos to look at and you will probably write down the date on a piece of paper while you continue chatting with friends on Facebook. However, if the owner of the boutique rewrites the post like this:

“Julie’s #Boutique showcases the new #spring line on #March 12 at 12:00 noon. Finger foods, wine and this spring’s colourful array of #flowing pants and tops, #dresses flattering every size, and #accessories to bring the ensemble together. Your jaw will drop as you scramble for your purse, chequebook, or credit card! And although the clothing is beautiful, the accessories bring out the colours, accentuate the look and — no more heavy bags to carry ladies — the purses are smaller! Don’t miss this event!”

Hashtags are better if short and sweet. This paragraph could be broken up and a different hashtag submitted every morning before the event. Post your hashtag on Instagram and before you know it, it’ll be on your Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook accounts.

Eliminate unnecessary words and keep the sentences short, but add a little mystery.

  • “#Spring line to showcase at Julie’s Boutique.”
  • “Julie’s #Boutique, March 12, noon.”
  • “Julie’s Boutique = #Flowing tops, #flattering dresses, and wine.”
  • “Julie’s #Boutique where you won’t see yourself walking down the street.”(Sometimes you just don’t want to see your outfit walking toward you.)

Hashtags are more than spreading gossip — they spread news about your company and advertise your product. While reading about Jimmy Fallon’s show last night, your hashtag is next and where are people going to go in the morning?

Let us show you how more effective Instagram and hashtags are for your business. Contact us for additional information!