Hashtags are mostly used to find the content of a particular topic. It functions the same way on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you tap on a hashtag, it will automatically display all the public content that uses that exact hashtag. Although Instagram is changing the way we interact with hashtags. While on Twitter and Facebook, they are just a normal search tool but on Instagram, you can actually follow hashtags as if they’re an account onto themselves. Anytime you follow the hashtags on Instagram, they will automatically appear in your home feed and they are almost indistinguishable from the real accounts you follow.
Follow Hashtags On Instagram
Open your Instagram app and navigate to the search tab. Just type in any hashtag that you would like to follow. Or, you can also tap a hashtag on any post and it will automatically take you to the same said screen but with your selected hashtag also. Now, tap the follow button to begin following the hashtag.
Immediately you start following any hashtag, it will automatically appear in your home feed anytime someone on Instagram uploads a video or photo with that exact hashtag. For now, there is no filter that you can use to apply to these posts so they can actually come from any country in the whole wide world, and they can also be in any language in the world. You should note that if you pick a particular hashtag that is popular to follow e.g. #food, you will most likely to see a lot of posts in your home feed. The posts will normally show which hashtag it is from and the original account that shared video or photo.
If you want to unfollow a hashtag, all you have to do is simply tap it again in your home feed and tap on the Follow button at the very top of the hashtag’s page. You will see a menu that gives you the option to Unfollow the hashtag.
Discovering A New Content
This is a very smart way of using hashtags. Social media applications and services will normally use them to do a supplemental search feature but it rarely uses them as a means of discovering new content and let’s be frank, social media is just about content. If the new users most especially the new ones, do not have nice and interesting hashtags to follow, they can decide to follow any hashtags on Instagram and fill up their home feed.
Brands may not be so keen on this feature as the ordinary users. If a brand makes use of a popular hashtag, it might be drowned out with all the different accounts that make use of it. They will, therefore, rely on adverts which is very great for Instagram but not really great for the smaller businesses. We should say that this can actually mean more followers for some accounts. It will really pay off to use popular hashtags if you really have nice and interesting posts. People all over the world will be able to see your content in their home feeds without even knowing that you exist and you might also get new followers.
