From live video to stories and a desktop version, a lot of new features have been added to Instagram, but one constant has always been Instagram hashtags.

As a brand, unless you’re spending a small fortune on the services of Kylie Jenner, Cristiano Ronaldo or Ariana Grande, the proper use of Instagram hashtags is your best chance of growing your audience.

Before we go any further, the big question…how many hashtags should you use in one post?

The answer: we don’t know. Sorry. But the good news is that no one does.

You should use all 30 of your allotted Instagram hashtags. However, only use them if they are relevant and not too niche. So, if you’ve got 30 good ones – crack on. If you’ve got five good ones and 25 duds – stick with just the 5 or do more research. It’s super simple to see how many people are out there engaging with them, just click on one and you’ll see how many posts feature them. There are online tools too.

They all look the same, but there is more than one type of hashtag. Who knew?

Community hashtag

Golden for connecting with a larger audience. They are broad and they are popular, but you don’t necessarily need to go business-focused here.

A good example as a food brand would be using something like #veganlondon (if relevant of course!) Adding #veganlondon on to each post will alert your target audience to your existence and, in turn, will alert you to what your target-market is enjoying. A couple of these in each post go a long way.

Branded hashtag

This is where you can really generate engagement in using branded hashtags, you give your audience the platform to post content relevant to your brand.

It could be as simple as your #brandname, or a catchy saying based around one of your #perfectproducts.

Simply click on the hashtag and you’ll see what your customers are saying about you – be sure to join those conversations!

Campaign hashtag

Fancy running a competition, launching a new product or offering a deal? The campaign hashtag is where you need to be if you want to monitor success.

These hashtags focus on generating a lot of activity on a short-term basis – perfect for Instagram Stories. If you were a bike shop you might want to encourage a #LikeForABike if you’ve got one to giveaway.

So, there you go. You may not have a Kardashian to support your online activity but just remember: a proper hashtag strategy goes a long way. Use the three types of Instagram hashtags in the right way and build yourself with an arsenal of engagement, knowledge, and content from your target market.