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How Instagram Hashtags Can Make All the Difference
As a very visual, community-based social network, Instagram is one of the best places online to promote your real estate brand. Of course, that also means that there is plenty of competition for attention on Instagram, which is why it's so important to have a plan for earning new followers and generating meaningful engagement. Instagram hashtags are a great tool for accomplishing those goals, and using hashtags correctly can really help you jumpstart your social media presence.
What Are Instagram Hashtags?
Instagram hashtags are words, phrases, or even emojis preceded by the # symbol, which you will often see in the caption or comments of an Instagram post. They're used to categorize content, make it easier for users to find content that they're interested in, and help users discover new content that's relevant to them. When you click on an Instagram hashtag, you will be taken to a page that shows posts tagged with that hashtag, along with other information relevant to the hashtag. Users can also conduct hashtag searches in order to find more content that's related to their favorite hashtags.
Why Are Hashtags So Important to Real Estate Social Media Marketing?
Hashtags are important because they help you expand your reach and connect with people who aren't following you (yet) but may be interested in the content you have to offer. When an Instagram user clicks on or searches for a hashtag, they can easily find recent posts, top posts, and Stories connected to that hashtag. Instagram users can also choose to follow specific hashtags, so your post may appear in their feed even if they aren't following your account directly.
How Many Hashtags Should You Use for Instagram Posts?
The right number of hashtags can differ depending on what you're posting and what type of audience you're aiming to reach. Instagram also imposes limits for how many hashtags you can use on a regular post (30) or an Instagram Story (10).
No matter what hashtags you pick, focusing on quality over quantity is the way to go. Take some time to pick hashtags that are relevant to the post you're making, and avoid adding extra, unnecessary hashtags. In general, it's good to choose between five and 15 hashtags for each post, though it's okay to exceed that range as long as the hashtags are relevant to what you're posting.
What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid with Instagram Hashtags?
Using the same exact combination of hashtags too often can be counterproductive when you're trying to expand your reach and can also get you penalized by Instagram's algorithm. That being said, you will likely be using similar, real estate-related hashtags on different posts, and that's okay. Just avoid copying and pasting the same list of hashtags to every post, and look for opportunities to integrate new hashtags whenever possible.
Since creating hashtags often means mashing multiple words together, it's also important to make sure that you're not accidentally creating an offensive word or phrase when combining multiple words. We'll let you use your imagination, but there are plenty of examples out there of brands creating PR issues because they didn't check their hashtags carefully enough before posting.
Finally, try to avoid using hashtags that Instagram has banned. Often, Instagram bans hashtags that are associated with inappropriate content, even if the hashtag itself isn't an offensive phrase. So it's a good practice to check any hashtag you plan to post and make sure it hasn't been banned.
What Are Spammy Hashtags, and Why Should You Avoid Them?
Experienced Instagram users can spot spammy hashtags from a mile away and will often see your content as less valuable if you use these hashtags on your posts. Hashtags such as #like4like and #follow4follow are considered spammy because they don't generate any meaningful engagement. Use creative, descriptive, relevant hashtags instead, and you're more likely to attract followers who are interested in your real estate services.
How to Find Great Hashtags for Your Real Estate Social Media Posts
There are quite a few different ways to find new, engaging, relevant hashtags to use with your Instagram content, and it's worth exploring a variety of avenues in order to find the hashtags that resonate best with your audience:
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
There's certainly no shame in taking a look at other successful real estate Instagram pages and identifying hashtags that may be appealing to your audience. While you don't want to copy a competitor's entire strategy, this is a reliable way to find new hashtags.
SCOUTING YOUR AUDIENCE
If you want to find out what types of hashtags your audience likes most, why not go straight to the source? Taking a look at the hashtags that followers who are interested in real estate are using gives you a window directly into the interests of your followers.
RELATED HASHTAG FEATURE
The related hashtag feature, which you can find near the top of any hashtag page, is a great way to find hashtags that are relevant to the ones that you're already using. This is an excellent tool for finding hashtags that are popular within different niches and discovering hashtags that you may not find in other places.
Hashtags to Try for Your Real Estate Business
• #realestate – A simple, useful hashtag to let people know what to expect from your content, but also very competitive because it's so broad.
• #justsold, #justlisted – Let your followers know when a home has successfully sold or when something new and exciting is
hitting the market.
• #hometype – Substitute any type of home architecture, like #victorian or #colonial, to reach followers who are searching for a specific type of home.
• #neighborhood/city + realestate – Combine a neighborhood or community name with phrases like "real estate" or "homes for sale" to highlight communities where your listings are located.
• #neighborhood, #lovewhereyoulive – Showcase the things that make the neighborhoods where you sell homes such unique places to live.
• #realestatehumor – Have something fun or silly to share? Use this hashtag to reach people who are looking for a real estate-related laugh.
• #starterhome, #dreamhome – Use these hashtags to reach followers who are looking for (or dreaming about) a home that suits specific needs.
The Bottom Line on Instagram Hashtags
Finding the right mix of Instagram hashtags to boost your social media takes some research and experimentation, but it's more than worth the effort. Hashtags make it so much easier to find new followers, connect with your audience, and expand the reach of your account with every post.
