We might as well admit it: we all take certain photos for the specific purpose of posting on Instagram. Granted, with the non-chronological format, it’s kind of tough to get those coveted hearts — after all, everyone can’t be Kylie Jenner, who holds the top three spots for most liked posts, the highest being 17.8 million.
Whether you’re a budding travel blogger or simply like documenting your trips, there are many ways to get visibility on the photo sharing app. Now that we have the option to follow hashtags, they have a lot more potential to increase engagement. Here are a few ways you can use them to your advantage.
Create your own
Photographer Murad Osmann and his wife Nataly perfected the #followmeto pose that’s a crowd favourite — he holds her hand from behind the lens, as she leads him towards iconic structures in places they travel to. The hashtag is now associated with his work. You don’t have to come up with a signature pose, but a hashtag that’s uniquely yours will help in branding your posts. Use terms that reflect your handle, and are crisp enough to have easy recall value. A great example is Gigi Hopkins’ @_itsbeautifulhere. She uses #itsbeautifulherein… followed by the name of the country she is in.
Number game
If you have a public profile, the chances of more people coming across your work are higher when you use more hashtags. You are probably already using the generic ones — #wanderlust, #travel, #travelgram, #explore, #solotravel — to generate interest. Still need more ideas? Sites like top-hashtags.com have readymade lists for different types of travel. All you have to do is copy and paste them in your captions.
Top posts
The ‘Explore’ page is tailored to each individual user based on their interests, but the top posts remain the same worldwide. In general, all photos featured here have a minimum of 4,000 likes, and at least 50 comments. Because it is hashtag specific, try using those that are not very popular — it might seem contrary to what you’re trying to accomplish, but the idea is that with lesser competition, the chances of making it to the top posts are higher. Mix in the popular hashtags for engagement, and include a call to action in the caption to encourage people to comment.
