I feel like the most ambitious and creative content creators face this doubt – should we really repurpose and recycle our old content ideas? Won’t our audience notice? Won’t they be disappointed? The research shows that each time you post something, the majority of your current audience doesn’t see your post. That means we SHOULD recycle and reuse our best ideas so they can reach more people. They deserve to have more than one life. In today’s guide I’ll elaborate on the content repurposing and recycling techniques and how to do it the smart way. Let’s dive in!

What is Content Repurposing and Content Recycling, and Should You Do It to Grow on Instagram?

Are you tired of constantly creating new content for your Instagram but feel it’s not reaching its full potential?

Do you feel overwhelmed by the demands of consistently producing fresh posts?

Or do you wish you had a more efficient way to maximize your content’s impact?

If you’re struggling to keep up with the content creation demands of Instagram, this guide is for you.

I’m explaining what content repurposing and recycling are, why they’re valuable strategies, how IQ Hashtags’ content recycling feature can help, and how these methods can grow your Instagram presence.

Content Repurposing vs. Content Recycling

Content repurposing involves taking a piece of content you’ve already created and transforming it into a different format. For instance, turning a blog post into an infographic, a video, or a series of Instagram stories. This strategy allows you to reach different audience segments who may prefer various types of content.

Content recycling, on the other hand, is about reusing the same piece of content multiple times over a period. This might include reposting popular posts from your feed, bringing back seasonal content, or sharing evergreen posts that remain relevant over time. With IQ Hashtags’ content recycling feature, this process becomes even easier, allowing you to automate reposts, ensuring that your valuable content continues to reach new audiences without manual effort.

The Benefits of Content Repurposing and Content Recycling

Repurposing and recycling content can save you significant time and energy. Rather than constantly coming up with new ideas, you can leverage the HARD WORK you’ve already done. It also ensures that your content reaches a broader audience. Different followers engage with different types of content! By repurposing a Reel post into a carousel, you might capture the attention of those who prefer watching over reading and the other way round.

Moreover, recycling allows your valuable content to be seen by new followers who might have missed it the first time. Instagram’s algorithm doesn’t always show your posts to all your followers, so reposting can help ensure more of your audience sees your best work. IQ Hashtags’ content recycling feature can streamline this, allowing you to easily select and schedule your best posts for optimal engagement.

Content Recycling and Content Repurposing – Should You Use it?

How to Effectively Repurpose Content

Do you adapt your content to various formats?

Many content creators either say, “No,” or, “I’ve tried, but it’s too much work.”

Not adapting content effectively often puts us out of step with our audience. We can either repurpose strategically or miss out on potential engagement.

Even though I’ve studied social media strategies extensively, I sometimes forget to repurpose my own content. Instead, I end up overloading myself with new content creation. Repurposing strategically can be challenging but rewarding!

If you’ve tried repurposing but haven’t seen results, check out this method for effective strategies:

How to Get Started with Content Recycling and Content Repurposing

Recycling content can leave you feeling unsure of what to post next. But simply resharing your old content without a plan isn’t productive. Your followers might not engage if it feels repetitive.

Clarity on how and why you’re recycling content is key. This gives your Instagram strategy a fighting chance.

How can you gain more clarity?

A content calendar can help you plan and space out recycled posts effectively, ensuring they feel fresh and relevant.

However, tuning into your audience’s preferences requires a desire to understand them. You have to be willing to analyze what has worked well in the past.

Deciding to Repurpose and Recycle

As a social media strategist, I’ve seen accounts come back from low engagement by repurposing and recycling content. It is possible when done with intent!

I recently worked with an influencer who seemed overwhelmed by content creation. A break from constantly churning out new posts allowed them to focus on repurposing and recycling high-performing content. IQ Hashtags’ content recycling feature played a crucial role in this transformation, making it simple to repost valuable content and maintain consistent engagement.

Their engagement rates improved as their audience appreciated the valuable content being showcased in new ways.

Intentionality is everything.

Reposting for engagement’s sake can often get lost over time in the rush to create new content. Being strategic can make a difference.

If you’re looking for ways to maintain engagement without burning out, I can personally recommend it.

Breaking Through the Confusion of Content Strategy

A huge number of creators have told me they’re confused or torn about what to do because they feel pressure to constantly create new content. As a strategist, I find we often use this pressure as an excuse to avoid making strategic decisions. I sometimes ask clients who’ve been stuck in the content creation grind for years, “Do you think it’s time to change your strategy?”

Around half the time, they say, “Yes, but I’m afraid of losing engagement.”

Here’s the thing: you can change your strategy and still choose to create new content when necessary.

You can take it slow and test what works. Sometimes, small strategic changes create space for other possibilities to arise.

Be honest with yourself first, and when you’re ready, implement these changes.

Yes, uncertain strategies are scary. As creators, we love and want certainty.

But content strategies are fluid and evolving. You may not know what will happen, and that’s okay!

While sticking to old methods is easier than trying new ones, again, those aren’t your only options. You can focus on what has worked and learn to adapt it effectively.

Should You Repurpose and Recycle Content?

Many creators feel torn because some strategies work great while others don’t. The success of repurposing and recycling often depends on how well you understand your audience and content performance.

In these situations, I ask my clients: “If repurposing and recycling improved your engagement and reduced your workload, would it be worth trying?”

If the answer is yes, great. If the answer is no, consider why you’re resistant to change.

I’ve also heard from folks who hesitate to repurpose because they believe their audience will notice and get bored.

Your audience may notice, but they’re more likely to appreciate seeing valuable content again rather than remember it from before. Using IQ Hashtags’ content recycling feature, you can ensure your content is spaced out and strategically reposted to keep it fresh and engaging.

Questions to Determine Whether You Should Repurpose and Recycle

Here are a few questions to help you get to the truth of how you feel:

• If there were no negative feedback, does your gut tell you to repurpose or recycle content? Sit with it for a few moments.
• How much of your content is underperforming? How much is successful? Does the good outweigh the bad?
• When you think about repurposing, what sensations come up in your body? Is there excitement or hesitation?
• When did you last see a boost in engagement from repurposed content?

Different Content Strategies and Situations

Depending on your niche, you might wonder if repurposing is suitable or if you’re in a particularly unique situation.

Engagement and reach can fluctuate based on various factors like trends, seasons, or algorithm changes.

It’s valuable to look at how you’ve adapted to changes in the past. Do you stay updated with trends? Can you adjust your strategies? Have you tried new formats before?

The strategies and trends we follow can bring out different qualities in our content, too.

For example, I recently experimented with turning old Instagram stories into Instagram carousels. Watching the engagement increase reminded me how much I enjoyed creating versatile content.

Is there a strategy you loved before that could help bring back some engagement?

The last thing I’ll leave you with: many of us focus on what we could do next rather than what we’ve done well. But it’s worth focusing on our successes, too. Not to bypass new opportunities, but to balance the effort!

I hope this helps you figure out whether you want to repurpose and recycle content to grow on Instagram, and I am sending you creativity, strategy, and success. I’d love to hear what you discovered in the comments or on Instagram (@iqhashtags).

Have you tried these strategies before? Have you tried IQ Hashtags Content Recycling system? How did it work for you? Let us know!

Have the most amazing week and as always, take care of your content creation.

The post Content Recycling and Content Repurposing – Should You Use it? The Truth Behind This Method appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

Before you proceed with any actions, make sure to meet the basic requirements for authorizing your Instagram profiles in IQ Hashtags:

• Your Instagram profile must have a professional status (business or creator).
• Your Instagram profile must be linked to a Facebook page (it cannot be linked to your personal Facebook profile, even if you’ve converted your private profile to a business/creator page*).
• Your Facebook profile must have access to the Facebook page associated with the Instagram profile you want to analyze in IQ Hashtags.
• Your access to the Facebook page must be at the Administrator level (partial or full).

*A private Facebook profile that has been converted into a Facebook page is still considered a personal profile by META (Facebook, Instagram). Therefore, your Instagram profile cannot be linked to such an account.

STEP 1

First, you need to remove the connection between your Facebook and IQ Hashtags, and then add the connection again (reauthorize) so that we can access your new and/or proper profiles.

To do this, go to the Facebook Business Tools Settings page and remove the integration with IQ Hashtags.

STEP 2

If your issue is related to logging into the wrong Facebook account, in this step you need to log out of that account (Facebook) and then log into the correct Facebook account.

Remember, the login must occur in the same browser where you will be performing the next steps, including logging into IQ Hashtags.

If this issue does not apply to you, you can skip this point and proceed to STEP 3.

STEP 3

Go to the IQ Hashtags website and log into your account, then go to your Account Settings.

Here, you can change your profiles and reauthorize your accounts.

STEP 6

After clicking the “Edit access” button, new options will expand in the window, allowing you to toggle them on or off.

Toggle on the Instagram profile you want to analyze in your IQ Hashtags account and the associated Facebook page.

This is MANDATORY if you want to analyze your Instagram profile in IQ Hashtags.

The post I Want to Analyze a Different Instagram Profile with IQ Hashtags – How to Change It? appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

Note: You can also use this guide to edit your connection with Facebook, for example, when you want to connect using another Facebook account or add more Instagram profiles to your IQ Hashtags account.

*This is the updated version of this guide – based on the new Meta authorization requirements. We update the tutorial regularly, check it every once in a while to stay informed!

Before we begin the process of re-authenticating and-relinking, make sure you remember that:

• In order to re-authenticate, you’ll need to be an Admin/Editor and have rights to the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram business profile.
• If you are an Admin of your Facebook Business Manager this doesn’t always mean you automatically have all the correct permissions to the Business Page connected to the Instagram Business Profile you’re trying to link to IQ Hashtags. It’s best to have full rights both on the Facebook page and on Facebook Business Manager for the Facebook page.

 Make sure that the Facebook profile which is connected to your IQ Hashtags account is the profile through which you have the Admin/Editor role or full permissions to the Facebook page linked to the connected IG business profile

• If you’re connected with the wrong Facebook profile, disconnect it and click “Continue with Facebook” to connect IQ Hashtags with the correct Facebook profile, then please try to re-authenticate again.

• Once you’ve confirmed that the correct Facebook profile is connected to your IQ Hashtags account, please verify that your Instagram profile is linked to the Facebook page you have the rights to. You can go to this tutorial for more information on how to do this.

Note: If you’re unable to select the correct page because Instagram is showing an error message, it might mean that you’re not an Admin of the Facebook page in Facebook Business Manager.

 Re-link and re-authenticate

If you’re still encountering the issue, even after ensuring all the Facebook settings are set up correctly, there might still be a connection error on the Instagram/Facebook side.

Also, if you’ve gone through all the steps described above, which confirm you have the correct role/ permissions to the Facebook page, and that the Facebook page is linked correctly within the Instagram app, then it’s possible that you may have used IQ Hashtags in the past and still have some outdated permissions enabled on your Facebook.

Here’s how to check it and re-link your account:

1. Business Integrations – this is where all third-party app permissions are located. Find the IQ Hashtags app on the list. Remove IQ Hashtags permissions from Facebook by clicking on this link to access your Facebook Business Integrations (https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=business_tools). On this Facebook list, scroll or search to find IQHashtags:

2. As shown above, select IQHashtags, and click “Remove” (or “Disconnect”)

Important note: Don’t worry about the pop-up box that says ‘This may delete your IQHashtags.com account and activity’. This is an automated box from Meta and doesn’t apply to this case – your IQ Hashtags account WON’T be deleted, and this process WON’T have any permanent effect on your in-app stats. This is simply a part of the process to refresh the permissions we have for your IQ Hashtags account.

3. It can take up to 30 minutes for Facebook to clear this connection (and its cache files).

3. Re-authorize permissions by going to your IQ Hashtags Settings (Settings -> Profile), click on the “Continue with Facebook” button.

If you’re seeing the new Facebook permissions, please select the Instagram accounts you wish to analyze and use with IQ Hashtags.

Important step: while re-linking and re-authenticating your account, pay attention to this Facebook pop-up window:

• Click “Edit access” to make sure all the permissions are checked correctly and all the profiles you wish to use with IQ Hashtags are also ticked.

4. Once you have reconnected your account, IQ Hashtags can ensure proper connection of your Facebook and Instagram Business accounts within the platform.

And… Voila! Your account should be linked properly right now and you should be able to fully benefit from using IQ Hashtags.

In case you still need help, contact our Support team via support@iqhashtags.com, and we’ll find a solution.

The post How to Integrate and Re-authenticate Your Instagram Account with IQ Hashtags Through Facebook appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

*This is the updated version of this guide – based on the new Meta authorization requirements. We update the tutorial regularly, check it every once in a while to stay informed!

NOTE: All Instagram profiles analyzed in IQ Hashtags must be linked to a Facebook page you have access. It is only an Instagram API requirement used to enable IQ Hashtags to analyze data about your Instagram profile. Facebook pages do not have to show any activity or be regularly updated. Remember, one Instagram profile can be linked to one Facebook page.

Before we begin, confirm that:

• Your Instagram account is switched to a business or a creator account – learn how to switch to a business/creator account.
• You have Facebook Access to the page with full or partial control. If your Instagram account is linked to your personal Facebook profile, you won’t be able to authorize your IQ Hashtags account – learn more about the page access.

How to Link Your Instagram to Facebook

1. Open Instagram: Launch the Instagram app on your mobile device.
2. Access Account Settings: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner to access your profile. Then tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner and select “Settings.”
3. Link Accounts: In the Settings menu, tap “Account Center.” Under Account settings, select “Logging in with Accounts,” and click “Add Account.”

Link your Instagram account to Facebook – Tutorial

4. Connect to Facebook: Tap “Facebook” from the list of available platforms. If you’re not already logged in, you’ll be prompted to log in to your Facebook account.

• Choose a Page from your Pages that you’d like to connect to or select Create a new Facebook Page.
• Tap Done after you’ve selected a Page or created a new Page.

5. Authorize Permissions: Instagram will request permission to access certain information on your Facebook account. Review the permissions and authorize them to proceed with the linking process.

6. Select Sharing Options: After authorization, choose the sharing options for your Instagram posts on Facebook. You can share posts to your Facebook timeline, your Facebook page (if you manage one), or both.

Complete Setup: Finalize the setup and link your Instagram account to your Facebook profile and page (pay attention to choose the exact page you wish to link).

Wohoo! Your professional account is now connected to your Facebook Page. If the Page you’d like to connect isn’t showing in the drop down from your profile, it’s probably because you don’t have Facebook access to that Page. What should you do to double check it? Check your Page’s settings and ensure you have permission to add that Page to your Instagram professional account.

The post How to Link Your Instagram Account to Facebook Page in 2024 (An Easy Guide) appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

Hashtags or keywords? Both! Good keywords help your audience find your posts. Relevant hashtags boost your organic reach. They both make your content more searchable. On Instagram, optimizing your hashtags and keywords helps the algorithm understand your content and your profile better, and how Instagram understands your content plays a role in how your content is ranked. You need to give your content the best chance to be seen. If you’re doing your keyword and hashtag research right, you’re setting yourself up for success on the platform and for your posts to be found.

Let’s talk all things hashtags and keywords on Instagram!

Should You Use Hashtags or Keywords on Instagram?

You don’t have to choose. Both keywords and hashtags should be important parts of your overall Instagram strategy. Next to the quality of your posts and Reels, they are absolutely essential for attracting your target audience. Your goal is to appear in the Instagram search results, appear on people’s Explore Pages, and rank high on their feeds. Strategic keywords and hashtags will help you achieve that!

When used, strategic, relevant hashtags and keywords will help you:

• Help Instagram algorithms understand who you are and what you post so that they can show your content to your target audience
• Help your content show up in relevant Instagram search results (yes, it also applies to Reels).

Why Should You Use Keywords Alongside Hashtags?

Not all Instagram users use hashtags to look for new content. Now Instagram enables users to use the platform’s search bar exactly like they use Google or TikTok: they can type in the word or phrases they’re interested in, and they’ll get the search results.

While Instagram is considered a social media platform, it’s also slowly becoming a search engine, and as with all search engines, using relevant keywords is extremely crucial to get your posts seen by more people. 

When you use three or four relevant keywords in every caption you share, you will see better results in the long term because Instagram will know exactly what your content is about and who should see it in the first place. Your posts will appear in people’s search results, and your content will become searchable. You’ll soon find out that Instagram has much in common with search engines like Yahoo or Google.

Look, if you have a great recipe for gluten-free pancakes, and you want to share it in a form of a carousel, but you don’t describe your post and its content in the caption, Instagram is less likely to display your post to people who look for “gluten-free recipes”  in the Instagram search bar.

The smartest solution? Focus on using the most relevant keywords to communicate to Instagram algorithms WHO you are and WHAT you post about. Also, Instagram impacts Google results! If you rank well on Instagram, chances are you will rank well with Google, too. So use keywords, and use them wisely!

What’s the Difference Between Hashtags and Keywords?

Thanks to hashtags, your content’s visibility isn’t limited to just your followers. By adding 20-30 relevant hashtags to your posts, they’re accessible to all users who search for these hashtags. All the people who browse and scroll through these hashtags.

I bet you know a lot about hashtags. But keywords are something relatively new. 

What exactly are Instagram keywords? Keywords are specific words and phrases you include in your content to let Instagram know what your content is about and help your posts appear in people’s search results.

On a related note: How to Get More Views and Boost your Content’s Visibility Using Instagram Keywords

Keywords are extremely important. With their help, you can reach people actively searching for the topic, are interested in your niche, and provide them with exactly what they are looking for. This means that your posts your content will show up if the person has searched for the topic! Nowadays, we need to think of Instagram search like Google – to attract new people new potential followers, you need to appear in people’s specific searches for that specific topic.

Keywords let you reach people as they search for a specific idea. For example, if you’re sharing a post about bedroom furniture, it’s a smart idea to attract people searching for “bedroom decor” or “home decor ideas”.

Do Instagram Hashtags and Keywords Really Boost SEO? 

They do. Let the numbers speak for themselves:

Instagram uses keywords to pull up relevant posts as search results. That’s why you need to include keywords in your captions.

Knowing how to find the best hashtags and the most relevant keywords for your post makes all the difference. Instagram is amazing at sending the right people to your content but you have to include the right keywords and hashtags in your captions first.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours on research or guess what Instagram keywords to use. Our “Search keywords” feature will become your visibility partner and give you the best keywords for your post in a second! It really will simplify your already busy life.

Side note: The act of researching your hashtags and keywords and using them in your posts to rank higher in the algorithm is called Instagram Search Engine Optimization. Instagram SEO. That’s why keywords and hashtags are the key elements of your Instagram SEO – no wonder they boost it so much!  

The DON’TS of Instagram Keywords and Hashtags 

Of course, there are some things you shouldn’t do!

• Don’t try to be too specific. Always use hashtags and keywords that have real value, are relevant, and are recognized in your niche.
• Don’t make up new keywords on your own. It is important to know your audience and use keywords that THEY are actually using and looking for. 

Now that you know why using both hashtags and keywords is so important to grow on Instagram, do your keyword and hashtag research with IQ Hashtags right here!

Want more tips and tricks on creating and executing a killer Instagram strategy? Read our other Instagram SEO-related posts here. 

The post Hashtags and Keywords: Why Should You Use Them BOTH? appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

What’s really interesting: research shows that people on Instagram also use keywords similar to those on Google when looking for new content with the search bar. It’s a huge opportunity for you to boost your organic reach, and attract new like-minded people who can become your loyal followers.  Let’s dive deeper.

Hashtags Have New Powerful Friends: Instagram Keywords

There’s this heated debate whether keywords are replacing hashtags on Instagram.  Sight of relief: Absolutely no! Hashtags can still work wonders, but only if chosen the strategic way. For now, the smartest choice is to use both: hashtags and keywords. Instagram is changing all the time, so we can’t predict its next move so easily, but one thing is more than sure – keywords are getting stronger on Instagram and their importance is also increasing.

I’m sure you’ve seen different creators ending their captions with text that look like this:

And if you’ve been wondering what they’re doing and what these words are for – these words are their keywords. They’re adding more keywords to their caption, so the Instagram algorithms can read it, and match their content with the users interested in these topics.

Why Instagram Keywords Are so Important

Let’s discuss what keywords actually are in detail, and how to use them to reach more people with your Instagram posts. To understand them fully, we’ll need to go back to traditional SEO for a bit. Because let’s face the truth – to understand Instagram SEO, you need to understand the traditional SEO as well, as social media are implementing many new features, many changes to their algorithms so their search engines are more and more advanced and yes, they’re similar to Google search engine in many ways.

Okay, so the backbone of traditional SEO is keywords.

The first question: What are keywords?

Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. They are also phrases or terms users can enter into search engine boxes to find your content. It works like this: Through exact or similar match keywords, the search engine’s algorithms match users’ queries with your content, with your posts.

As a content creator or a business owner, you want the keywords you use to be relevant to what people are searching for so they have a better chance of finding your content, your posts among the search engine results.

Keywords work both ways. They are as important for you, as they are for your target audience. Yes, they’re as much about your audience, your target audience, as they are about your posts. Why is it so important? Look, you may describe what you offer in your content, what you create, in a slightly different way than how your audience actually searches for it. And it creates the risk they won’t find your content, even though they’re looking for what you create.

To create content that ranks well organically and drives new potential followers to your content, you need to understand the needs of your audience — and the language, the words they use to find new content and the type of content they’re looking for. The smartest idea is to speak the same language as your potential followers so you rank higher in their organic search results based on relevance.

To sum it up! A keyword is a word or phrase that matches the words and phrases people are entering into search engines. By learning what keywords or phrases your target audience and potential followers use when they search for content, inspiration and advice, you can create and optimize your posts so new people can find you more easily.

Is it True That on Instagram Keywords Matter the Same Way They Do for Traditional SEO?

As I’ve already told you, Instagram has changed recently and keywords play such a big part now. Some users even add a bunch of keywords at the end of the caption, just like this: 

This method is beneficial for many of our clients, so it’s worth it to test it out and track if it’s working for your niche as well. Why does it depend and it’s not working wonders for all niches, you may want to ask? Different people, different groups of people have totally different Instagram behaviors and only some of them actively look for new content and use the Instagram search bar.

So it’s not a rule set in stone for all the niches – but most of the niches will really benefit from using this method. 

Protip? Optimize your posts and your captions by making sure each of your posts include at least 3 strong keywords your potential followers might be using to find content like yours. For example, for our Instagram where our goal is to attract like-minded, ambitious content creators, entrepreneurs and business owners, we’d use these keywords:

So that’s your new goal: maximize your chances of appearing on the Explore page by writing keyword-optimized Instagram captions. It’s really worth it, because as you already know Instagram’s algorithms suggest personalized content based on user interests and interactions.  The platform also uses keywords you put in your captions to identify accounts that are topically similar to each other.  So to boost your visibility, write captions with relevant keywords inside that align with your account’s topics and your niche!

How to Do Instagram Keyword Research

How to find good keywords to add to your captions? That’s a good question. Let’s discuss it!

Now we have to take the next step of creating your keyword strategy: keyword research. You need to decide which keywords are worth it to include in your captions. Determining which keywords to use in content requires keyword research. It’s an extremely essential step in Instagram SEO optimization! But it’s definitely not as scary as it may sound at first.

Good news: we’ve developed a new IQ Hashtags’ feature to make it as easy as possible!

The process is really simple, as all you have to do is briefly describe the post you want to share, and the tool will give you suggestions and ready-to-use keywords which you can include in your caption right away to increase your content’s visibility.

Include Instagram Keywords in Your Captions

Now keywords in the caption play a huge role in how Instagram ranks content in relevant search results.  In the past Instagram users could only search in Instagram Explorer using hashtags, usernames, location tags and profiles. And now users can search using keywords, and that’s why including them in your captions is such a smart move! Using keywords in your caption allows the Instagram algorithm to determine what your content is about and that you’re posting what your audience is looking for. 

To give your posts a better chance of showing up high in search, include relevant keywords in your captions, keywords that you think your target audience may actively search for.

There are actually two approaches to including keywords in your captions:

The 1st method: Keep your captions natural, place the keyword in a sentence rather than keyword stuffing.

The 2nd method: Place your keywords in sentences but also add 2-10 stand-alone keywords at the end of the captions like that:

Which method is better? The results vary for different niches, so we’ll wait with the verdict, and for now it’s smart to experiment with both methods.

The post SEO for Instagram: How to Get More Views and Boost your Content’s Visibility Using Instagram Keywords appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

In a perfect world, we learn the basics of Instagram growth, we uncover the possibilities of a few handy tools, we become masters at creating interesting posts, and then we grow, grow, GROW our on-line presence. There’s nothing else to worry about. The social media algorithms don’t ever change, our reach is getting higher with each post, and our target audience discovers us every day. That sounds like an ultimate dream, huh? 

Well, unfortunately it’s much nearer the world of dreams than reality, because that’s just not how the social media landscape works: Instagram’s algorithms change ALL THE TIME, and the platform won’t stop for anyone. We must adapt. That’s the ugly truth I have to tell you right here, at the very beginning of today’s guide. But I’m not here to be brutally honest and scare you: quite the opposite, I’m coming with huge news. Good news. I will explain and show you everything that has changed when it comes to the Instagram landscape lately and I will teach you how to adapt so you can benefit from these changes. Trust me – we live in a world of constant change, but the possibilities are quite exciting. Let’s go, let’s uncover them together!

Instagram SEO Has Changed – Now Instagram Keywords Matter More than Ever

Luckily you have us – IQ Hashtags Social Media Experts who will guide you through the Instagram keyword research. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to:

• Optimize your content for better Instagram search rankings and increased traffic
• Add relevant keywords for improved search engine visibility
• Develop a successful Instagram SEO strategy

Are you ready? To begin, begin!  

Why Does Instagram SEO Matter So Much and What Exactly is it?

Let me start by explaining what Instagram SEO actually is and whether it’s much different from traditional SEO. Creating original content that’s useful, inspiring, readable and sufficiently entertaining is only half the battle now. To get new followers and traffic to your profile, you need new people discovering your existence and new people willing to visit your Instagram profile. To get them to visit your profile, you need to know what they are looking for, what exactly are they interested in, which words they use and what type of content would fit their intent best.

You need to become more DISCOVERABLE. 

This year I’ve been testing out different Instagram approaches as in my day job we work with content creators, influencers and entrepreneurs and all the signs are very clear: Instagram SEO is now a fundamental need for ranking your content in Instagram searches.  If you are trying to grow your Instagram account for a long time now and still haven’t seen a rise in your organic reach and your follower count then you definitely need to give Instagram SEO a chance to make your profile more searchable.

SEO stands for Search engine optimization and Instagram SEO is the process of improving and optimizing your account, caption and content  to increase visibility on Instagram search. Instagram SEO is the practice of adding text-based features like captions with targeted keywords, alt-text, and searchable keywords in your display name to help people browsing Instagram find your content more easily. To understand Instagram SEO, you need to understand the basics of traditional SEO, and that’s what we’re going to discuss today as well.

We’ll discuss where to put keywords to make the most out of your Instagram presence, how to use hashtags to make them work for you even if you’ve already given up on them, how to optimize your content to make it more Instagram-algorithms friendly, and how to maximize your chances of appearing high in the search results and on the Explore Pages.

You need to know that Instagram SEO has changed massively over the last year: now hashtags aren’t the only way to get discovered.  Some people even claim that hashtags don’t work anymore, which fortunately isn’t true,  because they do work, but you definitely need more ways to boost your Instagram visibility and you can’t rely only on hashtags anymore.

Mastering the More Technical Side of Instagram SEO is Absolutely Crucial

Well, at least f you want to get to the top of the search results and stay there. If your content is not well optimized and accessible to Instagram search engine, it won’t rank high —no matter how valuable your posts are. So we’ll walk you through all the juicy details about Instagram SEO, specifically how you can optimize your content to get the most out of it and how to make every element of your Instagram presence work in your favor.

People often ask me about “shortcuts” or “tips and tricks” around Instagram SEO. There are a few. Spoiler alert: I will share some of my favorite ones in this guide, so stay with us!

Use Instagram Keywords to Boost your Visibility on the Platform

Just like giants like Google, Instagram keywords match users with the most relevant content – the posts they’re most likely to enjoy. Thanks to Instagram keywords, your target audience can find your content more easily. The keywords you use in your posts explain to the Instagram algorithm who you are and what you do. These keywords help you reach your new followers.

Instagram landscape is constantly changing. The Instagram’s algorithms constantly evolves, and the platform add new functionalities all the time. Instagram SEO will help you stay ahead of the curve and keep your content and all your posts relevant and engaging – and more discoverable!

Instagram SEO explained – is Instagram SEO a thing now?

Instagram Keyword Research Made Easy

A major part of a smart SEO strategy is strategic keyword research. Finding and including strong keywords into your content helps it rank better in search results on search engines like Bing or Google. Good news: the same is also true for Instagram search results!

For traditional keyword research, we use tools like Ahrefs or Ubersuggest to find relevant words and phrases to target in our writing. But what about Instagram keyword research? The tools like Ahrefs or Neil Patel’s tool were only developed and designed with Google in mind. While they are great for blogs and websites, they’re using data from Google, not Instagram, to inform your research – so they won’t be so helpful when it comes to growing your INSTAGRAM profile. 

Luckily you have us – IQ Hashtags! And we’re coming with HUGE news!

With that in mind, we have launched a new feature in our IQ Hashtags tool –  Instagram Keyword Research. Use it to discover relevant and effective keywords for your Instagram content and uncover the keywords that will boost your posts’ visibility and make them more searchable.

Look how easy the research process can get with our carefully developed Instagram keyword tool that’s a total market pioneer.

Want to learn more about our Instagram Keyword Feature? Read how to find the instagram keywords that will bring the highest visibility to your posts right here – and don’t hesitate to start your 7-day free trial to test out the most advanced Instagram keyword research tool on the market. We’re more than excited!

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What Are Instagram Metrics?

Instagram metrics are the detailed insights you get about your profile, post, Reel and hashtag performance via the native (in-depth) Instagram analytics tool or a third-party analytics tool like IQ Hashtags. This series of metrics offers practical, actionable insights on how to adjust your Instagram strategy in such a way that you accomplish your performance and visibility goals.

Which Instagram Metrics Matter and Which Are Most Important?

Many people claim that the perfect Instagram strategy doesn’t exist. Well, this topic is quite complicated and have more than two sides, but one thing is more than sure: if you periodically look at the metrics and the most important data, you keep up with all the Instagram updates, check Instagram analytics via the smart tool like the one we mentioned above, and track the most important Instagram metrics, you won’t fail.

We know that all the analytics and metrics can look like black magic at first, but don’t worry: of course we are here to clear it all for you. Let’s look together at the Instagram metrics that will make your Instagram presence keep on spinning.

These are the Instagram metrics every content creator should track:

Engagement (and the engagement rate). Engagement is like the fundamental Instagram metric to constantly track and look at when interested in your account’s growth. Engagement (and the engagement rate) shows the number of likes, shares, saves and comments. You can track this important metric to learn more about what your target audience likes the most.

Organic reach. Organic reach measures the number of Instagram users who saw your content (traditional posts, carousels, Reels) of their own accord. It includes views on users’ feeds, as well as ones from Explore Page. This metric also takes into account the number of ‘Gram users who see your content thanks to a like, comment or share by someone else, which can give you real insight into the power of Instagram tribe.

Demographics. Your audience is your master when you want to grow on the platform. On Instagram, you particularly need to make sure you track what new users like and dislike, what exactly do they prefer, and what are the trends they are enjoying and following. First, you need to uncover which is the average age you’re addressing your posts to. When you learn more about your audience’s age groups and genders, you will know how to accustom your Instagram content to suit their needs.

Why it’s Important to Track Instagram Metrics?

If you’re hesitating and wondering why it’s such a big deal and why it’s so important to track Instagram  metrics, you need to think about your Instagram goals. With the in-depth knowledge about your Instagram analytics and your posts’ metrics you can much better understand what type of content works for you and your target audience.  Looking at numbers favours your upcoming posts since you get to find out more about your account performance.

Why Merely Posting Isn’t Enough Anymore?

If you can’t measure something, you CAN’T improve it – it was said by W. Edwards Deming some time ago, but NOW it’s more accurate than ever. To improve something, you need to measure it first, compare it, and do your best to get better results. Yup, it applies to our Instagram strategies as well. It may sound cliche, but trust me – we’re observing so many content creators (our clients), and the process of measuring and analyzing Instagram results is still taboo for so many of them! They imagine analyzing the metrics as a very frustrating process, and that’s a massive myth: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. At all! Actually, that’s why we’ve developed our tool – IQ Hashtags – to make it as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Yes, of course, it takes some work and experimentation. But… the result will be worth it. You need to know if you’re making progress; if you’re not, you need to know which key areas to address so you can make that progress and make it FASTER. That’s our new favorite motto: “You can’t improve what you can’t measure”, and that’s why, with the IQ Hashtags tool, you can measure the impact of your Instagram efforts and track the performance of your posts and Reels with all the in-depth data you need to make informed decisions about your next posts.

Which of your posts and Reels are receiving the most engagement? Do you know that?

After reviewing the results of your posts and hashtags, you can iterate appropriately going forward. This will lead to much higher organic reach, engagement, connections, and prospective followers. As a content creator, you undoubtedly are short on time and have SO much to do all the time. But give this strategy a go. Dig deeper and read through all the metrics you can track – use our IQ Hashtags tool to make the process much easier. Measure and analyze your hashtag performance.

Do it the smart way.

How to Track Instagram Metrics with IQ Hashtags

IQ Hashtags is an Instagram analytics tool packed with data, the most complex and comprehensive one when it comes to actionable insights for your account’s growth. Besides providing in-depth Instagram analytics, IQ Hashtags also offers solutions for AI-generated content, AI assistant, Caption generation, hashtag and keyword analysis,  and many more.

Let’s take a look at IQ Hashtags’ Instagram metrics and how to use these insights to craft a better video content strategy. These insights will help you figure out what changes you need to make, according to your most engaging posts and hashtags.

Which Instagram Metrics Matter

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The most surprising thing about the “black list of hashtags” is that some of them look entirely nondepective, and you’ll never say there could be something wrong with them, and they can be on a list of banned ones. The second baffling factor? The list is ever-evolving and is updated daily, which means it’s tough to keep up with it and check it manually every time you post something.

That’s why we invented our tool: IQ Hashtags’ Banned Hashtags feature. It makes detecting banned hashtags easier and quicker than ever – one smart click, and you know everything about the hashtags you want to use, right before your publication or anytime you want to check if your hashtags are safe to use. 

Instagram Search Engine Optimization  What Exactly Are Banned Hashtags?

Banned hashtags are the hashtags that have been put out of action because they’re suspected of violating the Instagram’s guidelines and policy. Instagram tries to minimize the spread of spam content and minimize the visibility of posts that may include inappropriate elements. Some of the banned hashtags are entirely understandable, such as the ones promoting self-harm, eating disorders, domestic violence, or animal abuse. Nonetheless, the big part of them doesn’t contain any apparent elements that can suggest to the user that there is something wrong with them – they can be quite sneaky. 

What happens if you use a banned hashtag?

When you use one of the banned hashtags, you’re actually wasting the chance to get discovered by new people – potential followers or clients – because this hashtag isn’t working at all. It’s not going to give you a chance to be featured on the Explore Page, and if you use banned hashtags quite often, your account may be considered by an algorithm as a spam-sharing one. 

How do you know if the hashtag is banned?

On the blacklist, there are many hashtags you wouldn’t ever expect to be there: for example, for a very long time, hashtag #valentinesday has been banned.

Since the banned hashtags change on a daily basis and the list is updated a few times a day, it is your responsibility to check the hashtags you want to use and do your safety-research before including them in a post. You can do it manually, but there are two obstacles: it’s time-consuming, and you may choose the wrong, untrustworthy source and use the outdated list.

That’s why it’s much better to choose a faster and more effective way: our IQ Hashtags’ feature.

Instagram search engine optimization

We have access to the most official and updated data, so our list of banned hashtags is always current and relevant. If you see that some of the hashtags of your choice are banned, you can throw them away and choose other ones instead – and scan your new choices right away. 

Our Banned Hashtags Feature is as easy and intuitive as it can be. All you have to do is enter the hashtags and separate them with spaces or commas, or paste the choice of hashtags you’ve already prepared (for example, from your phone notes or from an Instagram editor). We can perform a real-time scan of your hashtags – which means we’ll load the information from the most current, official sources, and if a new hashtag was banned one minute ago, we’d already had it detected. 

Banned hashtags can drastically decrease your post’s visibility, so if you’re trying to accelerate your online growth and level up your reach, it’s more than necessary to pay attention to them and avoid using them at all costs. Thanks to our tool, you can find out which hashtags are banned within seconds – use it, and you’ll never have to worry about banned hashtags again!

The post Instagram Search Engine Optimization: Identify Best Hashtags and Avoid Banned Hashtags appeared first on IQhashtags - Instagram hashtag search tool.

We know this struggle: that is definitely why we developed IQ Hashtags. We created the solutions to make Instagram growth more effortless. We wanted to provide it to business owners and individual users because we realized it would definitely be a game-changer for growing your account on a limited budget. Using this tool will give you hundreds of hours of time back in return. 

Instagram account analysis

Let’s talk about one of the most essential IQ Hashtags features: profile analysis. It will help you understand the numbers behind your profile and take a closer look at detailed insights. 

Here are a few things you need to know in order to fully understand the stats and track the growth of your account:

• how many active followers you currently have
• how many users have liked or commented on your posts so far
• how many unique hashtags have you used so far
• how many banned hashtags have you used in the past in general
• how your popularity increases or decreases on different days (so you can analyze the data and draw conclusions)
• when exactly your activity is the highest
• what hashtags you use most frequently
• how is your engagement rate shaping up in time

As you plan your Instagram strategy, it’s indispensable to know those metrics. To make sure you’re aware of your profile’s current situation, it’s essential to analyze the right information – the information that will be provided to you by the IQ Hashtags feature we’re talking about: Profile Analysis. Let’s dive deeper into the benefits of such knowledge. 

Instagram Account Analysis: Check your engagement rate – and track it in time!

If you have 10 000 followers but are only getting 50 likes/comments on your photos, something is wrong, and it demands your attention. The key to running a successful, converting Instagram profile is having an engaged, allegiant audience that is willing to answer your questions, be inspired by your content, and engage with you on a daily basis. 

The truth is: engagement rate beats the number of your followers; it’s a hundred times more important. You can have a small, engaged community and get results much higher and more satisfying than accounts with a large base of followers.

With the IQ Hashtags Profile Analysis feature, you can track your engagement rate increasing or decreasing and examine time dependence – when exactly it happens, so you can analyze the reasons behind it. Check how your engagement rate increases the days you post new content and look into data to determine which type of posts generates the highest engagement from your audience.  

The next essential metric you should be aware of is: how many users have liked or added a comment on your profile so far? It gives you an outlook on how many users you have attracted to engage with your content so far. Those interactions are valuable, so it’s beneficial to track them. 

Check hours of profile activity

Since Instagram feed is not chronological (and probably won’t be ever again), your content publishing time really matters. To increase your posts’ visibility and engagement rate, and, of course, to keep consistent frequency in posting, it’s good to have comprehensive information about the hours and days you used to be the most active on your profile. Thanks to this option, you have access to information about how many posts you have published at a specific hour (for example, our favorite influencer has published 31 posts at 21 so far). The same applies to days: let’s find out which day of the week was the most productive in content publishing one for you.

How many hashtags have you used?

Hashtags are one of the most crucial factors of your Instagram marketing strategy. Get to know how many hashtags have you used in general – and how many unique hashtags as well.

What will these insights tell you? The number of unique hashtags will tell you how diverse your hashtag strategy is: when you have a deficient number of unique hashtags, it means you haven’t tested many options, and you’re using the same ones over and over again. Our other features: hashtag research, hashtag performance, and hashtag lists will be a game-changer for you, and they will take a fresh turn with attracting new audiences. 

Did you use banned hashtags?

Hashtags play a crucial role in attracting people to your account. But it would be best if you kept in mind that not all of them will be beneficial for you – some of them can be seriously harmful. There are a large number of Instagram hashtags that have been banned, and using them can lead to decreasing the visibility of your posts as a form of automatic punishment from the Instagram Algorithm. Some hashtags have been banned permanently, and some of them only temporary, so it’s a great practice to check if you haven’t unknowingly used them. And here we’ve got your back: with our Profile Analysis Feature you’ll have access not only to the exact number of banned hashtags that are currently in your content captions, but you’ll see the detailed list of them with links to those particular posts – so deleting banned hashtags will be easier and quicker than ever. 

Identify the most popular hashtags used on your account

Which hashtags are your favorites to such an extent that you use them repeatedly? We’ll provide you an outlook on the hashtags you have used the most – along with the percentage of their general usage. Are there several hashtags you have used in more than 40% of your posts? It’s a valuable piece of information to implement more conscious hashtag-selection.

Who or what brands have you tagged in your content most often?

Whenever you tag an account: whether it’s a personal profile or a business one, they get a notification. What does it mean for your engagement? They will be much more willing to interact: like or comment on your content.

Why is the information about the accounts you have tagged most frequently is precious? You’ll have an insight into the creators or brands you have developed the most intense tagging-relationships in the past, and you’ll see in how many posts have you actually tagged them. 

Profile Analysis Feature provides you the most important statistics: not only the broad, overall data but also many details, arming you with the professional knowledge about your account “behind the scenes.” It will unquestionably help you grow faster than ever and broaden your Instagram presence more consciously and – what is essential – more strategic. It will help you understand empirically what statistics are revealing about your account and its condition, and it will provide you sterling insights to reach your goals much faster. 

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