(2024 Update: I spoke directly with a rep from Meta and they recommended using 3 to 8 hashtags in the body of your caption on both Reels and photo posts. I have updated this post with their current recommendations.)

Growing Your Art Account Following with Hashtags

If you are new to Instagram, or have been struggling with getting new followers, your hashtags might be the issue. When I first started posting art, I would pull tags out of my head. I’d look at my art and brainstorm all the ways to describe the piece right when I was posting.

#sketch #doodle #art #artist #abstract

My tags were generic and I only used a handful of them, because I didn’t know how important they were and I frankly didn’t feel like wasting too much time on the posting process. When I search for those tags now, I see they have millions of posts behind them. It’s no wonder why I didn’t see progress on my account for months. I was doing it all wrong.

Researching new hashtags was a huge contributing factor to my quick growth in 2017. I don’t want to repeat too much of the information that’s already out there so I’ll just say: Hashtags are really important. Yes, there is a right way to use them. Don’t worry, I will show you how.

Hashtag Basics and Suggestions:

Hashtags change and grow. Some get banned, and some are popular one day and obsolete the next, which is why it’s important to continually adjust and review your tags to get the maximum benefit. I’ve put together a list of helpful tips and info:

• You can use 30 tags per post but aim for 3 to 8 strategic tags:
  • Hashtags should be relevant to your niche.
• Don’t use giant hashtags with millions of posts behind them:
  • If you are using generic and overused tags, you’re not going to benefit much. If your account has a small following, focus on small tags.
    • Avoid: 1 million + uses
    • I focus on small, niche tags (1,000 to 50,000 uses)
    • You can try a few medium-sized tags (50,000 to 500k uses)
    • Branded tags will not help you find a new audience.
• Pay attention to the top posts in your chosen hashtags.
  • The goal is to get into the top posts of some of the tags you use. The more engagement your post has, the more likely it will move up in rank. And if you’re in the top posts, it will drive even more people to engage with the post and follow you.
• Post your tags in your caption and not as a comment.
  • Some say you shouldn’t post tags in the caption, because it looks tacky and spammy. Don’t listen to them. Instead:
    • Add 5 or more lines between your caption copy and tags so the tags show up further down.
  • Some say posting tags in a comment will trick the Instagram algorithm into thinking your post has more engagement and then it will boost the post, but it actually makes your hashtags ineffective.
    • Instead, focus on calls to action to generate comments: Post the tags in your caption, but ask a question to your audience to encourage genuine engagement. “What’s your favorite medium?” “What does the color scheme make you feel?” etc. (Read: How to Write Engaging Instagram Captions and Why Your Social Media Posts Should Start a Conversation)
• Sit down and do some research. I’ll show you how I do it! 
  • It’s tedious, but I will show you how I get a healthy list of tags that I just copy and paste into posts for a couple of months until I have to sit down and research new ones.

The Importance of Researching Your Tags

Again, hashtags are important–but more specifically hashtags that have a narrow focus and fit your brand/niche are important.

As part of defining your brand, you need to know where you fit into the art world. What kind of art do you create and what materials do you use? What kind of feelings do your pieces evoke? Knowing the answers to all of these questions will help you better market yourself, choose the right tags, and find your audience.

Also, a lot of share accounts choose different works to share from specific tags. Some have their own tags, and some pull from tags already in use. I wish there was a list of share accounts out there, but it’s an ever-changing network. You are more likely to find these accounts when you are researching tags.

The Lazy Method For Choosing Hashtags:

Find an artist similar to your style that has a larger following than you (but not too large). Look at their posts with high engagement (most likes and comments) and copy their tags. Voila. Your work is done. But keep in mind, this could actually be completely ineffective depending on the size of the tags this artist uses, but it’s a start if you don’t have the time to research.

The Tedious but Totally Worth it Method for Choosing Hashtags:

Get on your phone or computer and head to Instagram. Open up a spreadsheet or get a pen and paper. In the search bar, search for a tag relevant to your art. For this example, I’m going to use #acrylicpaint. Below are the top nine posts for this tag (This is from the original time I wrote the post. The current post total for this tag is over 4 million, so don’t use this tag!)

I happen to have two pieces in the mix at the moment, but I’m going to look at the middle row, right side for inspiration. Okay, so looking at this post, it has high engagement and happens to be a @brittleeart piece from a big share account (I’ll tell you more about what to do with this later.). Now, what I do is examine all of the tags and start clicking on each one to see if it would fit my style.

If I find a ‘good’ tag, then I explore its top nine. Select another post, check out those tags, find another good one, explore the top nine. Repeat.

While I am clicking back and forth, I have a spreadsheet open to start recording different tags and information. Below is a screenshot of my research. On the left are tags that I have already been using. Blue means I’ve made it to the top nine, red means the tags are too big and my work is nowhere to be seen. I’m not going to use the red tags anymore. (Again as I edit this post in 2024, this list is from years ago so these tags will have much different numbers now.)

The right side are the new tags I researched today. A lot of my tags are above 50k uses, but I am having success with the larger ones so I keep using them. As your following grows, you can find success with the larger ones as well. For now, start on the smaller end.

What makes a hashtag ‘good’?

Now, you can see from my list that I don’t use a lot of one-word tags or simple tags. I choose much more specific tags. Don’t use #art, use #uncommonart. Don’t use #abstract, use #abstractaf . I have to admit that the more I research tags, the more excited I get when I find a really good one. So what do I look for in a tag?

• The tag has quality content. The top posts are attractive and have genuine engagement.
• The tag is related to your art and your brand in some way. Can you see your work fitting in here?
• The tag is currently in use. Look at the recent posts under the tag to see when it was last used.
• The uses are between 1k to 50k.
• The tags are more specific and targeted to a smaller audience.
  • You’d think you would want to display to the largest audience you can to get exposure at first, but you want to do the exact opposite. Find a small dedicated audience. Their engagement is going to mean so much more for you, your account, and your business.

Basic Steps for Hashtag Research

1. Start with a generic tag related to your work or a tag you already have success with.
2. Examine the post with the highest engagement in the top posts that is most similar to your art and brand.
3. Review the tags on that post and copy the tags that are smaller and targeted.
4. If any of the posts appear to be share accounts, look to see if they have a specific tag they use. Add that to the list if you want to increase your potential for shares. (ex. #artwhisper #fluidartwork)
5. Explore niche tags and/or unrelated tags. Some might be specific art tags, and some might be related to creativity. Either way, they tap into a different audience, but stay consistent with your brand. (ex. #creativelifehappy #createdtocreate #creativehabit)
6. Record your tags until you have a list of 25 or more.

I honestly spend an hour or two researching tags, but once I have a list I format the basic layout and copy it into my notes app. I have notes for different content styles like process videos, new products in my store, and my standard tag list. (In 2024, again, these tag lists should be 3 to 8 per post.)

Now when I have new content to post, I just copy this to my clipboard and head to Instagram. I will review my tags in another 2 or 3 months and see which ones aren’t working for me and I’ll switch things around. Again, I know this process is a little tedious, but it is beneficial.

Please leave questions and comments below while commenting is open or reach out to me directly through Instagram or email. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below to never miss a blog post.

-Kelly

@messyeverafter

P.S. You probably know by now that I am here to help artists with these posts. If you need help with your online branding, Instagram account, or just want a creative accountability coach, then check out my consulting services.