Hashtags will be familiar to any social media user. And Instagram is also a well known player on social media and very popular with people who like sharing imagery and maybe showing off their glam lifestyles.
Hashtags have been part of Instagram for sometime, but now users can opt to follow a hashtag that is of particular interest to them. But how will that work?
Instagram has said of the development: “Following a hashtag is just like following a friend. To get started, search for a topic you’re interested in or tap on a hashtag from any post. You’ll see relevant hashtags displayed in your search results along with related accounts. When you find a hashtag you like, open the hashtag page and tap on the follow button. You’ll begin seeing top posts from that hashtag in your feed and some of the latest stories in your stories bar. You can always unfollow a hashtag at any time.”
Instagram is owned by Facebook and is a hugely popular social network, particularly for younger people when it comes to image sharing. But is has also become a marketing opportunity for businesses and is of particular interest to sellers with fantastic imagery and pretty products.
Now that users can follow hashtags and find content relevant to them and their interests, that is an opportunity for brands and retailers. It means that you can tag your relevant goods to popular hashtags and hopefully find an audience who might want to buy.
But to what extent are ecommerce SMEs exploiting social media and is it in any way effective as a sales channel? It would be fascinating to hear from Tamebay readers who utilise Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter to market their goods. In particular, we’d love to hear if it’s an effective way of getting sales.
