A small business owner recently asked me about hashtags on Instagram – should they be using them? Do they work? What are they for?

This is a great question, particularly because of the conjecture around it and the different approaches you may have seen.

Your objective on Instagram is to be listed in the top stories on the search page. Stories that are trending on Instagram are shown in keeping with your interests or your likes. By that I mean a trending story that is relevant to something you like on Instagram will show up in your feed more than another story that is unrelated.

You’ll see images from others that will capture your attention, from people that you may or may not be following. The ranking assigned to these stories stems from the use of hashtags: things that are relevant that you might be looking for, or acting on.

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One of the questions I’m asked quite frequently is whether there is any value in boosting posts on Facebook and whether it’s just about reaching more people?

Firstly, the purpose of boosting a post is to ensure it hits your target audience.There would be little value in boosting it if it weren’t going to increase the chances of the people you’re targeting seeing the post. Rather than taking a ‘more the merrier’ approach, look to increase engagement by targeting those with a vested interest in the content you’re sharing.

Facebook has provided us with an incredible platform to engage our audience, asking in return for only a small sum of money to ensure that your brand, messages, video and content are being seen.

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