Today on Keeping Up with Kamichat we look at hard data to answer the age-old question, Should you put Instagram hashtags in the body of the post or in the first comment, and how many should you use?
We think we found the definitive answer, at least for now. And we also cover the latest updates on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.
This Week’s Question:
Instagram Hashtags. Should you put them in the body of the post or in the first comment, and how many should you use?
Answer
The short answer is that you should put them in the post and that you should use 30 relevant hashtags, and this time I have proof. Agora Pulse has a pretty awesome podcast called Social Media Lab, hosted by Scott Ayres and Richard Beeson. They tested Instagram hashtag performance with some pretty impressive tests. Using 30 hashtags increases likes while adding hashtags in your posts gives you a little extra reach (due to the time issue for getting your post in the hashtag stream). Check the show notes for the hard proof if you are still doubting.
Check out the hard proof on these two posts:
- https://www.agorapulse.com/social-media-lab/30-hashtags-on-instagram-posts-yes-or-no
- https://www.agorapulse.com/social-media-lab/instagram-hashtags-comments-post
Instagram is rumored to be working on a standalone shopping app, codenamed IG Shopping. Merchants would be able to have a collection of products which subscribers could browse and buy right from the app. There are a number of third-party tools Four-Sixty and Shopify Tools. Instagram is currently testing a feature that lets users shop from Instagram stories, which could be a precursor to the new app. https://business.instagram.com/a/shopping-on-instagram
Pew Research released results from two new polls of roughly 5,00 Facebook users. 44% of people aged 18-24 said they deleted the Facebook app last year and 64% have adjusted their privacy settings in order to impact what they see in their feeds, including ads.
Twitter is thinking of adding features to make the platform more conversational. Last week Twitter product developer Sara Haider (https://about.me/pandemona) asked her Twitter followers about two potential new features, including threaded replies and something called “presence” that would let you know when people you are connected with are active on the platform. The second feature caused some concern. People feel the feature might be a safety issue, allowing stalkers and bullies to more easily find people they are harassing.
hey Twitter. we've been playing with some rough features to make it feel more conversational here. presence and reply threading. still early and iterating on these ideas. thoughts? pic.twitter.com/3U3NvpHWPy
— Sara Haider (@pandemona) August 31, 2018
YouTube
YouTube’s time watched feature is now live on both iOS and Android apps. Just tap on your account icon and then on the Time Watched menu item. You can also change your settings to get a reminder to take a break.
Snapchat
New bounce video editing feature that allows you to playback and loop any portion of your snaps. Also, messages can now be kept for 24 hours instead of instantly deleting them. Here is a link to an article with instructions about how to use these new Snapchat features.
Also, Snapchat announced its new styles of Spectacles, Nico and Veronica, its hands-free cameras built into sunglasses. They can capture up to 70 videos and hundreds of photos. They cost $199 and come with a charging cable instead of a charging case this time. You can order them online or at Neiman Marcus. Do you think these will be a hit or a flop?
Upcoming Events
September 13, 2018 (All Day)
Join me next week at the H/IMA Interactive Strategies Disrupt Conference in Houston, Texas. You can use my code SMBHOU to get $100 off of your registration.
September 14, 2018 (8:30-10:00am)
When building your personal brand isn’t your day job. Free event and live stream with the Houston Social Media Breakfast at Canopy.
[…] We covered the question of whether to use Instagram hashtags in comments in our last episode, The Science of Instagram Hashtags. […]