A lot of businesses have ventured into Instagram to cast a wide net and capture a lot of the target audience there. This social media giant not only allows businesses to showcase their products and services but also connect with a broader community. A key feature that contributes to this wide reach is Instagram’s tagging capability.
Tagging on Instagram helps businesses increase their reach, drive engagement, and foster a sense of community among users and brands alike. Get to know more about this feature in this article.
What are Instagram tags?
Instagram’s tagging functionality allows users to mention someone on Instagram (whether that’s on their posts or stories). This feature creates a hyperlink to the tagged account, which can boost the post’s visibility and engagement potential. Further, the tags facilitate direct interactions, which makes content more discoverable to a targeted audience.
To understand Instagram tagging’s full impact, it’s essential to distinguish it from hashtags. Hashtags categorize content, which makes it searchable under a unified theme or keyword. In contrast, tags directly link to individual profiles, which fosters a more personalized interaction. Knowing their distinctions is key to leveraging Instagram effectively, as shown in the table below:
| Feature | Hashtags | Tags |
| Purpose | Aggregate content under a theme or keyword | Mention and link to specific accounts |
| Interaction | Broad, which is based on shared interests or topics | Personal, aimed at specific users or accounts |
| Visibility | Increases the chance of discovery by a wide audience | Directly notifies the tagged account. Invites engagement from a specific user or brand |
| Engagement | Broadens reach within a like-minded community | Creates opportunities for direct interaction and engagement |
How to tag on Instagram: A Step-by-step guide
Tagging someone on Instagram is easy. Check out our guide below on how to strategically tag someone in an Instagram post or story to boost interaction and foster deeper connections with your audience.
Step-by-step guide to tagging on Instagram
Tagging in posts:
- Start with your content. Upload the photo or video you intend to share to your Instagram feed.
- Initiate tagging. Before finalizing your share, tap on the Tag People option. This step is crucial for adding a tag to an existing post.
- Select where you want to tap tag people. By tapping on the photo, you can choose the location where you want to tag someone. This brings up a search function to find the account you’re looking to mention.
- Enter the username. Start typing the username of the individual or brand’s profile you wish to tag. Instagram will offer account suggestions as you type, making it easier for you to tag the right profile.
- Complete and share. After adding all necessary tags to your own story or post, proceed with finalizing your caption and settings, then share it with your followers.
Tagging in stories:
- Craft your story. Whether it’s your own story or an existing post you’re converting into a story, begin by selecting or capturing the content you wish to share.
- Use the ‘@’ mention. Tap on the screen to activate the text tool and type @ followed by the username of the account you want to tag.
- Choose the account. As you type, Instagram will display suggestions from which you can select the appropriate account to tag in your story.
- Publish your story. With the tag in place, your story is now ready to be shared. This potentially reaches both your audience and the audience of the account you’ve tagged.
The significance of tagging
Tagging someone—whether that’s in your Instagram story or post—is more than just mere mentioning. Because with this, you’ll be able to create interactive and engaging content that builds connections. You’ll be able to spark conversations among your target audience because of your post’s increased visibility.
By tagging others, you’re not only notifying that tagged account but also potentially expanding your content’s reach to their followers as well. This can lead to higher engagement rates.
This strategy is especially effective if the profile you want to tag is public, as it maximizes visibility. However, tagging a private account will notify the user but will not expose the post to their followers due to privacy restrictions.
7 best practices for tagging on Instagram
Tagging on Instagram can amplify your content’s reach and engagement when done correctly. It’s a powerful tool for connecting with others and enhancing visibility, but it requires a strategic approach for it to be truly effective. Follow these best practices:
- Tag with purpose. Always tag users, influencers, or brands that are directly related to your content. This ensures that your tags are relevant and likely to engage the people mentioned, which increases the likelihood of your content being shared or featured by them.
- Quality over quantity. Don’t over-tag. Tagging too many accounts in a single post can appear spammy and may reduce engagement. Stick to tagging only those accounts that are genuinely relevant to the content you’re posting.
- Foster genuine connections. Use tagging to build relationships rather than just a tactic for increasing reach. Tagging relevant accounts in your posts can open up opportunities for collaboration and partnership, which can be beneficial for both parties involved.
- Respect privacy and preferences. Be mindful of an individual’s or brand’s tagging preferences. Some may prefer not to be tagged in certain types of content or at all. Respecting these boundaries is crucial for maintaining positive relationships within the Instagram community.
- Encourage community engagement. When appropriate, tag participants or contributors in your posts to acknowledge their contribution or participation. This enhances engagement and strengthens community ties by showing appreciation and recognition.
- Use tags to highlight collaborations. If your post is the result of a collaboration with another user or brand, make sure to tag them. This highlights the partnership to your audience and supports cross-promotion, which benefits both parties involved.
- Be timely with your tags. Tag relevant users or brands in posts that are timely or trend-related to increase visibility and relevance. Being part of a current conversation can significantly boost engagement.
By adhering to these practices, tagging on Instagram can be a powerful strategy for your brand. Aside from expanding your reach, you’ll also be building meaningful connections and fostering a sense of community around your brand or profile.
Enhance your Instagram strategy with Web.com
While Instagram is a great platform to increase your brand’s engagement and visibility, you still need a little boost to further your efforts for a wide reach. Web.com has a user-friendly and intuitive Website Builder that allows you to integrate your Instagram account into your website as you’re building it. Simply drag and drop elements onto your design to add it or other media. The builder has scalable plans that you can purchase as your business grows.
Increase your engagement on Instagram now
Understanding how to use Instagram tags wisely can greatly enhance your presence and impact on the platform. Tags help you connect with the right crowd, expand your reach, and build a strong brand presence. By learning how to tag effectively on Instagram, you’re giving your business the best shot at success on this platform. So, keep practicing and implementing what you’ve learned, and watch your business thrive in social media marketing.
