As I have been using hashtags for a long time on my posts, this is something that I didn’t really think about when I posted my first new post.
The idea of hashtags is (according to an article from Hootsuite):
“Hashtags are a great way to connect with like-minded people, and they can be used for just about anything.” Macready, H. (2022)
This means that when you create a post, you use hashtags related to the post that you have made to reach other platform users who have an interest in what you are posting about. Therefore, when I posted my last post, I used the hashtags:
#Activist #ActivistPortrait #ActivistInterview #Climate#ClimateCrisis #DigitalDrawing #DigitalArt
all of which are hashtags which relate to the content that I have created, and therefore make it more likely that my work will be seen by like-minded accounts, and will also get a larger audience, due to the post being grouped in with other related posts which are also using that hashtag.
On reflection however, I should also have used more art related hashtags, including:
#Art #Artist #ArtStudent #Drawing #Procreate #Draw
These are all related hashtags to the post, which would have possibly resulted in a higher engagement with the post from other users on Instagram.
Having done some additional research, I came across this list of hashtags on best-hashtags.com, which are all related to the hashtag “#Art”, and some of which I will try using in later posts, particularly: #art #artist #love #drawing #artwork #artistsoninstagram #beautiful #illustration #digitalart #artoftheday as these are the most relevant to what I am posting about and my practice as an artist.
I also make sure to capitalise all ‘starting letters’ in hashtags, as this makes it more accessible to disabled users on the platform, as the hashtags are easier to understand and discern that way, rather than being a long list of seemingly unrelated letters – which they can appear to be.
Sources:
- Macready, H. (2022) How to Use Hashtags in 2022. Available at: https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-use-hashtags/
- best-hashtags.com (2022) Hashtags for #Art. Available at: https://best-hashtags.com/hashtag/art/
