Instagram finally shed some light on the effectiveness of Instagram hashtags and was spotted testing a new feature: links in Reels! But there’s a twist. We don’t want you to miss a thing in this week’s dose of digital updates, so let’s dive in! 🏊‍♀️

What’s new with Instagram?

Instagram’s Hashtag Confusion Answered!

In a recent Q&A on the official @InstagramForBusiness account, the platform addressed the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of hashtags. Do they work? And how many do we use? Instagram has revealed that using relevant and trending hashtags CAN help you reach more people by connecting you with people interested in those specific topics. They also mention what NOT to do, saying that “Gaming the system” by using a whole bunch of irrelevant hashtags in your posts might hurt your engagement!

DOs & DON’Ts

• DOs: Use 3-5 hashtags that are relevant to your post whether they’re about your business, products or audience. Bonus points if it’s a trending hashtag!
• DON’Ts: Don’t use heaps of irrelevant hashtags. Using irrelevant hashtags can negatively impact your engagement because your content may be shown to audiences who aren’t interested in the topics you’re tagging and be less likely to engage with it. This can ultimately affect the distribution of your content on Instagram.

Recommendations for Businesses: We will definitely be following this advice in the future with hashtags referencing our type of business and the post type, for example, if we post a summary of debunking common marketing myths we might use hashtags like #marketingmyths #digitalmarketingagency #brisbanemarketingagency #marketingagency #marketingtruths.

Add links to your Reels!

New feature alert! You can now add links to your Instagram Reels. Look for the link option when you’re writing your caption. This feature is perfect for adding a CTA directly to your promotional Reels and will hopefully improve the “Click-Through-Rate” of your videos as customers won’t have to navigate through the links in your bio! The catch is that this feature is for Meta Verified accounts and when we found the feature in our settings it said that we would get 0 new links on the 3rd of October, thanks a lot!

Our take: If you do have Meta Verified this is an amazing new tool to help your organic social content be even more powerful as a marketing tool but honestly we wish this was just a standard offering as it should be an embedded feature in the first place!

📔 Other noteworthy updates from Instagram this week:

• Instagram’s CEO has confirmed that the app will not be adding a following-only feed option in the near future. This decision is based on data that shows that users are less engaged and satisfied with the app when they can only see posts from accounts they follow.
• Instagram has launched a new “Best Practices” panel in its professional dashboard to help creators produce engaging content. This resource offers advice on reaching a wider audience, with categories like Creation, Engagement, and Monetization all in one spot! This space will also offer personalised tips to give a summary of how your account is doing across each topic and educational Reels from Instagram and other creators.

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What’s new with Google?

Google Maps Cracks Down on Fake Reviews by taking action against businesses that use fake reviews to manipulate their ratings. They will now restrict reviews on places that have been caught posting fake content and warn users about such behaviour. The restrictions include temporarily removing reviews, blocking new reviews, and displaying a warning message on business profiles. This is aimed at deterring businesses from trying to artificially inflate their ratings and helping users avoid visiting places that may not be trustworthy.

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📔 Other noteworthy updates or tests:

• YouTube Removes Music by Major Artists Due to Licensing Dispute. YouTube has been removing music from several major artists due to a licensing dispute with the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC). Some major artists affected include Adele, Green Day, and R.E.M. The move is believed to be a negotiating tactic as SESAC’s partnership with YouTube is set to expire. While YouTube is optimistic about reaching a new agreement, the dispute could potentially drag on, impacting the music options available to creators on the platform.

We’re excited to see if Instagram’s hashtag advice actually makes a difference in engagement. It’s been a long time coming! Let’s see if it works its magic. Feel free to sign up for our weekly updates here (plus so much more hot goss) so you never miss the best updates. AND don’t forget, if you do miss out you can always go back to last weeks blog posts here.

XOXO

Oh My Digital Team