What are hashtag shortcuts and do you need them?
If you're an Instagram user (and you should be), you probably already know that hashtags are one of the best ways for you to expand your reach to new audiences. Hashtag feeds return chronologically, so you can keep up with the latest more easily and can gage just how fast people are adding to certain hashtags as well as whether or not those hashtags are burying posts or if they're working. Creating your hashtag strategy is critical to reaching the people who might be looking for you, right now.
But once you have your hashtag strategy figured out, then what?
Adding those hashtags to your posts takes time. And even if you can type fairly quickly, two or three minutes per post can really add up fast.
And don't even get me started about typos and accidentally hitting the wrong letter on those tiny, tiny keyboards.
Creating hashtag shortcuts in your iPhone can help you save time when you want to post from your phone on the go without prescheduling your Instagram posts but don't want to spend the time trying to type out every single hashtag.
This post is specifically for iPhone users.
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Using Your iPhone to Create Hashtag Shortcuts
1. Navigate to your iPhone settings, then to General.
2. Navigate to Keyboard.
3. Navigate to Text Replacement.
4. Now the fun stuff.
Where you see Phrase, you will enter the string of hashtags you might want to use.
Then Shortcut is where you will enter the shortcut that will pull up that string. In this example, I type ssbrave and it auto-replaces my text with the the eight hashtags I want to use on a specific Instagram post.
Ideas to Maximize this Feature
- Create many hashtag shortcuts for various types of hashtag groupings. Aim to use 4-6 hashtags in one shortcut phrase. Then use 3-4 shortcut phrases per Instagram post depending on that post's content. That way, you don't run the risk of getting flagged for overusing the same hashtags over and over again.
- I intentionally put the “ss” in front of the phrase for most of my hashtag shortcuts because “brave” is a word I might type in my normal iPhone typing, and I wouldn't want a bunch of hashtags to automatically come up every time I want to say “brave.”
- This feature can also be used for anything you type repeatedly on your iPhone. Tired of typing out “Thanks so much, talk to you soon!” or “Please use my link to register as a customer: {link}.” That is something you could also put into a text replacement shortcut.
- If you don't have an iPhone, other options include creating your hashtag lists in your note app, and copying/pasting into your Instagram caption when you post. This still helps ensure that you are using the most relevant and valuable hashtags that will help with that specific post's reach versus simply trying to rely on your memory.
This will save you time and energy. You don't have to spend time typing in all of the hashtags, and just type in a simple phrase and the string of words will appear without much effort from yourself. It makes it easier to switch between hashtags to change them up every so often. You can use that extra time elsewhere in your business as you batch through your Instagram content.
#EmpowerSocial
