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Instagram claims it is making changes to hashtag pages in an effort to make them more valuable for users.
Instagram is trying to increase the value of hashtags by changing how top posts are ranked in hashtag pages.
The section that curates the top hashtags will now feature more current and timely content.
The tabs that contained recent content were previously separated. This meant that content from the "Top" section could have been published months or weeks ago.
Instagram will no longer have the "Recent tab". Instead, users will be able to find new content under the "Top" tab. The "Reels tab will not be removed.
These changes are hoped to make hashtags more useful to users. This is likely to be determined by an increase in engagement.
Studies show that Instagram hashtags have no significant impact on engagement, as we'll see later. How can we change the ranking of top posts to encourage more engagement with the content?
Let's first take a look at the changes in hashtag pages.
Instagram Surfacing More Recent Content In Hashtag Pages
Instagram's communications team has made an announcement explaining what is changing and why.
"We are trying new things to make hashtags more valuable for people. We launched Destinations a few weeks ago to connect people to information about social causes. Now, we are going to do something different.
We're testing newer and more timely content in the 'Top' and "Reels" tabs in hashtags. The 'Recent tab was removed. This will allow people to connect with more relevant and interesting content on hashtags while still keeping them updated with what's new.
Instagram shared an example of the new hashtag pages.
You can see that they look identical minus the "Recent” tab.
These hashtag pages have been designed to make it easy for users to find timely and popular content.
You could find quality content that is not up-to-date or new content with the old design.
When you search for a hashtag, you will find relevant and quality content.
It will be interesting to see if this test yields the results Instagram is seeking.
There is no compelling reason to use hashtags on Instagram at the moment, based on their value.
Instagram may be taking note of studies such as the one in the section below.
Study Finds Instagram Hashtags Don't Increase Post Engagement
Socialinsider analyzed over 75 million Instagram posts over the past year in order to determine the relation between views and hashtags.
According to the study, hashtag usage does not result in an increase in engagement rates.
"... The number of hashtags in a post doesn't influence its distribution. We calculated the average engagement rate per impression.
There are no significant differences in engagement rates by impressions between the Instagram posts that were analyzed, regardless how many hashtags they have.
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